Digicel Foundation had visited and met with the community leaders, Robin Mua and David Kemi of the Paga Hill Community on a number of occasions. CEO, Marina van der Vlies and Project Coordinator, Naus Kamal, were very impressed by the effort being put into developing the community. The community have set up their own Early Childhood programme with 5 teachers from Paga Hill and have more than 50 illiterate children already attending. Unfortunately they had no resources or proper shelter for the pre and elementary classes. The nearest school for them to go to is at Koki which is too far to walk so many of them cannot attend school.  

The Digicel Foundation especially recognizes those communities that are active in helping themselves with the little resources they have. Recognising their need and the efforts the Community were already putting into developing their community the Foundation happily agreed to help the community out with the use of a Community Learning Centre. The CLC will be used primarily as a pre-school and as a literacy training centre for the many illiterate mothers in the settlement. There are also plans to start skill based training for the women so that they can learn sewing and cooking and can earn a little money for their families.

It is the Digicel Foundation’s strong belief that Education should be accessible to all both young and old. The earlier children learn numeracy and literacy the more chance they will have in leading a better life.

This is only the beginning as the Digicel Foundation has earmarked a dozen other communities, not only in POM but also in the Highlands Region, 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 in PNG by the end of this year.  

Since the launch of the Foundation last year October, 32 Community Learning Centres, 4 school building projects, a Meri Seif Haus and the first Mobile Clinic have been established. A further 6 school building projects, the funding of another 5 Family Support related infrastructure projects 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.