DIGICEL FOUNDATION ACKNOWLEDGES TALAI COMMUNITY

August 31st 2010 - Hard work and determination pays off for Talai community

Tuesday August 31st  , 2010 – Port Moresby, PNG: Talai Community Learning Centre (CLC) in Badili, Port Moresby, has every reason to be proud as it is now officially recognized as a Community Learning and Development Centre under the Department of Community Development’s  ‘Integrated Community Development Policy’.

In a unique ceremony, earlier this month, attended by various community development stakeholders, the Talai CLC was officially declared a Community Learning and Development Centre (CLDC) by NCD Governor, Hon. Powes Parkop, in recognition for being active and self reliant. 

Talai settlement community is among the 36 marginalized urban and rural communities that have successfully established CLCs with the support of Digicel PNG Foundation. These CLCs are primarily used as community resource centres which cater for activities such as pre and elementary schools, adult literacy, skill based training such as sewing and cooking for women and health awareness training. 

The Integrated Community Development Policy of the Department of Community Development is aimed at establishing CLDCs at the district level. These CLDCs will serve as community development focal points for the LLG wards in the districts.  

In recognition, the Digicel PNG Foundation presented a certificate of achievement to the Talai Community in acknowledgement for the official declaration made by the Governor.   

Since the donation of a CLC by Digicel Foundation in November 2008, the Talai community members, made up of more than 10 different ethnic groups, were able to work together to make it grow from initially a preschool, operating under a tree, to a Community Focal Point bringing various community based programs together targeting men, women, children and youths thereby helping them develop into better educated citizens. 

“You have proven to yourselves that nothing is impossible and that you can do something for yourself rather than waiting for somebody to do it for you”, said Digicel Foundation CEO, Ms. Marina Van de Vlies, while presenting the award to the community. She urged the community to continue the good work and to set the example for other communities to do the same.   

Talai community has also been doing well through their participation in the Digicel Foundation sponsored ‘CLC Sustainability Program’, where up to K3,000 is made available to each CLC to implement different sustainability projects of their choice. One of the projects which they already began successfully implementing is a poultry project which is already generating income. The income raised is being put back into the CLC to help sustain the ongoing activities
 
 
The Digicel Foundation especially recognizes those communities that are active in helping themselves with the little resources they have. The Digicel Foundation’s main focus is to initiate projects that will provide opportunities and inspire a positive and vibrant future for the communities within PNG. The Digicel Foundation believes that as the Digicel company grows, the communities in PNG should grow as well.  

To date the Digicel Foundation has funded 36 Community Learning Centre projects, 12 primary school and 13 elementary school infrastructure projects; four Mobile Health Clinics, four Womens Resource Centre projects and four Family Support Centres. During the month of July 58 volunteer teachers from Port Moresby settlement communities graduated from a Digicel Foundation funded basic education skills training. A one year teacher and student mentoring Programme, “Isi Learning Programme”, started in August, operated by partner Foursquare Church, for all the Port Moresby based CLC’s . The Digicel Foundation plans to continue the funding of community projects in the area of education aiming to support communities as they hopefully become more self-reliant in the future. 

NCD Governor, Powes Parkop visits Talai community