Achieving selfreliance, health and quality of life in Papua New Guinea’s Western Province communities
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Electronic LIBRARY FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS SCHOOL
The Rumginae Community Health Workers School in Western Province received its e-library facility on the 26th of August this year co-funded by Vega Industries, an Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) supplier, and Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF).
Of the 14 CHW schools throughout the country, the Southern region hosts 7 schools and Rumginae CHW School is the first to have an e-library facility, completed at a total cost of K73, 000.
Principal of the school, Mr Amos Kupaloma is grateful to the school’s Board of Directors for and the development partner OTDF. The interactive library has over 30 million resource materials that will benefit the students and staff.
He said: “Western province is challenged with a shortage of rural health workers and access to health facilities. We are trying to raise the standards of health facilities and the school aims to prepare more Community Health Workers (CHW) to serve in these facilities.”
Mr Kupaloma expressed that the training of competent CHWs with the vital skills and knowledge contributes to quality and cost-effective Primary Health Care (PHC) services to the rural majority and the urban communities, thus fulfilling the PNG government’s National Health Plan for 2011-2020.
He said the new e-library is part of the capacity building to enable the CHW training school to become a Nursing College. The school intends to commence the nursing diploma program in 2023.
OTML supportive of the project
OTML Board Chairman Dr Roger Higgins
OTML Board Chairman Dr Roger Higgins was the guest of honour and in his address recalled his stay in Western Province and the current developments.
He was pleased that in a remote environment, developments were taking shape using the latest technology for learning. “I commend the school administration for bringing the CHW School this far since its inception in 1976 and the current development will be valuable in teaching and training future professionals in medicine.”
Dr Higgins encouraged the school to make use of the facility and to maintain it for years to come.
Exploring small-scale fisheries opportunities for women
Community partners in South Fly
Marketing options are being considered by villages in the Kiwaba and Manawete Regions of the CMCA Trusts in the South Fly. The focus is on the sale of mud crabs as well as fish and its by-products.
Mrs. Rachel Aruma Chairlady for the Tirere Village Women Social Issues Concern Group (WSICG) says she and her community frequently participate in daily fishing activities.
She said for her village, most have left the main Tirere village and have moved to Bamboo 2, because the fishing company operates there, making it easier for the villagers to sell their fresh catch.
“We spend so much to travel to Daru to sell fish and that is a burden for us. We don’t have cold storage to transport fish, we don’t have the fuel to travel long distances, leaving little to buy what we want. The businessman here at our reach provides the basic economic services we need, and we have money to buy rice and other store goods right here.”
Mrs. Aruma says: “The money is in the water, the fish we catch we sell the same day to the buyer based at Bamboo 2 fishing camp. It is even a bonus for us, as the businessperson not only buys the fish but its by-products like the airbag, which has a higher price than the fish. She said fish is bought for K5 a kilo while airbags fetch around K25.
Collaboration to deliver projects
The Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) is collaborating with Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to develop business models for small-scale fisheries in Fly River communities, through a project funded by the Australia Centre for International Agriculture Research (Read more: ACIAR). The focus is on women’s roles in mud crab fishing and tilapia processing.
CSIRO’s Sara Busilacchi, a specialist in fisheries, livelihoods, and value chains, visited the country to co-facilitate a multi-stakeholder workshop in Kiunga attended by officers from government, private sector, community, and development organisations. Outcomes from the workshop will form the basis for further investment from development partners to create small-scale fisheries options for communities.
The workshop was followed by a field trip involving women leaders visiting selected Fly River villages in the Middle and South Fly. The field trip was to help Ms. Busilacchi better understand the lifestyle, travel distances, and remoteness faced by communities. Ms. Busilacchi was delighted to visit the Western Province, as traveling from Kiunga to Daru on the Fly River was an important learning experience.
She also visited the newly built Community Learning Centres (CLC) and learned about other OTDF development initiatives. She acknowledged the work that OTDF and partners were doing in communities. A final report is being compiled by OTDF and CSIRO for presentation to stakeholders and development partners.
FODE & Adult Matriculation Success Story
Her trainers at the Rumginae Community Health Workers Training Center noticed her consistency in pursuing education through FODE since 2016.
She completed her schooling in 2019 and was selected because of her sheer determination to attend the CHW school.
Naomi Aewen is 28 from Hosokumgu village, Tutuwe Trust region, Ningerum station.
She was sponsored by the Tutuwe Women and Children Association to upgrade her grade 10 marks through FODE and continued to do her grades 11 and 12 through Adult Matriculation.
Naomi enrolled through the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) Matriculation program in 2016 to upgrade her grade 10 marks in the second semester of the year.
As she continued to Ningrum High School she opted to do matriculation outside of the classroom walls after completing grade 10 at Ningrum High School. “I wanted to do homeschooling as it gave me the opportunity to learn at my own pace, knowing that at home I was able to research better and concentrate with the help of my family.”
“There are sacrifices which I had to make like forgoing the social activities, learning with less support from the formal comfort of a classroom and not having the constant supervision of a teacher was a challenge.”
After completing her 2 years of CHW training, she said she wants to serve as a health worker in her community.
“After I serve in my community, I have bigger dreams of becoming a nurse and even more to be a health professional”.
She thanked the Tutuwe Women & Children Association and acknowledge all who had supported and funded her education.
Who We Are
Each executive and board member, team and individual involved with OTDF is an essential part of achieving the goal of allowing the residents of Western Province to have greater choices in mapping out their own direction to live better lives.
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Executive Management
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Board Members
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Our Partners
What We Do
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.
Community Education
The OTDF Education Sector goals are to improve to quality education services, improve teacher education and training.
Our Communities
Western Province
North Fly District
Middle Fly District
South Fly District
Annual Reports
Our latest Annual Report is a comprehensive report of what OTDF has achieved and defines/outlines our ongoing priorities and goals going forward.
Newsletters
Each month, our OTDF media team creates a PDF newsletter that encapsulates the many activities and achievements by OTDF, partners and communities.
Contact Us
OTDF is committed to cooperation and integration of ideas from our community, therefore, we are always interested in what you have to say.