Digicel Foundation Helps Communites Grow

October 15th 2009 - Digicel Foundation Helps Communities Grow

Thursday, October 15, 2009 – Port Moresby: the Digicel PNG Foundation launched it’s first project, a Community Learning Centre for 8 Mile, exactly 1 year ago on October 15th, 2008. To date the Foundation has established more than 35 projects nationwide.

In the first 12 months of operations the Foundation achieved the following milestones at a total cost of US $500,000:

·         Setting up of 30 Community Learning Centres providing more than 1,000 vulnerable children with a basic education
 
·         Establishing 30 libraries with more than 4,000 children’s books
 
·         Completing 4 school building projects catering for 500 primary school students

·         Providing for 250 new school benches

·         Building the first community based “Meri Seif Haus” impacting over 100 women and children in the marginalised 2 Mile community

·         Funding a mobile clinic providing health services for an average of 3,000 people per month in Port Moresby settlements and rural areas of Central Province

·         Giving food & care to up to 500 vulnerable children

·         Funding school fees for over 200 vulnerable primary school aged children

According to the Chairman of the Digicel Foundation, Peter Aitsi, : “We have been working hard with our parters and the communities over the past 12 months to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people. We are proud of our achievements so far and will continue to roll out our efforts especially in the area of basic education as the people of PNG are the richest resource the country has.”

 A budget for 2009/2010 of US $1 million has been allocated to the work of the Foundation to further extend its community based projects, with a particular focus on basic education and family support related infrastructure, thereby strengthening the less privileged communities in Papua New Guinea by providing them with basic services.
 
The Foundation has started the roll out of the following targeted projects during its second year of operations: 

·         Rollout of 15 additional Community Learning Centres (CLC’s)
·         Implementation of a CLC Sustainability Programme 
 
·         Funding and delivery of 6 new School Building Projects 
 
·         Funding and delivery of Family Support related infrastructure projects
 

The Foundation in PNG is working closely with several non-government organisations and churches – World Vision Pacific Development Group (PDG), Hope Worldwide PNG, Living Light Foursquare Church, City Mission, Gateway Church, WeCARe Foundation, UNICEF, Boroka Rotary and POM Rotary – to get the projects, in the areas of basic education and family support infrastructure, constructed and operational. Business houses such as GFS Transport, R&P Signs and Steamships Shipping have also contributed to the projects by offering their services free of charge or making donations in kind. The Department for Community Development is also closely involved with the Foundations projects.



 
 

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