Nine community grants issued in Bougainville

Australian High Commission

Nine community grants worth up to K100,000 each were signed on Friday July 6 in Arawa in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to support grass-roots development projects.

 

The nine community groups with their grant contracts

The grants will fund water and sanitation, road, child counselling and farming projects based in Central and South Bougainville including Bana, Buin, Kieta, Siwai, Panguna and Torokina.

Grant recipients include Pakana Clan Group, St Chris Sipii Primary School, Lenoke Council of Elders, Bogisago Womens Group, Pewana Village Water Sanitation and Hygiene Project, Konga Primary School-Bom, Baitoningka Road Project, John Roka Memorial School, Ukoto Womens Group.

 

Secretary for Community Development, Mana Kakarouts, presenting the community grant to Ukoto Women’s Group chair, Ursular Ririuvie.

The projects are supported through Bougainville Community Grants scheme, a partnership between the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and Australia. Grants of between K5,000 and K100,000 are available to groups and organisations across Bougainville to support community-driven development activities that promote peace, security and cohesion.

Community grants provide funds for projects of four to six months’ duration in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene, income generation and livelihoods, gender equality and social inclusion and climate change adaptation.

 

 Baitoningka Road Project Chairman, Mark Marina’a, signs the grant agreement with Grants Officer, Andrew Bosna, as witness.

In November 2016, expressions of interest were invited and a total of 329 applications were received, with 60 projects selected so far by the scheme’s committee and 30 currently under implementation.

Grantees are selected by the Bougainville Community Grants Committee, which is chaired by the ABG’s Secretary of Community Development and includes members from seven ABG departments and community representatives.

Projects chosen for grants funding must demonstrate partnerships between government, citizens, landowners, community-based organisations or businesses who share the responsibility of addressing local development challenges.