Digicel Foundation first visited the adult literacy and pre-school classes at the Malgtamb United Church a few months ago and was very impressed by the great work being done by the Church and the community. The community consists of a few thousand people from different provinces in the Highlands who have resettled on the outskirts of Hagen city. Many community members are illiterate so the Church decided to start adult literacy classes during weekdays in the semi permanent Church building. Also many young children were not attending school so a pre and elementary was initiated in the Church and community members were engaged as teachers.

Close to one hundred people from the Malgtamb United Church community as well as representatives from the Church and the Departments of Education and Community Development witnessed the official launch last Saturday morning. During the launch, Raphael Wia, Elementary School Planner from the Department of Education, Western Highlands said: “I am delighted to see vital development such as this come to the doorstep of communities. It is essential that our younger children are given the opportunity to learn to read and write at an early age. Our children are the future of Papua New Guinea and every child should have the right to be educated. I am very grateful to the Digicel Foundation for their generous donation which will go a long way in helping this community become more self reliant for the future”. Contact: Marina van der Vlies

Marena Sansan, Foundation Board member and Digicel Regional Manager for the Highlands added: “Digicel Foundation especially recognizes those communities that are helping themselves with the little resources they have. We congratulate you all on the difference you are making in your community and we hope that this extra resource will help you grow into an even stronger and more self sufficient community in the future”.

The CLC will be used for adult literacy classes as well as a pre and elementary school. The community is also encouraged to use the new facility as a community resource for skilled-based training, cooking and sewing for women, and HIV/AIDS awareness depending on the specific needs of the community.

This is only the beginning as the Digicel Foundation has earmarked a dozen other communities for the launch of a Community Learning Centre over the next few months. Digicel Foundation plans on rolling out a total of 40 CLC’s within the next 6 months. 

Since the launch of the Foundation last year October, 30 Community Learning Centres, 4 school building projects, a Meri Seif Haus and the first Mobile Clinic have been established. A further 2 school building projects, the funding of a Family Support Centre and a second Mobile Clinic have already been initiated. Over the next year the Foundation plans to fund more projects that aim at supporting communities to become more self-reliant in the future.