Women in mining areas urged to work together

Business

LOCAL women in mining areas can be successful in business if they unite and use every opportunity available, a local businesswoman says.
Serah Erasi is the president of the Porgera District Women’s Association (PDWA) and managing director of Ipili Wanda Investment (IWI).
She told a forum in Lae last month that some of the challenges which faced the association were the lack of funds and a manager to oversee the functions of the association.
“We got women investors together, we later got a manager and everything went off well. IWI is the business arm established in June 2009 for the purpose of generating income to support the social and economic development programmes of the PDWA,” she said.
“Our association represents about 6500 women in five local level governments, including Porgera Rural, special mining lease area, Porgera Urban, Paiela and Hewa.”
She said some of the businesses the women started included bus hire and light vehicle contracts.
“We had two 25-seater buses and one vehicle leased to the Porgera Joint Venture,” Erasi said.
“We also provided labour hire for fencing projects, vents bag and embroidery contract (sewing and embroidery services), micro credit schemes (provided loans and credits to PDWA members and groups to start income generating activities), and a canteen contract.
“However, between 2011 and 2013 the business started to fail, but we did not give up.”