Manawete Women & Children Association in partnership with Callan Services Kiunga & OTDF provide assessment for villagers with special needs
A two-day partners and stakeholders workshop hosted by the Western Province Organisation of Persons with Disabilities (OPD) with funding from Australian Doctors International and the Australian Government APLJ Program from 9–10 April in Kiunga has strengthened collaboration toward inclusive development and service delivery across North Fly District and Western Province.
The workshop brought together key partners including the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF), Australian Doctors International (ADI), Australian Government – APLJ Program, district and provincial government agencies, and the media. Facilitated by national trainer Mr Ross Tito, Program Manager for the PNG Assembly of Disabled Persons (PNGADP), the sessions focused on disability-inclusive planning and shared responsibility in development.
For OTDF, participation aligns strongly with its commitment to inclusive, people-centred development. The Foundation’s Community Development (CD) Program works across education, health, livelihoods, governance, and social development—sectors that directly affect persons with disabilities in remote North Fly communities. Workshop discussions provided practical guidance to strengthen disability inclusion across program design, implementation, and monitoring.
OTDF Community Development Program Team Leader Mr. Polang Tommy noted to bridge the missing link in development outcomes it would be appropriate to have an OPD representative included in the CMCA Women and Children Association working committees
“Persons with disabilities must be represented in the CMCA Women and Children Association executive level,” Mr Tommy said. “Having a representative to work with the association and the CD team to propose projects that genuinely reflect their needs.”
The workshop outcomes are also relevant to OTDF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) Program, where accessibility remains a challenge. OTDF in its development work through WaSH aims to apply disability inclusion principles to promote universal design, strengthen inclusive WaSH committees, and improve collaboration with OPD during project planning going forward.
The workshop reaffirmed that inclusive development is a shared responsibility. For OTDF, it has reinforced ongoing commitment to ensuring no one is left behind as the Foundation supports sustainable development in mine-impacted communities across Western Province.
The Woman and Children Association have gone a step ahead and partnered with Callan Services to provide much neede service to people with special needs. Thus in partnership with the Manawete Women and Children (W&C) Association Callan Services successfully conducted a joint patrol in Doumori and Kawiapo villages as part of ongoing efforts to support people with disabilities in remote communities.
The patrol focused on identifying individuals living with disabilities, engaging with families and community leaders, and assessing immediate needs for assistive devices. The joint initiative reflects a strong commitment to inclusive development and community-based collaboration in the Manawete region.
During the patrol, the team held discussions with village leaders and community members to raise awareness about disability inclusion and available support services. Residents welcomed the initiative, highlighting the importance of outreach programs that reach isolated areas where access to health and social services remains limited.
The arrangement was made through consultations with the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF CD) Community Development Team and the Manawete Women and Children’s Association executive team from the Community Mine Continuation Agreement (CMCA) region. The combined assessment program is part of the nine Women & Children Association’s revised Five Year Action Plan (2026-2030) implemented with funding from OK Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) CMCA agreement.
