More than 12,000 people across 20 communities in Morobe Province now have better health standards and livelihood opportunities, with the official opening today of new solar systems and water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) facilities. Australian High Commissioner to PNG, His Excellency Jon Philp joined the community in Nasing, Finschhafen District, Morobe Province at the opening ceremony today (Wednesday 19 Oct). The new WaSH facilities in 20 communities across the districts of Finschhafen, Markham, Tewai-Siassi, Huon, Bulolo and Nawaeb include gravity-fed water supply for the communities, 80 laundry and shower areas, and 80 latrines, separated for males and females. In partnership with the Environmental Health Development Agency, a PGK3.9 million grant through Incentive Fund helped to construct the new facilities. The grant funded 310 kitchen and stand taps at 17 schools, seven health posts and 28 churches. The new facilities have already had an impact on community health, with waterborne diseases reduced by over 60 percent. “Before this project, we had no reliable access to water,” said Mr. Allan Siwas, WaSH Committee Chairman and Kuruwe Village leader. “Now, we can be clean and healthy all the time, and have so many options for new businesses and for our children to be safe in school. We are so grateful to the Government of Australia for these new facilities.” In addition to the WaSH facilities, a PGK1.8 million Pawarim Komuniti grant also provided 210 street lighting and 60 indoor lighting systems, all powered by solar, Finschhafen and Tewai-Siassi districts. Local communities supplied labour and transport for the projects, ensuring the skills and understanding for the maintenance of the infrastructure is kept close to the projects. Vulnerable and marginalised members of the community were also engaged throughout both design and construction, building their skills and livelihood opportunities. “The strong community engagement model used by this project serves as a model for other projects. With the support of the PNG-Australia Partnership, we have delivered training in sanitation and livelihoods, including food security, to community members,” said Ms. Matilda Kuahen, EHDA’s WaSH Manager' “I was hugely impressed at the contributions and commitment from the participating communities across Morobe, and I am confident the benefits of these new facilities will be felt for years to come,” said High Commissioner Philp. “The importance of these facilities for women and girls cannot be understated. They not only increase safety, but women and girls have more time to go to school or work as they need to spend up to 94 percent less time collecting water”, he concluded. The provision of solar lighting at the WaSH stations also improves the accessibility of the infrastructure leading to improved personal hygiene, safety, and health outcomes. Mrs. Elizabeth Akes of Malasiga village, Finschhafen, is excited about what this means for women and girls in the community: “Our girls used to feel unsafe and get harassed when collecting water or going to the toilet. “With these new facilities, we all feel safer. Some women are already using their extra available time to weave bilums that they can sell to support their families.” The PNG-Australia Partnership is supporting reliable, safe WaSH and solar facilities for communities all over PNG, including to ensure women and girls have privacy and security when using facilities or collecting water.

Sports Minister Hon. Don Polye has commended the Papua New Guinea Guinea Kumuls for a sterling performance despite going down to Tonga 24- 18 in their World Cup match yesterday morning. He says the match has proven that the Kumuls are right up there with the best in the world and strengthens PNG’s bid for inclusion in the Australian NRL competition. “I was up early this morning to watch the game on TV with thousands of patriotic Papua New Guineans in every corner of our country, from Daru to Kavieng, and from Vanimo to Alotau,” Minister Polye said. “The Kumuls again brought us together as one nation, one people, one country. “Tonga was so lucky to escape with the win in what has been the most-exciting clash of the World Cup so far. “We went in as underdogs, against a highly-rated Tongan side full of NRL stars – and one of the World Cup favorites - and overcame a 12-point difference to level 18-18, only for Tonga to win with a frantic try three minutes from time. “I, like all Papua New Guineans, am disappointed that Rodrick Tai was controversially denied a try in the corner in the second half, which could have swung the game our way. “However, we can all be so proud of the Kumuls, and I commend coach Stanley Tepend and the entire team for showing the world what we are made of. “The match certainly proves that the Kumuls are right up there with the best in the world and shows that we have what it takes to be in the NRL.”

The exercise on recording and documenting the different customs of Papua New Guinea was launched at Bereina station, in the Kairuku District, Central Province this week. Lead agency, the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC), began the exercise with the recording of the customs of Nara, Gabadi, Kuni, Kuni-Maipa, Roro-Waima, Mekeo, and Kaopo language groups by interviewing elders, chiefs, community leaders and village court magistrates this week. CLRC Secretary Dr. Manage Matui said the exercise is part of CLRC’s mandate on developing the Underlying Law or the indigenous legal system, or jurisprudence of PNG. The customs including the customary laws, values, principles, languages and practices collected throughout the country will be pooled together and made accessible to the courts to apply after endorsement by the Parliament, Dr. Matui added. “The courts will determine whether the custom is good or bad but our job is to record everything on your custom, as they are,’’ Dr. Matui said   The project in the Kairuku district is the first custom recording proper, after CLRC facilitated 34 pilot projects in selected provinces from 2016 to 2019. The exercise will continue to Rigo District next week and subsequently cover the rest of the districts of Central Province as well as the Motu-Koitabu villages by the end of 2024 before venturing into other provinces. “While it is not late, the need for recording, documenting, and preserving our customs is more urgent now than before and we must act now,” CLRC Commissioner Dr. Dora Kuir-Ayius, who officiated at the launch, said. Dr. Ayius added that even though our Forefathers adopted the English Common Law at Independence in 1975, their original intention was the creation and development of our own customs that would eventually replace the English common law to suit our purpose and context. She further added that little have been done since then, as we continue to lose our customs as a result of changes brought on by modernization. Dr. Matui said that the exercise on the recording of all the customs of PNG, is a mammoth task, but he added that he was thankful to the government for the funding supporting and for giving due recognition to the importance of this exercise in Nation building. Dr. Matui also acknowledged the support and cooperation of key stakeholders, including the Department for Justice and Attorney General, Public Solicitor, State Solicitor PNG Judiciary, UPNG School of Law, and National Museum and Art Gallery.

A SME owner has thanked the BSP Financial Group Limited for collaborating, recognising and acknowledging SMEs efforts, especially women in business who continue to break barriers and create opportunities for other local businesses. CEO of EmStret Holdings Limited – Vani Nades made these remarks when presented the 2022 SME Awards First Runner-up Award in Port Moresby this week (Tuesday 18th October 2022) during the BSP Leadership and SME Immersion presentation by Australian Rugby League Club - The Brisbane Broncos. The award comprises a K20, 000 cheque with BSP Merchandise and an evening with BSP Staff, fellow SMEs and Brisbane Broncos Club Chief Executive Officer, Dave Donaghy , Management Team and the former Queensland and Club Legend Scott Prince and three current Broncos Players Keenan Palasia, Delouise Hoeter and Ethan Quai –Ward. The event saw 20 BSP SMEs celebrate the journey of Vani Nades and her team from Emstret – one that began as Nades’s solo consultancy business five years ago, and has since grown to have almost 20 staff. “Being an entrepreneur and having to receive this award is not easy. When you have a business, you have to go all out. Many people played a part in my journey, not just me alone. The challenges at the end of the day is we have to keep pushing ourselves and be one step ahead,” Nades said. “Thank you very much BSP for involving us SMEs. There is potential out there, women doing amazing things. The award here represents women who are hustling out there so that our SMEs can have a space to come and collaborate, connect and create opportunities. This came in timely, this is going to help me to build my working space and build it for all other entrepreneurs in PNG. There is so many great people out there, let’s bring them forward and build the nation together,” she added. BSP Group Retail General Manager Daniel Faunt said the Community Partnership between BSP and the Broncos go back to 2020, that focus on Financial Literacy – creating a savings culture among children, Leadership development among staff and SME. “We are particularly pleased that 20 of our SMEs are present tonight. SMEs are a core part of our bank. We do bank an entire core population of our bank. We also have 34 of staff under the BSP Leadership Management Development Program talents – the likes of our Group GM HR Hari Rabura and Digital GM Nuni Kulu, two successful participants of the BSP leadership development program. We also have other upcoming leaders present tonight,” Mr Faunt added. The Brisbane Broncos representatives and management arrived in Port Moresby on Monday and have been going around BSP branches in NCD, schools for Financial Literacy sessions and sporting facilities to continue the partnership BSP has with surrounding community.

As further proof that you can now 3D-print anything, a company called Natural Machines has introduced a 3D printer for food. The “Foodini,” as it’s called, isn’t too different from a regular 3D printer, but instead of printing with plastics, it deploys edible ingredients squeezed out of stainless steel capsules: “It’s the same technology,” says Lynette Kucsma, co-founder of Natural Machines, “but with plastics there’s just one melting point, whereas with food it’s different temperatures, consistencies and textures. Also, gravity works a little bit against us, as food doesn’t hold the shape as well as plastic.” The Barcelona-based startup behind the machine says it’s the only one of its kind capable of printing a wide range of dishes, from sweet to savory. “In essence, this is a mini food manufacturing plant shrunk down to the size of an oven,” Kucsma said, pointing out that at least in the initial stage the printer will be targeted mostly at professional kitchen users, with a consumer version to follow, at a projected retail price of around $1,000. In principle, the Foodini sounds like the ultimate laziness aid: press a button to print your ravioli. But Natural Machines is quick to point out that it’s designed to take care only of the difficult and time-consuming parts of food preparation that discourage people from cooking at home, and that it promotes healthy eating by requiring fresh ingredients prepared before printing. Nevertheless, the company is working with major food manufacturers to create pre-packaged plastic capsules that can just be loaded into the machine to make food, even though they assure these will be free of preservatives, with a shelf life limited to five days. The printing process is slow, but faster than regular 3D printing. Other than being capable of creating complex designs, such as very detailed cake decorations or food arranged in unusual shapes, the Foodini can be useful for recipes that require precision and dexterity, like homemade pizza or filled pasta. Currently, the device only prints the food, which must be then cooked as usual. But a future model will also cook the preparation and produce it ready to eat. The idea also comes with a social element too. “There’s a touchscreen on the front that connects to a recipe site in the cloud, so it’s an internet-of-things, connected kitchen appliance,” said Kucsma. Users will also be able to control the device remotely using a smartphone, and share their recipes with the community. That is, if people don’t balk at the idea of eating printed food. “We have done tests and everybody liked the food,” explains Kucsma. “Take the microwave oven, for example: in the 70s, people were a bit fearful about it, they thought food could be poisoned with radiation or something, but fast forward 30 years, and there’s one in every household. This is real food, with real fresh ingredients, it’s just prepared using a new technology.” Source: CNN

Awareness on HIV and AIDS needs to go out to prevent more people from getting infected with HIV, says Margaret Marabe, a long-time advocate on HIV. Ms Marabe says there was a lot of awareness years ago, but this has drastically gone down. “Communities must do awareness so people can go for HIV test,’’ she says. “Churches can ask us to come and do awareness and conduct (counselling and HIV) tests”. She says many people, including school-aged children are getting infected with HIV, awareness needs to go out everywhere, including schools and villages or rural communities. She says those who are concerned that they have HIV must not be afraid to go for a HIV test because there is a treatment that can help prolong their lives. Ms Marabe has been on HIV treatment for 18 years now, but she was diagnosed with the virus earlier in 1997. This was when she was seriously ill and admitted at a hospital. Her condition was described as being in stage four. “I had a big sore (on my side) and I could not eat and speak,’’ she says. Through faith and care of her sister, she recovered. Then in 2004, she became one of the first HIV people to be put on treatment when antiretroviral therapy (ARV) was introduced at the Heduru clinic, Port Moresby. Her son was then small and she hoped that she would lived to see him grow up. Next month, she is joyfully expecting her first grand child from him. Ms Marabe says unlike before, there is no stigma and discrimination today. “There is no stigma and discrimination in HIV. What people have is ‘self-stigma’’. Currently, Ms Marabe is working in HIV counselling and testing with Hope Worldwide PNG. Ms Marabe was one of the 22 participants of the recent Provider Initiated Counselling and Testing (PICT) organised and run by the National Department of Health with support from the World Vision and Global Fund. It was held at Tuhava, 30 minute drive outside Port Moresby.

Vanuatu looks set to elect its first female politician in more than 10 years as results from the country's snap election roll in. Gloria Julia King is in the running to win one of eight rural seats in Efate, Vanuatu's main island. She says it would be a huge victory for female empowerment and she wants to inspire other women to follow her lead. "Being able to carry a female voice into parliament, let's all people in Vanuatu know that there is a female voice up there representing them," she said. Official results from last Thursday's vote are expected in the coming weeks. Source: ABC Pacific

Papua New Guinea’s potential final path to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ became clear last week following the draw for the qualifying Play-Off Tournament to be played in New Zealand in February 2023. Papua New Guinea have been drawn in Group C – alongside Chinese Taipei, Paraguay and Panama – following the draw at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland on Friday, October 14. Papua New Guinea will take on Panama in the Group C semi-finals at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland on February 19. Chinese Taipei face Paraguay in the other semi-final clash at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton earlier the same day. The winners of those two fixtures will face each other in the final on February 23 in Hamilton – with the winners qualifying for next year’s World Cup, hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Source: Oceania Football Confederation 

The BSP Financial Group’s Limited (BSP) Community partners and Australian professional rugby league club, the Brisbane Broncos Management and a few current players are in the country for few days visit as part of their community engagement drive with BSP. This partnership focuses on both parties working together in three key areas within the BSP operations; Education through Financial Literacy, SME and Leadership. Led by the Brisbane Broncos Club Chief Executive Officer, Dave Donaghy , Management Team and the former Queensland and Club Legend Scott Prince and three NRL Players Keenan Palasia, Delouise Hoeter and Ethan Quai –Ward were in country on Monday 17th October, 2022. Team started their visit on arrival to the Bomana War Cemetery. Yesterday (Tuesday 18th October 2022) the BSP staff at the Waigani Head office were privileged to have them show up to share few moments and take pictures and signed few autographs before visiting Gordons International School for the School Financial Literacy appointment. The visit to Gordons International School saw Brisbane Broncos promoting financial literacy and emphasising on the importance of saving by making appearances, meeting the students and presenting limited edition co-branded BSP and Brisbane Broncos merchandise. The Banks partnership with such reputable club is not only in rugby league but also in business and community programs, which is beneficial for both parties. Over the next few days, the team will visit few more BSP Branches, schools and sporting facilities to continue the partnership BSP has with community.

A six week combined security forces operation will begin soon in the National Capital District targeting hot spots and criminal activities, said acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP)Special Operations Donald Yamasombi. Following the dissatisfaction expressed by the Prime Minister on the lawlessness in NCD, Commissioner of Police David Manning appointed Mr Yamasombi to support the Divisional Commander of NCD/Central, Mr Anthony Wagambie Jnr, in his crime fight strategies in the city. “In that regard I’ve done a supplementary operation order in relation to what the NCD Divisional Commander has already instituted on the ground,” says Mr Yamasombi. He said resources will be made available from his wing to fully support the NCD/Central Command. “We will be targeting known hotspots within the city,” said Mr Yamasombi. He said all suspects apprehended during this operation will be carefully profiled.  “We will get their fingerprints, photographs and full details of who they are. This should help us in the long run to keep tag of people who commit crimes in the city because a lot of times these are the same people who keep doing the same thing over and over but no proper tags were kept on them. People must now feel the full force of the law,” said Mr Yamasombi. The Specialist Operations Wing consist of the Special Services Division (SSD), Dog Unit, Water Police and the Police Band. Mr Yamasombi said all these directorates have sufficient manpower and they will be committed to this exercise. “The city has three zones, so each zone will be assigned a directorate and have them rotate the units from within these policing zones in the city after a week. The bandsmen will be divided between the three directorates to beef up numbers in this exercise. “This will also help us see what difference we can make in terms of the capabilities we have and so the resources these directorates have will be committed to the zone we place them in. “On the flip side, I will also be able to see the effectiveness of these Directorates. This will be a testing time for our men as well,” said Mr Yamasombi. He said Police will also be executing warrants so all offences will be specified in order to obtain warrant on all forms of offences. “Under the instructions already issued to the Crimes Division is to have prosecutors to apply to the magistrates in court upon successful conviction of suspects to have them repatriated back to their home provinces. “There is a provision under the District Courts Act for the magistrates to exercise so we will be invoking that to have people who are convicted in the city to be repatriated back to their home provinces,” says Mr Yamasombi. He said the PNG Defence Force and the Correctional Services have been put on notice and they will come on board in this operation as soon as the necessary legal instruments are signed.

Mate Ma'a Tonga have survived a scare from a committed PNG Kumuls outfit to come away with a 24-18 win at St Helens' Totally Wicked Stadium. In the game of the World Cup to date, the Tongans broke an 18-18 deadlock with three minutes to play courtesy of a miracle try to Rabbitohs star Kaeon Koloamatangi on his Test debut. Come the 35th minute it was Tonga taking the lead when interchange forward Moeaki Fotuaika finished off some great lead-up work by Tui Lolohea and Koloamatangi to dot down under the sticks. Dolphins-bound young gun Isaiya Katoa was next to score just 90 seconds later after Moses Suli surged into the back field and found the 18-year-old looming in support to take the score to 18-6 at the break. The Kumuls hit back immediately after half-time when Ipape left four defenders in his wake and found Lachlan Lam backing up for a sensational PNG try. A huge call in the 54th minute when the video referee ruled Kumuls winger Rodrick Tai had failed to ground the ball in the corner after watching several replays. Having entered the game from the bench in the 52nd minute, David Fifita made an impact when he powered his way over the line only to be denied by desperate defence from Lam, who managed to hold him up. A mistake by Koula at dummy half in the 68th minute gave the Kumuls a golden opportunity to grab their third try and Russell made amends for his earlier bombed try when he took the final pass from Alex Johnston to cross wide out. Source: NRL.com

Members of BTS, the K-pop supergroup, are planning to undertake military service, the band’s record label confirmed Monday, with Jin, the oldest member, aiming to start the process at the end of the month. Military service is mandatory in South Korea, where almost all able-bodied men are required to serve in the army for 18 months by the time they are 28 years old. South Korea’s parliament passed a bill in 2020 allowing pop stars – namely those who “excel in popular culture and art” – to defer their service until the age of 30. With Jin turning 30 this year, and the band’s announcement of a break in June from group musical activities to pursue solo projects, members are now making plans to serve. BTS is expected to reconvene as a group around 2025, according to BIGHIT Music. The record label said it has been looking at the timing of the band’s military service, “to respect the needs of the country and for these healthy young men,” and it said the time was “now.” “Group member Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October. He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government,” the label said, adding: “Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.” The country’s defense minister said in August that BTS might still be able to perform overseas while serving in the military, the Reuters news agency reported. Source: CNN