Young female architect building a career in construction

Australian High Commission

Stephanie Korokoro is building her career as a young architect by working on major construction projects supported by the Australian Government in Papua New Guinea.

Stephanie Korokoro on the National Museum and Art Gallery refurbishment construction site in Port Moresby.

A recent architecture graduate, Stephanie is a key member of the Planpac construction management team engaged to undertake refurbishment of the National Museum and Art Gallery (NMAG) in Port Moresby.

“The museum building is of great national significance to Papua New Guineans as it conserves and displays to the world our country’s rich and diverse culture and history,” said Stephanie.

“It has been a unique experience working on a major national identity project, alongside museum staff, designers and a range of specialists in artefact conservation and curation, to meet international museum standards.”

Originally from Bougainville and the eldest of eight children, Stephanie says her parents made sure both girls and boys in her family were given equal access to education, and were encouraged to pursue their passions. 

In 2013, Stephanie obtained a degree in architecture from the University of Technology in Lae following a childhood interest in building design.

“I’ve always enjoyed designing and constructing my own DIY projects,” recalls Stephanie.

“I was inspired to become an architect after attempting to design and build my first cubby house as a child.”

Stephanie scored her first big construction project in 2015 after being with Planpac less than a year. 

Appointed as part of the construction management team on the Arawa Hospital upgrade, she was responsible for overseeing 50 construction workers across the site – predominantly men.

Despite finding the project a challenge in the beginning, she learned how to gain the trust of the men reporting to her after seeking advice from her father.

“Taking my dad’s advice, I started volunteering on site to help the men out with bits and pieces, such as mixing cement for the floor slabs and helping to weld. 

"Eventually the men realised that I was not an outsider and not only there to give out orders, but rather a team player working with them to deliver the project.

“I am also very grateful that I am part of such a supportive team of architects and construction managers, and that Planpac and the Australian Government are big advocates of gender equality.”

As Stephanie gains experience on different construction projects, she is also looking to the future. 

In the next five years, she hopes to register as a licensed architect and pursue a degree in construction management, while helping other women aspiring to work in the same field.

The NMAG refurbishment and Arawa Hospital upgrade projects are supported by the Australian Government in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea through the Decentralisation and Citizen Participation and the Bougainville Partnerships respectively.

Both Governments are committed to mainstreaming gender equity and social inclusion across all aspects of Papua New Guinea’s development as reflected in Vision 2050.

Churches join forces to combat sorcery accusation-related violence

Australian High Commission

Churches are joining forces to address sorcery accusation-related violence as part of a national effort to stamp out such attacks.

Church leaders discuss sorcery accusation-related violence in their province at the recent workshop.

Almost 50 leaders from 14 denominations in the Momase region have contributed to the development of a national church strategy to tackle sorcery accusation-related violence following a workshop in Lae by the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC).

CLRC Secretary Dr Eric Kwa has condemned sorcery accusation-related violence, saying it is usually directed against isolated and vulnerable people in the community, particularly women.

Dr Kwa said the three-day workshop was the first of a series of regional consultations to be held around the country to aid the development of a National Churches Strategic Plan on Sorcery Beliefs and Sorcery Accusation-Related Violence.

The National Churches Strategic Plan is a key component of the Sorcery National Action Plan, which aims to break the link between accusations of sorcery and violence.

Addressing the meeting, Australian High Commission Minister Counsellor Andrew Egan said churches had a crucial role in reducing and eventually eliminating the incidence of sorcery accusation-related attacks.

Australian High Commission Minister Counsellor, Andrew speaking at the meeting on the important role of churches in “helping reduce and eliminate sorcery-accusation related violence”

“Because of their deep roots in the community and their strong connection with people in their everyday lives, churches are in a unique position to help address sorcery accusation related violence,” Mr Egan said.

“Churches speak with a strong voice, and the messages they convey will be heard, that is why they are an important partner in helping reduce and eliminate such violence.” 

The National Churches Strategic Plan is being developed to help ensure churches act and speak against sorcery accusation-related violence in a consistent and coordinated way.

The workshop was organised by the CLRC with support from the Department for Community Development and Religion, the PNG Council of Churches and the Australian Government through the Justice Services and Stability for Development Program.

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.

Media training in Talasea District

Australian High Commission

Forty-five women and men from Talasea District in West New Britain Province participated in media training last month to understand the role of media and how it can be used as a platform for communicating their stories and discussing important national issues.

Emma Dimain, Pius Vapolo, Emmanuel Mockley, Marsall Sangsangio and Roselyn Akua during a group session on basic news writing skills in Talasea.

The two-day workshop was held in Kimbe by the Media Development Initiative (MDI), covering basic news writing, setting up and participating in news interviews, social media literacy and understanding the power of media to shape public debate. 

The training was aimed at teaching ordinary citizens how to use media as a means to communicate their stories and express their views to others, including the government, to influence positive change.

Women in Business representative, Cheryl Kisakiu was one of 45 participants who received media training in Talasea from the Australian-supported Media Development Initiative.

Equipped with basic skills to write a media release, Program Coordinator for West New Britain Human Development Institute, Vince Marinduo, said she can now share her program’s success stories – such as training more than 7,000 people in business viability programs in the province – to a wider audience.

“I believe positive change stories, promoted through local media, can promote financial literacy and encourage economic viability in the district and province,” said Ms Marinduo.

The MDI aims to support Papua New Guinea media organisations to facilitate the flow of information between citizens and government and educate civil society organisations about ways of using the media as a platform for communicating their stories and engaging with government.

MDI provides technical assistance and mentoring through three hubs – the District, Current Affairs and Creative hubs. The hubs aim to promote creativity, innovation and networking among members to build and strengthen relationships between the state and citizens through the media.

Hub members include subject experts such as script writers and film makers, community members, local community based organisations, local government and media organisations such as the PNG Media Council, NBC and others. 

Cheryl Kisakiu takes part in a group exercise during media training in Talasea.

MDI is trialling a district hub in Talasea to increase understanding of the role of media and how ordinary citizens can effectively shape and influence change in their communities.

Supported by Australia through the Decentralisation and Citizen Participation Partnership, MDI is managed by Australian Broadcasting Corporation International Development in partnership with Papua New Guinea National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and other media organisations to build capacity, develop quality content and facilitate  platforms for citizens and state to discuss issues of national interest.

Lae under flooding

By MIKES EARLEY in Lae

Lae is under flooding this morning after heavy rain.

The Esplanade.

Port Moresby is not a place where it rains heavily bit it has big storm drains.

Mobil Service Station 8th Street.

Lae is a place where it rains but it has only small drains.

Lae Central Police Station parking lot.

This morning I got up early thinking that Bumbu River had flooded.

Road in front of Indoor Stadium.

All the streets had turned into Bumbu River.

8th Street.

Bold bid for NSW Labor Party to back PNG's entry into the NRL

by Adrian Proszenko, smh.com.au
June 30, 2018

A motion tabled at the NSW Labor Party annual conference on Sunday could be the key to the introduction of a Papua New Guinean team entering the NRL in the future.

The motion, proposed by Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne and seconded by Member for Kingsford Smith, Matt Thistlethwaite, calls for a future Federal Labor Government to support PNG’s NRL bid as a foreign policy initiative.

Triumph: Justin Olam celebrates his try for the Kumuls against Fiji.Photo: AAP

PNG is the only country in the world that can claim rugby league as its national sport and recent results have proven the nation has considerable talent in its ranks. The Kumuls, fresh from their quarter-final appearance in last year’s World Cup, upset Fiji in last weekend’s Pacific Test.

The PNG Hunters are also the defending champions in Queensland’s Intrust Super Premiership competition after beating the Sunshine Coast Falcon’s in last year’s grand final. biggest obstacle in the way of NRL inclusion would be raising the funds required to bankroll the project. However, Sunday’s proposal could see an elected Labor Government support a PNG NRL bid to build economic, cultural and social ties between the nations.

"Papua New Guinea is our closest neighbour and the only nation on earth to have rugby league as their national sport. In fact, rugby league is like a religion for New Guineans," Byrne said.

"Establishing a PNG team in the NRL would transform the relationship between our two nations and create permanent cultural and social connections between our peoples.

PNG is the only country in the world to count rugby league as its national sport.

"PNG is a former Australian colony, with almost double the population of New Zealand, but sadly we haven't developed the same familial relationship with New Guineans that we have with our cousins across the ditch.

“Rugby league can be the tool we use to build those bonds of affection. There is a huge opportunity to use rugby league to build a much closer and meaningful relationship between the people of PNG and Australia.”

Byrne has liaised with the NRL about the motion, while ARLC chairman Peter Beattie is on record as saying the game “must expand or die”.

The motion reads, in part: “Collaborate with the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Australian Rugby League Commission and Papua New Guinea Rugby League (PNGRL) to investigate the establishment a PNG team in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. This should be undertaken as a foreign policy initiative as well as a sports initiative aimed at building cultural and economic links between the two nations.”

The Prime Minister's XIII team training in Port Moresby ahead of their annual clash with PNG.

The motion also calls for initiatives to continue to strengthen the financial sustainability of the PNGRL, as well as a continuation of programs that address social challenges such as domestic violence.

“With the PNG Hunters having won the premiership in the Queensland Cup last year, stepping up to first grade is a natural progression,” Byrne said. “In order to make this leap the PNG rugby League will need administrative and financial assistance and the Australian Government should help them to stand on their own two feet. No single measure would do more for Papua New Guinean national identity than bringing the Hunter's into the NRL.”

Arawa Hospital opened in Bougainville

Australian High Commission

The people of Bougainville now have access to improved health services with the official opening of the upgraded Arawa Hospital.

Senior medical officer Dr Joe Velosi and nurse Felicity Osioco attending to a patient at the upgraded Arawa Hospital.

From 2015 to 2018, the Australian Government provided K33.8 million for the upgrade of the then Arawa Health Centre to a district hospital.

Bird's eye view of the upgraded Arawa Hospital.

 Under the partnership arrangement, the Autonomous Bougainville Government purchased equipment for the hospital at a value of PGK4 million.

Senior medical officer Dr Joe Velosi with new equipment at the upgraded Arawa Hospital.

The hospital was opened on today by Prime Minister of Peter O’Neill, President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville John Momis, and Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Bruce Davis.

Community health worker Jean Kevan holds two-month old Cornellius in the Maternal and Child Health waiting room.

“Australia is proud to deliver these new and expanded health facilities in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government,” said Davis.

“It is great to see the upgraded Arawa Hospital already supporting the delivery of improved services to the people of Bougainville, from babies being delivered safely to life-saving surgeries being performed.”

New parents, Graham Joke and Lizdelmar Pa’ai visit the upgraded Arawa Hospital’s Maternal and Child Health ward to have their one month old baby, Benjamin, vaccinated

The hospital upgrade includes a range of improved facilities, including a labour ward, surgical facilities, general medical wing and multipurpose wing with 24 new ward beds, nurse stations, pharmacy dispensary and biomedical laboratory.

A key part of the project was the provision of an on-site Family Support Centre for survivors of family and sexual violence to access specialised health care. 

The centre includes counselling and consultation rooms, safe rooms, transit accommodation, and disability access.

Since the hospital opened to the public in early 2017, the delivery of health services to Bougainville people has doubled its daily operational attendance, admissions, antenatal care and deliveries. 

Women from remote communities around Arawa who previously have not had access to maternal care have been able to come to the facility to deliver their babies safely.

The project generated around 500,000 hours of construction-related employment to the local economy and strengthened local trade skills.

 It was delivered through the Papua New Guinea – Australia Partnership with the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s Department of Health.