President for Nupmo Women Association Noni Dukumun and development partners officially open the Community Learning Center
Nupmo Women & Children’s Association of the North Ok Tedi Trust region opened its first Community Learning Center (CLC) on 12 November at Wurinkanatko village, located 96 kilometers away from Kiunga town.
Over 1000 community members, including development partners and provincial government representatives, were present to witness the occasion.
The opening of the CLC signifies the completion of a key infrastructure project identified in the Nupmo Women & Children’s 5 Year Development Plan 2019-2023.
Association president, Mrs. Noni Dukumun said this building is a legacy of leaders both past and present and represents the achievements of women in the community and North Ok Tedi.
“This is the fruit of the sweat, challenges, and struggles women leaders face. We are happy this CLC is now open. I appreciate the support from our development partners for delivering the CLC to our community”.
The visionary woman president encouraged her community to make good use of the facility that will bring learning, enhance the livelihood of the people through skills training, and improve the look of the village. It will also support women and youths who are willing, to be part of the development process in the community and Western Province.
OTDF Executive Manager Programs Service Eric Kuman while giving credit to the effort of women leaders, thanked the landowner Denis Butkim, for allowing the infrastructure to be built on his land. He also challenged the community to take good care of the building for the benefit of current and future generations. He further affirmed that the project was a blueprint for development in the region and that the Women’s Action Plan 2019 -2023 reflects this strong partnership and collaboration between all stakeholders.
“At the end of the day, we must invest and drive development. This action plan is uniform throughout the 8 CMCA regions so no association is left behind. As the fund manager, OTDF is tasked to deliver the projects in an organised, safe, and cost-effective manner”, he added.
“This center will act as a center of excellence for grassroots,” Kuman said.
One more CLC is expected to be built at Okma village funded by the Association. The learning centers were designed by OTDF Infrastructure Department and prefabricated by Atlas Steel in Port Moresby for easy deployment.
All CLCs built across all the Trust regions are identical and include solar power for electricity and two 5,000-liter tanks for water supply. The total cost for this CLC was PGK350,000. The Wurinkanatko CLC is the first to have funded additional amenities, with two portable ventilated latrines installed, both connected to a safe underground septic tank.