Women play active role in coffee rehab

Weekender

By LEO WAFIWA
PPAP coffee is supporting partners and stakeholders to strengthen women’s roles, helping women gain more respect in the coffee sector.
THE World Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) financed coffee rehabilitation project is embracing women contribution, not only at the farmers’ level, but also in decision-making positions.
Recently eight women were trained on best practices in coffee rehabilitation, processing and marketing on April 3-7, 2017 at CIC’s Research, Growers & Service Division in the Aiyura Valley, Eastern Highlands. The women were part of 54 officers at two training workshops organised by CIC’s Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (CIC-PPAP).
Young Stephanie Wambi, 25, of Southern Highlands was one of these inspiring women who attended the extension officers’ training.
“I feel very fortunate to attend this training and enjoyed the practical sessions. I thank CIC-PPAP to encourage recruitment of female extension officers,” says Stephanie who works as field officer for Undiri Coffee, a lead partner implementing rehabilitation activities which includes revitalising rundown coffee gardens in Southern Highlands.
“Some women like to work in air condition offices but I want to climb mountains and cross rivers to meet and serve our rural people.
“It’s challenging but it gives purpose to life,” adds Stephanie.
The week-long training workshops were conducted separately for extension officers and project coordinators who were working for 26 partners of CIC-PPAP implementing coffee improvement activities under call 3 and 4 in 10 coffee growing provinces namely Eastern Highlands, Chimbu, Jiwaka, Western Highlands, Enga, Southern Highlands, Madang (Simbai and Kovon LLG), Morobe, East New Britain and East Sepik.

Stronger role for women in coffee
“One of our efforts under gender is to get women together and help them see themselves as important economic producers,” says Potaisa Hombunaka, manager for PPAP coffee. “Women do most farming labour but their role in development isn’t recognised.”
“This coffee development work is also about making women see their worth.”
The other six women who attended the Aiyura training early this month were Lydia Lait and Shilla Sato from East New Britain (DAL), Janet Lali, Susie Ivelo and Hanna Yarowo of CDA Goroka, Nicholor Boas of Wia Trade Coffee in Erap (Morobe), Regina Lusaro and Theresa Pupune of AAAK Cooperative/PNG Coffee Exports (Goroka) and Hepizi Sarkie of Wabag Diocese.
The PPAP through its implementing partners is engaging more women as extension officers, project coordinators and data entry clerks.
So far all 26 lead partners of CIC-PPAP employ close to 15 women in above positions.
At the CIC-PPAP project coordinating unit at Goroka and Mt Hagen, two women in Amy Tom and Blein Mailil have recently joined as field technical officers or consultants bringing the total number of female staff to five.
The rationale is to increase access for women to training in agriculture or coffee management, and support in developing planning and decision making skills. This is where these women will play a central role as model field officers and project coordinators.
Regina Lusaro, of AAAK Cooperative/PNG Coffee Exports, points out that the coffee rehabilitation programme is effective because it involves both men and women. Women can take the lead in organising the project but both men and women will help to implement it. The design of the project, she says, has already given women field officers and farmers increased standing in the communities.
“The project is empowering women to really open up our minds. We are already seeing some women farmers making decisions with their husbands, and sitting down together to plan for the future. “
The CIC-PPAP through its implementing partners is supporting women to take up roles as field workers, as trainers and model farmers. They are actively taking part in agriculture and coffee businesses, and in many areas women are slowly gaining respect.
There’s still a long way to go. There are too few examples of women holding senior positions in the agriculture sector; men still outnumber women on trainings, and in terms of access to financial and other services.
“Women must see that we’re special, we have talents, we have skills. That we can participate in decision-making, we can participate in farming – things which are not always recognised by husbands or men in general,” says Regina.
“Because of this thinking, we women ourselves live with this believe that we lack this knowledge, so it is a big challenge.
“When we get support from the group we feel more secure. We realise that we also have something to contribute and take ownership of what we can do.” At the same time,” Regina adds, “the husbands or menfolk are also benefitting. On economic matters, we’re working as partners.”
From men and women, there is a growing recognition that creating more levelled partnerships between them will enhance the sustainability of the project, for families and villages. This is the point, Regina says, at which the project can be truly transformational.
The first of such training was conducted last year which is aimed at improving and strengthen the capacity of extension officers who are key personnel on the ground to train coffee growers on improved farming practices.
The number of coffee extension officers has reduced significantly over the years and CIC through its industry rehabilitation programme is working towards returning extension officers to re-connect farmers or producers who are important stakeholders in the coffee value chain.
The training also focused on the important role of an extension officer, understanding coffee varieties (arabica and robusta), coffee rehabilitation involving management of young and old coffee trees and management of nurseries.
The PPAP coffee is an industry rehabilitation initiative of CIC funded by a loan facility from World Bank IDA (International Development Association) and IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) with counter funding from PNG Government.

  • The author is Information & Communications Officer for the Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project under Coffee Industry Corporation.