Select your Country
Monday, 31 October, 2016 –National Capital District||The Digicel PNG Foundation at the launch of their Annual report financial year of 2013-2014 announced that it has left a footprint in all districts of the country.
With the country having 450 square kilometres of underdeveloped rugged terrain and unexpected weather, the team of ten, with the aid of internal and external partners, have achieved to leave a footprint in 50% of all 300 LLGs of the country and further aiming to cover 100% in the next couple of years.
“Digicel PNG Foundation is indeed a dynamic organisation run by a full Papua New Guinean team who trek jungles, traverse valleys, scale mountains and cross bodies of water to deliver much needed education and health projects to Papua New Guinea’s rural and remote communities,” said first year Foundation Chairman, Douveri Henao.
Foundation CEO Beatrice Mahuru said Digicel PNG Foundation, in the financial year 2015/2016, invested over K11 million in 55 community based projects and programs in the areas of basic education, health, community building, special needs and addressing violence.
“Reflecting on the year in review we have achieved having our footprint in all districts and almost half the LLG’s of the country. Our aim is to make our mark in all 300xxx LLGs of Papua New Guinea leaving a sustainable and conducive environment for basic education in rural communities, bringing basic health services to the door steps of remote villages and building the capacity of socially marginalised people to participate meaningfully in the country’s development,” said Digicel PNG Foundation CEO, Beatrice Mahuru.
The Digicel PNG Foundation’s focus and commitment to respond to education health and community building saw:
• 18 Primary School Double classrooms and 20 Elementary School double classrooms giving 1,520 young students in rural and remote communities improved learning environments to pursue their education in infrastructure which include solar lighting, water and sanitation
• 8 library rewards for 2 Elementary Schools and 6 Primary schools who had taken care of our previous investments
• 6 Kapa Structure classrooms for 6 community learning Centres for informal preschools in rural area and urban settlements who had begun in bush-material buildings,
• 1 rural health aid post in PNG’s only Mental health centre in Laloki,
• 2 Mobile health clinics for rural communities whose access to health services in through a rugged terrain, strengthen basic health outreach services for 2 rural and remote health centres which collectively treated a total of 81,593 men, women and children - providing immunization, HIV/Aids testing, treatment and counselling, TB testing and treatment, pre and antenatal care - free of charge
Establish in 2008 with the belief that where Digicel as a business grows, its communities too must grow, Digicel PNG Foundation has reinvested over K55million back into PNG since.
The Foundation has continued to strengthen its Private-Public partnerships with the Government to reach national development goals, appealing other members to follow suit for a wider and deeper reach.
“Moving forward to financial year 2014-2015, Digicel PNG Foundation will continue to collaborate with its partners to empower people and communities through building sustainable and meaningful projects and programs focusing on the areas of education and health.”
To date Digicel PNG Foundation has funded 496 classrooms and 20 libraries, 23 Mobile Health Clinics, 6 rural Health Aid Posts, 3 Women’s Resource Centres, co-funded 5 Family Support Centres in partnership with UNICEF and NDoH. We have graduated 261 grassroots community based teachers in early childhood development and learning and over 15,000 men and women are now equipped with basic business skills.
Over 900 people with special needs, together with their families and communities have been impacted positively by the Community Based Rehabilitation Program; and the Men of Honour Awards – a campaign against violence in PNG, is the latest to the Foundation’s development portfolio. So far, we have 10 winners, 30 finalists and 162 nominations. Digicel PNG Foundation appreciates that change is not going to happen overnight, but it will happen.
Established in October 2008, Digicel PNG Foundation has directly invested K55 million in PNG’s rural, remote and socially marginalized communities across all 22 provinces directly impacting over 500,000 people.
