Achieving selfreliance, health and quality of life in Papua New Guinea’s Western Province communities
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Kawok Village Celebrates Milestone in Community Housing
Kawok Village in Western Province is making strides in community development, with four new permanent houses built.
In a proud moment for Kawok village, located 40 minutes by dinghy along the Fly River from Kiunga town, four newly constructed three-bedroom homes were officially opened before a crowd of more than 300 villagers from Kawok and neighboring Moian.
The homes, funded entirely through the Kawok Village Development Funds (VDF) and the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF), mark a significant milestone in the village’s journey towards sustainable community development. The PGK 700,000 project was delivered under a compensation agreement between the Kawok community and Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML).
Chairman of the Kawok Village Planning Committee (VPC), Mr. Simon Kobowut, said during the handover ceremony that the project is part of a long-term vision for the community, driven by the village’s 5-Year Development Plan.
“Infrastructure development is my key focus, I want my people to sleep under iron roof of a permanent house,” Mr. Kobowut said. “Our plan revolves around three major goals: access to clean water, decent housing, and off-grid electricity for the entire community. We will use this plan as our guide and continue to support one another in building our village.”
Villages witness the handover of a home to its owner
House owners Jackson John, Chris Bonney, Gill Michael, Velamina George thanked OTDF for the support in the project and most importantly the VPC chairman Simon Kobowut for the allocation of the homes to their families.
Ward 18 Councilor, Mr. Bondit Kembayong from nearby Moian village, commended the leadership of Mr. Kobowut for his perseverance in seeing the project through to completion.
“To the families receiving their new homes today – take pride in them,” he said. “Development doesn’t happen overnight. The longevity of any project depends on the care and commitment of the community.”
Trust Administrator Mr. Johanis Saferius reflected on the project’s journey, highlighting the strength built through collaboration.
“Delivering projects in remote communities comes with challenges but this is what gives these developments lasting value. He said OTDF also stepped in to manage variations beyond the original PGK 700,000 budget, ensuring the project’s success.”
Executive Manager of Corporate Services, Mr. Raul De Los Santos, called the new homes a legacy of leadership and a foundation for the future of Kawok village.
The housing project follows the recent success of another major initiative in Kawok — a water catchment facility that now supplies 45,000 liters of clean water daily. Five 9,000-liter tanks, installed by OTDF contractors, use gravity-fed flow to deliver water through 20 taps across the village.
This latest project is the second largest infrastructure investment in Kawok’s history and was once again overseen by the OTDF Infrastructure Development team, led by Project Team Leader Mr. Pascoe Sevese.
The people of Kawok are setting a powerful example of community-led development, transforming vision into reality.
Empowerment Through Personal Viability Training
The Wai Tri Women and Children Association funded a two-week Personal Viability (PV) Training ending with the graduation of 26 local participants on June 13, at the Kiunga Vocational Training Centre.
The participants originate from Middle Fly, Tutuwe, and Wai Tri regions enrolled in the training, with 26 proudly receiving Level 1 Certificates in Personal Viability from The Human Development Institute (HDI), marking a transformative journey in personal and community development. This training was facilitated by the Community Development Team of the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) in partnership with HDI.
The Personal Viability program is widely recognised in Papua New Guinea as a life-skills and mindset transformation tool, equipping participants with practical competencies in personal discipline, self-reliance, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and goal setting. Participants spent two weeks immersed in 17 interactive group topics designed to challenge their thinking and help them build the foundation for long-term personal and economic growth.
The General Manager and lead Trainer Mr. Grand Wavine, shared a powerful message with the graduating class:
“This training has been about learning to think for yourself as an individual, to better improve yourself. With the 17 group topics, I continuously told you all to challenge yourselves to be a better version of yourselves.”
His words captured the essence of the training and empowerment from within, through reflection, courage, and discipline.
A Male participant from Ambaga village, Mr. Alexius Misimbi, in an interview shared his thoughts about this training, he said, “This training has opened my mind to do more with the little I have, to start small and have a goal and vision to work towards achieving big with my poultry project and small vanilla farm. With the small profit I earn from this, I will look at it positively and give enough room to grow financially. After this training, I am confident that I will have a renewed mindset and think differently, change my mindset and attitude personally to become a better version of myself”
Pictured is Miss Rhonda Karung sharing her story during an interview
Female participant, Miss Rhoda Karung from Ieran Village in an interview shared her story of the impact of this training, “I have co-managed my father’s trade store and through this training, I have learned the importance of customer service. It is my attitude toward the customers that matters, I must treat each customer as a priority and with respect. Also, to always challenge myself to become a better version of myself, to be self-reliant and less dependable on others for what I want and need.”
The participants, some of whom had never had access to formal education or training before, expressed newfound hope and confidence. The opportunity not only provided essential life skills but also fostered a sense of self-worth and direction among participants.
The Chairlady of the Wai Tri Women and Children Association, Mrs. Ruth Ukins applauded the efforts of both the participants and OTDF for the successful delivery of the training. She highlighted that this initiative is in line with the association’s vision to invest in people, particularly at the grassroots level, and to promote inclusive development:
“We believe empowering individuals with the right mindset and skills is key to unlocking sustainable development in our communities. This training is a beginning, we are confident these participants will go on to lead and inspire others in their villages.”
She also emphasised that this initiative is not a one-off, but part of a long term plan by the Association to promote human resource development within the Mine impacted areas.
The partnership between the Association and OTDF once again demonstrates the impact of working together for a shared vision, “improving the lives of the people in the CMCA region.” OTDF’s involvement through its Community Development team ensured the training was well-structured, culturally appropriate, and inclusive.
Mr. Moses Kalup – Manager Program Services Sustainable Development, during the graduation encouraged the graduates to receive their level 1 certificate with a vision for a sustainable future after mine closure. He said, “This training is to teach you sustainability in preparation for life after mine closure. To shift from a dependable state of mind to a self-reliance, it takes consistency and discipline to see change.”
“We are proud to support such initiatives, and even more proud of the participant who showed commitment and embraced the learning process. It is through partnerships like this that true change happens at the community level,” he added.
Following the success of this training, the Wai Tri Women and Children Association has indicated plans to sponsor additional training programs in the future, with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, leadership, and small-scale income generation initiatives. The hope is that graduates will form community groups, start small businesses, and pass on the knowledge and values learned to others.
For now, the newly certified graduates return to their homes with heads held high and a renewed sense of purpose, ready to become agents of change in their families and communities.
OTDF Delivers 15 Infrastructure Projects to Mine Villages
The total number of completed infrastructure projects across the mine- villages has reached 15, following the official handover of two new houses in Wangbin village on Friday, 13 June.
These projects were funded using their Village Development Funds (VDFs) administered under a special mine agreement by the Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) and managed by the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF).
The event in Wangbin marked a continuing milestone in OTDF’s commitment to improving living standards in the mine-impacted communities.
Wangbin Councillor Mr. Samuel Mereng, speaking on behalf of the community and new homeowners, thanked OTDF for its consistent support.
“The standard upheld by OTDF in delivering projects, especially in financial management, sets a benchmark for transparency,” he said. “Despite delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical challenges, OTDF has delivered. We ask for continued partnership and cooperation from all stakeholders.”
Mr. Mereng also encouraged the Wangbin community to support OTDF by engaging constructively in development processes.
“Let’s stop relying on handouts and start taking ownership of our future. The VDFs are here to help us, and OTDF is the vehicle to deliver. Let’s use it wisely.”
OTDF Acting CEO, Mr. Andrew Mari, acknowledged community concerns and reaffirmed OTDF’s commitment to working closely with local leaders.
“While we cannot meet every expectation at once, we can address key priorities through proper planning,” Mr. Mari said. “I urge Wangbin leaders to develop a five-year community development plan. This plan will be a roadmap to guide the implementation of projects in Wangbin village. Having a shared vision and well-coordinated approach is essential for meaningful progress.”
He praised the leadership within Wangbin, saying their unity and cooperation are helping drive visible improvements. Mr. Mari also encouraged homeowners to take responsibility for maintaining their new houses and highlighted the need for stronger investment in education.
“Education is the key to long-term development,” he said. “We urge communities to consider using VDFs to support students pursuing higher and technical education.”
According to OTDF infrastructure records, 15 projects have now been delivered across the mine villages: Finalbin (5 houses), Atemkit (2 houses), Kavorabip (5 houses), Wangbin (2 houses), and Migalsim (a 3-in-1 classroom).
Three additional houses have already been approved for Wangbin, along with the construction of a perimeter fence for Wangbin Primary School, which is set to begin in the coming months.
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Operating independently of OTML since 2009, we are proud to have 50 full-time staff, 60 part-time staff, and committed volunteers throughout Western Province dedicated to ensuring our objectives and goals are aligned with those of the communities for which we serve.
To date, we have achieved significant outcomes across our investment portfolio and all five pillars of CMCA community development.
Economic Development
From inception as an independent organisation in 2010, OTDF has worked tirelessly with the CMCA communities to establish family and village-based economic and food production options.
Women's & Youth Development
Developing women and youth aspirations following the intensive consultative community engagement in the communities and mine villages.
Infrastructure Development
OTDF continues to focus on infrastructure delivery for communities to gain easier access to regional centres and government services, and to get produce to markets.
Community Health
The OTDF Strategic 5-year plan goal for the Health Sector is the CMCA primary health care service delivery strengthened and in line with the Western Province & National Health Plans.
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The OTDF Education Sector goals are to improve to quality education services, improve teacher education and training.
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