Caption: Digicel PNG Foundation management, staff, and
partners posing with the 2013-2014 year report.
By
MATTHEW VARI
THE Digicel PNG Foundation has led a trail of classrooms, up-skilled people, empowered teaching and learning, and says it is not done yet, to the tune of more than K9 million for it 2013-2014 calendar year.
The figures were released during the launch of the foundation’s annual report last week in Port Moresby.
Foundation board chairman Richard Kassman attributed their success in hitting their target for the year of developing projects in all 89 district of the country to the support of the corporate arm of the company and the support of their staff who are all Papua New Guineans.
“This marks the 6th year (established in 2008) of the foundation here in Papua New Guinea, and the foundation started with the aim to cover 22 provinces, then to 89 districts of Papua New Guinea,” Kassman said.
“In order to get to those parts of the country the foundation travelled on roads, airplanes and helicopters, dinghies and canoes, track up mountains and across land.”
“It really distinguishes the foundation and the work we do other then development foundations that our staff go to some of the most remote communities of our country.”
He said in line with their mission they focus on education- making it available and inclusive, they also extend their assistance in healthcare which is an important part in the work of the foundation.
“We focus not only delivering these important programs but in our assessments we have a strong focus in our ability for sustainability, and governance.”
“We have reinvested into our communities a total of K42.5 million over a six year period, and just today the board approved a project where we have hit that 89th district mark and it is a massive milestone.”
“We have graduated 40 Community Based Teachers, 1800 people from our marginalized communities in our Community Learning and Skills Program.”
Foundation CEO Beatrice Mahuru thanked all their partners whom she said were vital to reaching the target that they had set.
“I’d like to thank all partners in the CLCs (Community Learning Centers [pre-schools]), without their support from collaboration to coordination we would not be able to do our work,” Mahuru said.
“Under the Public Private Partnership we have been able to achieve a lot of projects with our Members of Parliament.”
“Our targets for projects earmarked for the last financial year we have achieved 16 elementary schools funded with total of 89 double classrooms to date.”
“Against our target of 18 primary schools we funded 21 with 86 primary double classrooms to date.”
“5 mobile health clinics were built for a total of 17 mobile health clinics to date.”
The CEO added that collectively all the completed projects have directly impacted over 300,000 people across PNG through the remote communities.
“If not for the support of our members of Parliament Digicel funding would have been 99 percent spent and we are really grateful to MPs who have funded collectively K480,000.”
She said that the targets for this year (2014-2015) will be libraries for schools will be made for those as a reward for the facilities being well looked after.
“I thank the foundation board for their support and guidance- our patron Dennis O’Brian (Chairman of the Digicel Group) believes that as an organization grows, its communities must grow as well and we are that channel for that growth.”
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