Sapuka rice milling training for local farmers
Education continues to progress at year end for Program Services Sustainable Department (PSSD).
The Community Education Service (CES) section saw a steady increase in results for this year (2022).
Executive Manager Program Services, Mr Eric Kuman, in his presentation at the OTDF Board meeting provided updates from data collated.
Director Kuam Sanewai remarked that the presentation was evidence that OTDF achieved and exceeded its 2022 planned target indicators.
Mr Kuman presented that the rate of students completing studies in both FODE and Adult Matriculation (AM) stands at 765 per year.
He said since 2019, FODE/AM has seen 2003 students sitting exams and completing.
In the CMCA scholarships, 119 students will have completed tertiary studies this year and graduated in different disciplines.
The highlights continue with the Infrastructure Development Department (IDD) team progressing with 17 homes in construction at selected villagers in the North Fly and 19 Community Learning Centres’ built across the three districts of Western Province.
OTDF GDS (Agriculture) trainee explains the process of pollinating vanilla to produce beans
The Livelihood Development program team have been providing consistent support for vanilla farming, with 67 growers registered during the extension exercise with over 4.1 Hectares so far surveyed in North Fly. Interest is growing.
Although faced with challenges in Middle Fly, rubber stumps distribution is complete and rubber tapping training provided to 54 Suki Fly Gogo growers, in South Fly.
Regional Development team progressed the Food Security Program (FSP) in the South Fly, with over 50 farmers involved. Rice milling machines were distributed to four sites and training given to the rice farmers at Kawiapo and Sapuka villages.
Youths prepare site 2 to plant rice at Sapuka village, Suki, South Fly
Over 80 house hold clusters are engaged and manually tilling 6.1 hectares of land. So far the farmers have harvested over 1.3 tons of rice from every half hectare. The mentioned villages have on site Community Seed Bank Centre facilities which house the rice mills built at a total of K101, 000.00 and within the six months of construction provided employment benefits for casual workers paying K60, 000 as wages.
As added value to the FSP program, 250 kilograms of cassava cuttings were sourced from NARI in Lae and planted on over half a hectare of arable land, with the cassava plants growing well.
In the Social Development sector, the program upskilled 498 participants this year completing Life Skills training in sewing (150), music (131 youths), baking and food processing (166) refereeing and coaching (51 youths) to 32 leaders & association executives receiving Community Development, Financial Literacy and Leadership Training.
Financial Literacy training facilitated by Bank South Pacific (BSP) in Tabubil
In Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WaSH), 880 households were surveyed and community awareness and mobilising programs conducted successfully for communities in Suki Fly Gogo starting at Pukaduka 1 village, schools and health facilities. The building of 20 Ventilated Improved (VIP) latrines and installation of a RUSS pump signalled the start of the roll out program throughout the CMCA starting in the South Fly.