Rehab centre opens conference facility

Caption:   (from left) Minister Tony-Kouza, Governor Parkop, and Brown Kapi seated


By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, September 15, 2013 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)



PAPUA New Guinea Rehabilitation Centre officially opened its new conference facility at its headquarters at Hohola in Port Moresby last week.

The “Powes Parkop Empowerment Haus”, is named after NCD Governor Powes Parkop who though NCDC put up funding of K240,000 to have the facility built, along with the renovation of other buildings owned by the Rehab Centre.

Special guests at the opening included the Governor, Minister for Social Development, Youth and Religion Loujaya Toni-Kouza, Minister for Health and Member for Moresby North West Micheal Malabag, Minister for Sports and Member for Moresby South Justin Tkatchenko.

Chairman of PNG Rehab Centre Brown Kapi said that work started to renovate and refurbish the accommodation units, offices, and the conference room in 2009 and completed in 2011.

“The centre has aimed its resources at the facilities, which are avenues for income generation to sustain the organisation in the years to come.”

“Of the K240,000- K200,000 was put into renovating the five units we have along with the conference facility, and K40,000 was put into the refurbishment of the building and units.”

“This facility enables the training of People With Disability (PWDs) to empower them,”he said.

Governor Parkop addressed those present saying that the pathway the centre was taking was a positive one where they have not only improved their facilities, but have done so with the aim of renting them out to make money.

“We have an obligation to make sure they benefit from our resources as equal citizens- we have seen them as a liability for far too long.”

“These facilities are now open for business and can now generate income for the centre to continue the good work that they are doing.”

“There are people in our city who are liabilities even though they have full abilities, and putting funds into this worthy cause is a positive step in development,” he pointed out.

He added that the conference facility will help cater for the various programs like computing, electronics and other tailored courses to show and utilize the abilities of PWDs.

Minister Malabag made special thanks to those who have helped out at the centre over the many years- giving their time and effort with love,on a day in day out basis.

He also made mention of the stigma attached with many of the nation’s customs that see disability as a curse, hailing the opening of the conference facility as a step towards bringing PWDs out in the open to show their worth that they were not curses.

With the PNG Rehab Centre located in Hohola within the Minister’s local electorate, he announced that the joint district plannery meetings would now be held at the conference centre as the district’s way of assisting with the income generation of the Rehab Centre.

In her keynote address Minister Tony-Kouza emphasised the need for infrastructure as paramount to addressing issues.

“We need infrastructure in order to have a place where we can collectively gather and discuss about issues, and having a building like this is the first step in addressing them.”

The minister concluded the ceremony with the cutting of the ribbon to open the facility with the governor handing the keys to the Rehab Centre chairman.