Achieving selfreliance, health and quality of life in Papua New Guinea’s Western Province communities
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Stronger communities through sports
Participants presented with sports kits for their schools after successfully completing the training at KVC hall
One way to foster a stronger, happier and healthy community is through sports.
The Nupmo Women and Children’s Association, Nima Ara Women and Children’s Association and Tututwe Ara Women and Children’s Association co-funded a weeklong coaching and refereeing training for youths on May 23rd to 28that Awin Tamaro.
The training gave 40 participants skills in soccer and volleyball coaching and refereeing, to give them better understanding of the current rules in both sporting codes.
Manager for PETA Sports Management and soccer facilitator, Percy Mataio arrived in Ningerum from Port Moresby accompanied by Nuga Dick, volleyball coach and trainer on May 22nd for the training. Mr. Mataio is a certified national soccer coach with a B license, the second highest recognized level given by the world soccer body FIFA.
His views on sports gave prominence to social challenges affecting the vulnerable community members especially women, youths and children. Involvement in community sports enhancement programs enabled participants to address social challenges and promote safe communities.
The participants were encouraged to impart their skills to respective youths in their own villages when participating in sporting activities.
“Knowledge and skills you’ve gained during the training is for you to go and impart in your communities because we want to see peaceful communities. Through sports, you can provide unity for all,’’ said facilitator Percy Mataio.
Funding constraints had been the major hindrance to cater for youths in community development within the CMCA villages in Western Province.
Manager for Program Services and Sustainable Development (PSSD) Andrew Mari, encouraged the youths to be agents of change in their communities.
Maze farming a success for Komovai community
Picture: Proud maze farmer showing his maze kernels that will be sent to Tabubil chicken farm.
Komovai village, also known as ‘Bethlehem’, lies in the heart of the lower Middle Fly region, about a 15 minute dinghy ride from Obo station.
In 2019, the Komovai community dedicated their land to any opportunities that may evolve from the WestAgro Master Plan that was released by OTDF at that time as the new way forward in agribusiness for the CMCA communities. Following farmer training for planting and cultivating maize (corn) at Samagos in 2020 the community was given seeds to do trial plantings.
The village farmers cultivated and harvested 40 bags of maize last year but those rotted due to the onset of Covid-19 and the restricted movements that ensued. Not deterred, the farmers planted again this year and handed over several bags with more than 100 kilograms of maize kernels to the OTDF team that visited Komovai on the 23rd of May.
These kernels will be sent to Tabubil to be processed/milled to feed chickens at the Mt Fubilan Poultry farm.
Mrs. Miaso Phillie was vocal on leadership at the community level to ensure the support required to strengthen their commitment to WestAgro in partnership with the Innovative Agro Industry (IAI) and OTDF.
“We are very pleased to see you all today with us. My appeal to the community and the leaders is to work together hand in hand to do agriculture because that is our future. In the future when the mine closes we have our crops (vanilla, rice and maze farms) to support and to sustain us,” said Mrs. Phillie.
In addition to growing maize, Awax Papoa the coordinator for agricultural activities in the village, created a half hectare plot of wild vanilla vines growing on teak trees. Farmers were able to pollinate and harvest beans but these wild varieties are unknown and research will need to be conducted into determining the vanillin content of the beans and their marketability.
Samples of the vines will be grown at Samagos and IAI will further investigate the bean quality and provide feedback to the community in due course, through their representative based in Kiunga.
OTDF & World Vision sign MoU
Mr. Havini Vira, CEO OTDF signing the 5 Year MoU. Witnessing is Mrs. Rachel Tauno, World Vision People & Culture Director. Photo credit: World Vision PNG
Western Province is comprised of 3 districts, Daru is the capital of South Fly, Balimo, of Middle Fly and Kiunga of North Fly. Of all 3 districts, North Fly is the most progressive and most populous as it plays host to one of Papua New Guinea’s largest mines, Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML).
In a bid to further enhance the development footprint of OTML in the province, OTML’s not-for-profit development arm, Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) approached World Vision Papua New Guinea (WVPNG) to embark on a collaborative partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding Agreement (MoU). The focus was to enhance development projects in the Community Mine Continuation Agreement (CMCA) villages in the North, Middle and South Fly of Western Province.
The MoU between WVPNG and OTDF sets out the framework for a cooperative relationship that aims to pursue progressive partnerships that enhances the complementary development work each partner does drawing from respective strengths to ensure maximum benefits for the communities that are mutually served by World Vision and OTDF in Western Province.
The MoU outlines the collaboration between OTDF and World Vision entailing;
- sharing and provision of technical and administrative direction of any collaborative project implementation;
- contribution of manpower and resources for increased impact in projects being co-delivered;
- Leveraging of current best practices to improve collaboration and networking, and
- where possible, co-share project funding of an activity/asset required to implement projects.
At the signing ceremony, OTDF CEO Mr. Havini Vira expressed great interest in the collaborative partnership with World Vision to deliver Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) and Livelihoods projects to Western Province communities.
Mr. Vira explained, “What particularly interested me with this MoU was combining WaSH and Livelihood as a ‘full package’ for long term sustainability in the Western Province communities. At OTDF we have our strengths, however WaSH is not among them, therefore it was really a no brainer to partner with World Vision who are the experts in the field.”
“At OTML and OTDF we are very aware of the great work that World Vision does throughout PNG, and more so in the Western Province and we are very much looking forward to partnering collaboratively through this MoU for the benefit of the people of Western,” Mr. Vira added.
World Vision Program Operations Director, Mr. Clement Chipokolo thanked OTDF for the initiative to undertake this MoU partnership and for choosing to work with World Vision in Western as a development partner. “World Vision actively seeks to enhance the implementation of our development projects throughout PNG with these such collaborations. We currently have 5 active projects in Western Province, in Health, WaSH, TB/HIV and recently COVID-19 response. Partnering with OTDF will be mutually beneficial to both partners and more so to the people of Western Province,” Mr. Chipokolo added.
The 5 year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Agreement was signed on 22 June 2021 by OK Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) Chief Executive Officer Mr. Havini Vira and World Vision National Director, Heather MacLeod (in absentia) at the World Vision head office in Port Moresby.
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.