OTDF PSSD Manager Andrew Mari presents Mrs Ruth Ukin, Nima Ara Women & Children Association President her CDW certificate
Women Leaders from five Women and Children Associations attended two weeks of comprehensive training on the Papua New Guinea National Standards for Community Development Workers Training (CDW) in Tabubil, Star Mountain LLG of Western Province.
Mrs Alice Mumuyong an Executive for the Ok Tedi Mine Village Women and Children’s Association said this training is a first and a positive step for them. She said: “After going through the core elements of CDW Training, it has shown that, when we go into our communities, we will definitely need to change our approach. The CDW training has clearly shown that we have to do things differently.”
Ms Eve Narok Secretary for the Tutuwe Ara Women and Children’s Association said: “I am empowered to do my work in the community”.
Compliance for CD workers
CDW lead trainer Ms Bala Tedumo facilitating a session in Tabubil
Lead trainer Ms Bala Tedumo said this training is mandatory for any development organisation or community development worker to undergo in order to work in a community. Similarly, it gives community leaders the compliance standards to perform their duties as mandated leaders chosen by their respective communities.
She said it gives the leaders a sense of ownership to take lead of development in their communities. “These women executives automatically fall into the category of CDW workers due to the line of work they’ve been doing”.
Ms Tedumo added that the course has different sets of topics covering eight core units in Conducting Community Training and Awareness, Report Writing and Steps in Community Entry and Consultations.
She said: “Due to time limitation, the two weeks training covered the elements of the eight core units, which basically touches on the approaches on how to enter a community to do consultations. The rest of the core units will be delivered next year (2023).
The leaders and executives who attended have been working at the community level, but needed capacity building in the steps taken to enter any community, even theirs, and how to start community consultations with ease”.
Mr Kuam Senawai, OTML Manager for Community Relations and OTDF Board Director, officially closed the training.
The training is an initiative of Ok Tedi Development Foundation Community Development Program under the Program Services Sustainable Development.