Women receive farming techniques

The National National

THE Women’s Sustainable Agriculture Programme (WSAP) sponsored by Oil Search empowers women in host communities by creating opportunities for them to learn basic farming and business skills to create a sustainable livelihood that contributes to the family income.
These covers areas such as rice farming, improved vegetable farming, chicken farming, a commercial egg-laying project, basic business advice and training and, most recently, how to grow and cultivate an introduced vegetable – the bulb onion.
The Homa Paua area of Hela was once a no-go zone for Oil Search officers and vehicles as a result of tribal conflicts. This was until WSAP was introduced into the community with the support of a local woman leader, Shirley Iragali, and her husband Bill Keadeg.
The couple embraced the programme which led to the formation of the Homa Paua WSAP Development Centre.
Soon after, the community witnessed the reopening of the Paua Primary School which was forced to close for six years due to the conflicts.
The Oil Search community affairs women development team in collaboration with the Christian Leaders Training College (CLTC) ran a series of workshops for improved vegetable farming and new or introduced vegetable farming techniques.
Onion production was established and it is now thriving in the Homa Paua area, thanks in part to Oil Search, Iragali and Keadeg.
Apart from onions, the group farms rice, cabbages and other improved vegetables sown in their nursery following useful demonstrations by CLTC.
Since 2012, Oil Search has been supporting more than  300 Huli, Fasu and Foe women as they create and grow five small sustainable agricultural enterprises.
Some achievements include:

  • Improved diets for individuals and families;
  • income generation for the five WSAP groups and families;
  • the Women’s Sustainable Agriculture Programme groups coming together and establishing Women’s Sustainable Agriculture ProgrammeDevelopment Centres;
  • formation of the Moran-Kutubu Women’s umbrella business group called Mokut Women’s Business Group;
  • egg production and selling to PNG Mining Petroleum Hospitality and Catering Services Ltd, Oil Search’s contracted catering company introduction of new farming methods and soil management, basic bookkeeping, financial literacy and skills or training in food handling and food security; and,
  • Introduction of solar power for egg incubation and capacity-building.