THE opening of the Community Learning Center (CLC) is a historical moment for Nima Ara and Tutuwe Ara Women’s Association as it signifies the completion of key infrastructure programs earmarked under their 5 Year Development Plan 2019-2023.
They have identified CLC and requested OTDF to design them as multi-purpose buildings to use as a facility for planning, training and capacity building.
Spokesperson for Bige women Ms. Yurita Pyau said they have longed for such projects in the past, reminiscing on the passing of their chairlady. It was a setback for the previous administration which became a challenge to us and is now delivered.
She said the CLC would be a legacy of their late chairlady and was very thankful, “Mipla hamamas tete, tenkyu stret OTDF”.
Nima Ara Women’s Association President Mrs. Ruth Ukin said “in the past, capacity building programs in the Lower Ok Tedi region were conducted in Church buildings, inside community halls or under residential houses.”
This is no longer the case going forward she said “since we now have a permanent building.”
Mrs. Ukin said “this center will bring learning to the communities doorstep, improve the livelihood of the people through skills training, raise the outlook of the village, and have their women and youths who are willing learners, to be part of the development process in their community and Western Province as a whole.”
She continued to say that many issues hindered the project including land ownership and lack of cooperation among leaders & communities where the CLC is to be built on.
That is why I am very thankful that this project has been completed during my term. While thanking everyone involved in the project, she challenged the community to take good care of the CLC so that it can benefit not only this generation but also the next generations to come.
She said for Nima Ara to get this building built at Bige, it needed constant support, so she thanked the OTDF for making their dream become a reality.
The second learning center opened this year was funded by the Tutuwe Ara Women’s association located in Matkomnae Village.
The learning centers were designed by OTDF Infrastructure team and was pre-fabricated in Port Moresby for easy deployment. All CLCs are identical and include solar power for free electricity and a 5,000-liter tank for water supply using the building roof to capture rain. Total cost for each CLC is about PGK328,000.