March 2019 Newsletter

AUSTRALIA AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA WORKING TOGETHER, STRENGTHENING ORGANISATIONS, BUILDING STRONGER COMMUNITIES

Latest news from the Incentive Fund

An initiative of the PNG-Australia Partnership to improve service delivery and provide economic opportunities for the people of Papua New Guinea

Singsing in Wampit Village, Morobe Province welcoming Australian Consulate-General, Paul Murphy to the handover of solar-powered rice milling machinery in Morobe

Project Highlights

Divine Word University officially launched third Incentive Fund Grant

More than 1600 students of Divine Word University in Madang are set to benefit from the construction of new facilities and improved service delivery, through the third Incentive Fund grant to DWU. The Australian High Commission’s Counsellor for Education, Suzanne Edgecombe launched this upgrade in September 2018.

The upgrade, which is now well into construction, includes two undergraduate student dormitories, one for women and one for men, and seven staff houses for senior faculty members and their families.

AHC Counsellor for Education Suzanne Edgecombe and DWU Vice President of Corporate Affairs Paias Bokorum

Incentive Fund signs two new IFAs

Since our last Strategic Management Group (SMG) two new Incentive Fund Agreements were signed, one with Gulf Christian Services (GCS), for an upgrade at Kapuna Hospital, and the other with the Environmental Health Development Agency (EHDA), for the Morobe Rural Women WASH Pilot Project.

The Morobe Rural Women WASH Pilot Project, delivered by EHDA aims to improve the health standards and livelihoods of more than 11,000 people in 15 communities across Morobe.

This project will be of particular benefit to women and girls, as communities will receive new latrines that are responsive to women’s hygiene, women will have access to clean water for drinking, cooking and cleaning, and reduce their risk of experiencing gender-based violence while walking to fetch water.

The GCS upgrading health infrastructure at Kapuna will deliver a sustainable hospital providing higher quality health care and social services for people in the Purari Delta region. This project includes radiology services, a biochemical analysis unit, physiotherapy facilities, dental practice, and family and sexual violence counselling services.

Kapuna Hospital site in late 2018

The PNG-Australia Partnership through the Incentive Fund program is pleased to be working with these new partners, improving health outcomes in Gulf and providing clean, safe and reliable water in Morobe.

Incentive Fund welcomes new board members to the Strategic Management Group

In early March 2019, the Incentive Fund program welcomed two new members to the governing board, the Strategic Management Group.

Senior members of the Australian High Commission, Papua New Guinea Department of National Planning and Monitoring, and the Incentive Fund welcomed Professor Betty Lovai from the University of PNG and David Toua from Steamships Trading Company to the Board.

Returning member, Susil Nelson-Kongoi was elected as Chair, making her the first woman Chair of the Incentive Fund board. “I’m honoured to have been nominated and selected as Chair of the Incentive Fund’s Strategic Management Group. Having served as an independent member since 2016, I have watched and supported the Incentive Fund contribute to real change and positive outcomes for the people of Papua New Guinea.”

Susil is a highly experienced Corporate Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the program development industry. Currently at ExxonMobil Susil works as Public Policy and Issues Manager, where she puts her skills in government, policy analysis, risk management, strategic planning, and community development into practice.

Susil has served on the Incentive Fund’s Strategic Management Group since 2016. In her role as Chair, Susil brings strong program and project management experience, coupled with her advanced knowledge of accounting and information systems.

The Governments of Papua New Guinea and Australia are proud to support women in leadership.

In early October 2018 two rural communities, Wampit and Mutzing, were the first to receive solar powered rice mill machines as part of a pilot project in Morobe to boost food security and improve rural livelihoods in the province.

Australian Consul-General, Paul Murphy when handing over the machines said, “these Rice Mills will support PNG to increase domestic rice production and provide commercial market access for rice crops in Morobe province.”

Aligned with the Incentive Fund’s commitment to women and girls, female farmers will gain opportunities to increase their incomes through selling milled rice. The project also includes provision for maintenance and equipment repair training.

Female farmer from Wampit, Morobe demonstrating new rice milling machinery to community members

NARI delivers solar rice milling machinery to communities

Australian High Commission Minister Counsellor, Benedict David; Government of Papua New Guinea Department of National Planning and Monitoring, Foreign Aid Division, First Assistant Secretary, Loia Joy Vaira; SMG Independent Member, Kali Sete; SMG Chair and Independent Member, Susil Nelson-Kongoi; SMG Independent Member, David Toua; SMG Independent Member, Betty Lovai; IF4 Secretariat, Shane Martin.

As a carpenter at the Divine Word University (DWU) workshop, Lilly Wani is making furniture for the new staff dormitories and staff housing delivered through the PNG-Australia Partnership’s Incentive Fund.

Incentive Fund supports women’s empowerment

In 2017 Barbara Max secured a role as Accounts Clerk at Kudjip Hospital in Jiwaka. Thanks to opportunities provided through the PNG-Australia Partnership’s Incentive Fund, Barbara is now Systems Analyst for the whole hospital.

Joyce David studies mechanics at Mount Hagen Technical College, and hopes to open her own mechanic workshop back in East New Britain, where she comes from. The PNG-Australia Partnership’s support through Incentive Fund enabled the Technical College to build the mechanics workshop, student accommodation and staff housing.

Lynneth is working on the construction of new science labs at Palmalmal Secondary School in East New Britain’s Pomio district. “Gender means that when a man has an opportunity to do something, girls should have that opportunity too,” says Lynneth.

Women students at the school look up to Lynneth with pride when they see her doing what is often considered to be “men’s work”. “Watching them work made me want to be like them and distracted me from class because I always kept looking out and day dreaming that was me up there!”, one of the students said.

Empowerment of women and girls is at the heart of the project, supported by the PNG-Australia Partnership’s Incentive Fund. “Our top student last year is now doing law at UPNG and we’re very proud of her,” says Vice Principal Ludwig Kampukia, the school’s gender equality and social inclusion champion.

World Water DayThe PNG-Australia Partnership is dedicated to providing access to safe and reliable water to those in some of the most remote regions of Papua New Guinea. Australia has partnered with the Environmental Health Development Agency (EHDA), and the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) to implement two WASH programs throughout Morobe Province and Kavieng District in New Ireland Province.

The Morobe Rural Women WASH Pilot Project, delivered by EHDA, aims to improve the health standards and livelihoods of more than 11,000 people in 15 communities across Morobe Province by 2020 through access to clean, running water. In-line with the PNG National WASH Policy 2015–2030, more men, women, children and people living with disabilities and HIV/AIDS will benefit from access to clean water and Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrines that comply with the National Department of Health Technical Standards.

The Inclusive Community Empowerment Project, delivered by ADRA, will improve the well-being of people in several remote and rural communities in Kavieng District through the provision of water and sanitation, adult literacy and climate change adaption interventions.

Women’s empowerment and the inclusion of people with disability is at the core of both projects, with each organisation consulting community members to ensure all WASH facilities and community-centered initiatives are developed with the specific and unique needs of women and people with accessibility in mind.

Women are significantly affected by a lack of water, as they need to walk longer distances to collect water, which directly affects their health and safety. Anecdotal evidence suggests women walking long distances are more likely to be physically and sexually abused.

Combined, these projects will benefit more than 23,000 Papua New Guineans.

EHDA WASH Project: Image taken from website

Five out of the top-20 schools for grades 10 and 12 are former recipients of the PNG-Australia Partnership’s Incentive Fund program.

These top performing schools include three all-girls schools; Marianville Secondary School in NCD, Mercy Secondary School in East Sepik and Notre Dame Secondary School in Western Highlands, while Kerowagi Secondary School in Simbu and Sacred Heart Secondary School in Milne Bay are mixed.

Former Deputy Principal of Notre Dame Secondary School, John Kumie, credits the Australian-funded infrastructure that has made the learning environment conducive for the students outstanding results.

“Academic achievement is very high because of the good infrastructure and buildings, we are currently one of the top schools in PNG.”

Australian supported PNG schools among the best in the country

Girls from Marianville Secondary School

Incentive Fund has awarded funding to more than 70 projects across Papua New Guinea since 2000. Phase 4 of the program offers grants from between PGK1 million and PGK10 million and is especially encouraging proposals that:

• Promote economic development opportunities• Expand access to renewable energy and telecommunications services• Involve agriculture and rural development including water and sanitation• Partner with private sector or civil society organisations• Benefit provincial PNG including remote and rural areas.• Specifically empower women and girls• Feature innovative ideas and offer value-for-money.

More About Incentive Fund

Incentive Fund is a PNG-Australia Partnership initiative, managed by Coffey, a Tetra Tech company, on behalf of the

Australian Government

Contact DetailsLevel 2, Wokples Building Savannah Heights, Stratos Avenue Hohola Port Moresby PO Box 523 Waigani 131 Port Moresby NCD Papua New Guinea [675] 325 2867 or [675] 323 4732 info@incentivefund.org http://incentivefund.org/

Leoshina Kariha is an alumni of Marianville Girls School in Port Moresby, and a current student of International Relations at Divine Word University in Madang.

Since 2002 DWU and Marianville have received five rounds of PNG Australia Partnership funding between them, through the Incentive Fund.

In late 2018, Leoshina was crowned winner of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant in Tonga. Leoshina focused on women’s empowerment and presented an original spoken word poem celebrating the beauty of Pacific Islands people and diversity.

Leoshina hopes to use the award as a springboard to fulfil her dreams of becoming a social worker or diplomat. She hopes to inspire young girls in the Pacific to embrace who they are and “to not hold back; be bold and shine”.

High hopes for former student of two Incentive Fund-funded schools

Leoshina and her dress designer, Josie Gabriella Nicholas