PNG Haus Bung

13-year-old Donny Tuka was born with Dwarfism, growing up hasn’t been easy for him, he was bullied ridiculed and recently whilst doing his grade 5 at a local school in Kavieng, the bullying got so bad that he dropped out of school.  His adopted mum, Enlly Singan who has six kids of her own said that, Donny was a bright young teenager and even after leaving school he was still very much interested in learning new things.  “My kids are all in High Schools now, so I brought Donny to leave with me, he is my younger cousin sister’s son.” “The father isn’t in the picture, and Donny used to live with his grandma, one time I brought him to my home for a visit and but he stayed and became a part of my family.” “Every night, when my children did their homework and assignments, Donny would get his book and pencil and also work with them.” “I could see his interest in learning but the bullying and teasing has made him lose interest in attending class.” “I’ve always worried about him, I want him to have something to, something he can lean on when he’s older, so when I heard that the PNG Fashion and Design Week would come to Kavieng and run a 13-day training on Fashion and Design, I thought this is it.” “I went back home and spoke with Donny and he was very interested too so I signed him up and here we are,” she said.  Singan said that she loved sewing but couldn’t design well and she thought to herself, “my son and I will start up our own brand and do business, he will design and I will sew.” “So we came and registered, and the last couple of days have been amazing, learning new things and watching Donny, been comfortable, in class, learning a skill, its like the Lord has answered my prayers, for every mother will always worry about their children.” “At the end of the day, we want to know that when we are gone, our children have something and can take care of themselves,” she said.  Donny who is very shy, said that he was excited and really loved the training.  The mother and son pair are two of 53 participants taking part in a 13-day fashion and design week festival training in Kavieng, New Ireland.  The program is funded by the PNG-Australia Partnership and supported by the National Youth Development Authority and the New Ireland Provincial Government and Administration.  Donny and his mum also thanked all those who made it possible for the training to come to Kavieng. 

THE newly revamped Women National Soccer League will kick off its Round One matches at Sir Ignatius Kilage stadium in Lae and the PNG Football Stadium in Port Moresby respectively on Saturday. All Northern Conferences matches will be played at Sir Ignatius Kilage stadium for this weekend only to create awareness of women football while following weekend will see the home-and-away features. PNGFA president John Kapi Natto is likely to kick off the match at Sir Ignatius Kilage stadium to mark a new era of women’s football in the country. The women’s NSL was last played in 1990’s where Lae Biscuit Poro and Prima PNG Power playing and dominating the scene along with University Inter FC and Mungkas. In the opening match, local team Bara will host visiting Tusbab Laidamon at 0900am followed by Rainy Lae and former champions, Poro. New kid on the blocks Pacific Gardens from Goroka take on fellow novice Morobe Tulip of MilesLodge while the main game, Sepik FC take on Raings of Markham. In the Southern Conference, NCD FC under the watchful eyes of Wara Wima should set a good fight against Fredrica Siwin coached Port Moresby FC. NCD is an unknown pack from NCD Public Servants Soccer League and also from Laloki Football Association. Port Moresby will see big names like Roxen Komeng come out of retirement to ensure and encourage the young players to achieve their dream The village team from Koupa Soccer Association at Kaparoko village in Central will take on the might of Hekari United led by PNG striker Marie Kaipu. In the main game, youngsters of Port Moresby Academy will take on the star-studded FC Gensis led by Yvonne Gabong and Mary Maino. It should be mouth-watery fixture both in the Northern and Southern Conference. Round One Draws: Northern Conference Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium 0900 Bara vs Tusbab Laidamon FC 1100 Rainy Lae vs Poro 1300 Pacific Garden vs Morobe Tulip 1500 Sepik FC vs Markharm Raings Round One Draws: Southern Conference PNG Football Stadium - Waigani 1100 NCD FC vs Port Moresby City 1300 Amoana FC vs Hekari FC

The Supreme Court today begun its hearing of evidences from parties involved in the application filed by Peter O’Neill on the validity of the November 17 parliament sitting. A five-men Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika today accepted the evidences produced in the high court and agreed to proceed to hear the substantive matter as it closed submissions on evidence. A late submission by the Attorney Generals lawyer Nemo Yalo to include the legality of the November 13 parliament sitting as well was refused by the 5-men bench after Mr Yalo asked the court to deal with the issues in totality and have both sitting dates argued in court. The court adjourned briefly for lunch after hearing a lengthy submission on evidences from Peter O’Neill’s lawyer Greg Shepard.   Meantime heavy police presence manning the road towards the court house premise prevented crowds from gathering this morning. 

Jeremy Damien Sapak, better known as DJ Dame in the local entertainment industry, will be launching his SME company called the Hitlist Entertainment next Friday 11December 2020. This SME is aimed at promoting and managing artists, selling shows and setting up a booking agency for both DJs and Artists that get signed. Sapak said, “The money made from the launching will help purchase necessary equipment that is required to operate efficiently throughout 2021 doing what we do best, providing entertainment at night clubs, parties and corporate events.” What inspired DJ Dame to start up his own company was being independent as an individual artist and giving opportunities to DJs and artists out there that really want to make money through music. “Be original, keep creating content, don’t be afraid to ask for help and have a good communication skill and talk to people.” That is his message to upcoming DJs and artists or anyone who has a dream of starting up his/her own business.

Christmas is meant to be a happy time for everyone! It’s a time for sharing, It’s a time to exchange gifts, a time for families to get together over some aigir or mumu. But not everyone is privileged enough to have a normal Christmas. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, some families are struggling just to get by. One of PNG’s top female artists, Mereani Masani also wants share her work this Christmas by assisting others with their fundraising activities through her music. The Charity drive she’s doing is called the Busking for Charity. “It’s an idea that I came up with since Christmas is coming up and I just thought it would be nice to just be able to use my platform to raise some money for people that might need a little bit of help.” “Whether it’s a medical fundraiser or other genuine reasons, I just wanted to put a little bit of time aside for myself to go and be able to give back to the community with my music.” She added that she will be busking anywhere where there is a lot of people so she can perform and people can walk past and donate in either cash or kind. “The fun part about busking is that I can pretty much do it anywhere at any time,” “It could be in the streets at Boroko, it could be at Gerehu, it could be in town or Ela beach.” “We’ll have a little notice on the side saying what we are fundraising for and the people in charge of that particular cause we are fundraising for will be there to take everything I have raised to take with them to support them.” “I’ve put out a toksave and whoever that comes forward and tells me what they need help with. I’ve got a couple of interested people that have sent in messages, some were for school fees or just people that really need help. I just want to help whoever I can.” “I’ll be travelling around for a couple of gigs so I’ll be doing that in other provinces as well.” She further added that she hopes to inspire her fellow musicians to follow suit and help raise funds to assist people that need help this Christmas. For people that want to be part of the Busking for Charity, you can send Mereani a message on facebook or email her on: mamamasalai.ent@gmail.com. Meanwhile, you can catch Mereani on the 10th of December at the Sea Park Bazaar Christmas Celebrations.

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) provide the authoritative global framework for the respective duties and responsibilities of governments and business enterprises to prevent and address business-related human rights abuses. They also offer a blueprint for how business respect for human rights can support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in line with international human rights standards. The Pacific region has made some progress in raising awareness about the UNGPs and promoting business respect for human rights. The OHCHR Regional Office for the Pacific and the UNWG, in collaboration with other partners, have organized several workshops in Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG) during 2018-19 to raise awareness about BHR issues and standards and to build capacity of various stakeholders to implement the UNGPs. The OHCHR Regional Office for the Pacific has also worked with, and provided training to, the Pacific Business Resilience Network (PBRN), the Fiji Business Disaster Resilience Council (FBDRC) and Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation (FCEF) around the UNGPs. The Government of Fiji has adopted the ‘Green Growth Framework’ and recently ratified the ILO’s Violence and Harassment Convention 2019 (No. 190). The Markets for Change (M4C) project of UN Women and the UNDP aims at ensuring that marketplaces in rural and urban areas in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are safe, inclusive and non-discriminatory environments, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Pacific Island Forum is also developing the ‘2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent’. Moreover, Australia enacted the Modern Slavery Act, which requires large Australia companies to report on the risks of slavery in their operations and supply chains as well as the steps taken (e.g., human rights due diligence and remediation processes) to respond to the identified risks. However, despite all these initiatives, the Pacific region continues to experience significant challenges in addressing adverse human rights impacts of business activities, especially those related to extractives (including deep-sea mining), fishing, and infrastructure projects. Individuals and communities across the Pacific have experienced loss of livelihood, forced displacement, environmental pollution, labour rights abuses, intimidation of human rights defenders, the loss of traditional knowledge and biodiversity, increased risks of community conflicts, and gender-based violence. Moreover, the Pacific region is disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, which directly and indirectly threatens the effective enjoyment of a range of human rights, including the rights to life, water and sanitation, food, health, housing, education, self-determination, culture and development. Individuals and communities continue to face significant barriers in seeking effective remedies and holding the involved businesses accountable for human rights abuses. Given the multitude of BHR challenges as well as different levels of progress in implementing the UNGPs in different world regions, it is critical for all relevant stakeholders to work together in a regional setting to prevent, mitigate and remediate the adverse impact of business activities on human rights. Doing so will contribute to achieving inclusive and sustainable development in the Pacific. It is in this context that the OHCHR Regional Office for the Pacific and the UNWG are organizing the 1st UN Pacific Forum on Business and Human Rights to highlight key BHR issues as well as identify opportunities for effective implementation of the UNGPs in the region. This regional forum will build on past BHR workshops in Fiji and PNG as well as the session at 2019 UN Forum on BHR issues in the Pacific. It aims to foster races to the top in the Pacific region, similar to the UNWG’s strategy in other world regions. Ms. Samantha Kuman, CELCOR's Advocacy Officer, will be presenting on the panel in this session to give an insight to the climate justice actions taken by communities and organizations in Papua New Guinea in the fight against climate change and the movement in response to an emerging coal industry in Papua New Guinea and CELCORs collaborative effort in the NOGAT COAL:NO COAL IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA Campaign. This is an online event. Link to event page below. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/2020UN-pacific-forum.aspx https://pacificunforumbhr.sched.com/directory/speakers

De Co Boutique, a nationally owned and operated small business start-up, prides itself in protective hairstyles and aftercare for the likes of the working class lady. Ms. Kunta Kaupa, proud owner and leading hair technician of De Co Boutique started the business three years ago. “We started not with the intention of running an actual business or it being my main source of income.” From braiding to weaves, wigs and hair extensions, Kaupa currently heads a team of three full time hair technicians who specialize in providing protective hairstyles and aftercare advice for her clients. “I used to love doing hair myself but the problem is always trying to find good quality hair pieces, where to source them, the different styles and who can actually pull it off.” She said her main customers are women between the ages of 25-50 and they usually prefer a weave, crochet or wig. “I always try to teach myself to stay on top of the game.”  “I don’t say that I’m an experienced braider, but I found a niche market that I have identified and that is where I get most of my clients from.” Having an all-inclusive price which covers for both their hair pieces and installation costs makes De Co Boutique stand out among their competitors.  “We always have clients that come and tell us that for a salon that’s paying rent and for the styles we offer and the quality of our work and for how much we’re charging, we’re actually very affordable.” “That’s the compliment that I get a lot from clients.”  “With the weaves, our base price is K150 and ranges up to K350.” “When we started, we wanted to make it convenient for our clients, where we provide a variety of hair for you to come and choose what hair type you want and what’s fitting to your budget.” As most small businesses, De Co Boutique was hit hard during the COVID 19 lockdowns which ultimately lead to them having to move location and ceasing their barber services. “Because we operate a salon and we are likely to have a close contact with our clients, we weren’t able to operate during the pandemic.” “However, now that the government has put in some funding, we’re hopeful for the next year as life seems to be getting back to normal.” De Co Boutique now plans on expanding its services in 2021 to cater for the demand in the market.

Bank South Pacific has reached new heights in its management – a 100% Papua New Guinean team now leads its Retail Strategic Business Unit. Daniel Faunt today (Wednesday 2nd December 2020,) takes on the helm of the bank’s biggest unit – Retail, as it’s Group General Manager following 40-year banking veteran Paul Thornton’s retirement. “I am delighted to commence as Group General Manager Retail today following Mr Thornton’s retirement." "I thank Mr Thornton for leaving a fantastic legacy and am proud of the fact that with my appointment, for the first time in BSP’s history, the entire BSP Retail Team are now a 100% Papua New Guinea national team. I am honored to be able to lead my fellow country men and women in delivering services to our country and to our people." Adding to BSP Group CEO Robin Fleming’s announcement on the recent appointment of Peter Komon, another young Papua New Guinean, to the role of Deputy General Manager – Retail Sales and Customer Service, Mr Faunt said that Komon’s appointment reinforces BSP’s commitment to the development and promotion of Papua New Guineans in BSP. “Peter brings strong experience, knowledge and energy to our Senior Management team and will do a fantastic job, “said Faunt when congratulating the Western Highlander. With over 13 years experience in the fields of microfinance and retail banking in PNG, Peter studied Agricultural Economics at the University of Sydney, Australia, before starting his career in 2007 in the banking and financial services sector with PNG Microfinance Ltd.  He joined BSP in 2012 as Deputy Head of BSP Rural Banking before appointed as Head of BSP Rural in 2014, a role that saw him travel extensively throughout the country, especially to remote communities, establishing over 30 BSP Sub Branches and BSP Cash Agents between 2012 and 2014.  Since then, Peter has held various management roles with BSP Retail, including a stint as Branch Manager of BSP Haus Branch, from 2016 to 2017. He was the Head of the Retail Procedures & Quota Business Unit prior to his elevation to Deputy General Manager - Retail Sales and Customer Service. Peter moves into the role that was occupied by Kili Tambua, who was promoted to General Manager Offshore Branches, looking after the operations of BSP in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Tonga and Samoa. He joins Faunt and another Papua New Guinean Dennis Konu who was recently appointed as well to the role of Deputy General Manager Customer Experience and Support. Konu was a senior participant of BSP’s Leadership Management Development Program. Konu joined BSP in 1996 as a Branch Officer and has progressed in many roles throughout his 24 years’ experience in retail banking.

The Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has reassured me of his support to the Bougainville peace process and the Post Referendum Consultations despite the failure to convene the Joint Supervisory Body Meeting last week. The Bougainville delegation that travelled to Port Moresby for the JSB last week was made up of members of my cabinet and the Bougainville Administration. We were also accompanied by several ABG MP’s and various stakeholders who are members of the Bougainville Post Referendum Consultations team. The convening of the JSB Meeting would have progressed the issues that the Prime Minister and I deliberated on during the Pre-JSB Meeting earlier this month where we also agreed for the meeting to be held last week. For the ABG we brought our consultation team to begin the negotiations on the Post Referendum Consultations that precedes the ratification by the National Parliament. This would have been the first time the two consultation teams from Bougainville and the National Consultation teams would have met to begin the preliminaries on the consultation process framework. The key agendas that are supposed to be discussed at the JSB are; Post Referendum Joint Inter-Government Consultations process frameworkOutstanding Financial IssuesTransfer f BCL Shares to the ABGDrawdown of Powers and functionsOutstanding National Elections debts (2012 and 2017)By-election for Bougainville Regional SeatInvitation to foreign missions to set up development offices on Bougainville. I am disappointed that the JSB was not convened however, I am pleased that the Joint Technical Team co-chaired by the two Chief Secretaries of the two governments was convened last week. The outcome is optimistic and will only require the convening of the JSB to formalize the discussions from the JTT. I am mindful of the political situation that is currently on going in the National Government and I am well aware of how its outcome will have an obvious effect on Bougainville. I maintain my resolve that Bougainville and my government is not party to the outcome of the current political situation but I must insist on the National Government to meet its commitment to the Bougainville Peace Agreement. The BPA is a joint creation by the two governments and its implementation must be honored by the ABG and the National Government. Photo courtesy: abg.gov.pg

In the 2020 Yumi FM PNG Musik Awards 2020, awards were given recognizing artists, bands, songs and producers of 2019. Two bands were vying for the Duo/Group of the year award category, namely Stagajah and Wame blood. Both bands released popular songs that were voted and requested in 2019. The Award for the Duo/Group of the year category was for bands that had the most played songs on the Yumifm Countdowns. This includes the Weekend top 20 countdowns, Top 8@8 and the Top 4 @4. Stagajah took out the award for Duo/Group of the year with their hit songs Asasumba and Hategu. These two songs got the highest number of votes and requests on 93 Yumifm. “Ever since we started in 2014 up until now, we have been part of this event (Yumifm Music Awards). “ “We felt that we were going to win so we were very excited and humbled to receive this award.” Gaiix from Stagajah had this to say to their fans. “We would like to thank our loyal fans, we haven’t been releasing many singles but you all stood by us. We are very thankful for all of you.” “We have finished a song and released it but it hasn’t gone on air yet. Its Christmas time so we are working on Christmas songs. We are still working on the lyrics but once we are done then we’ll record and release for our fans.” He added that with PNG music, all music artists are still learning. He encouraged all artists to unite and work together to get PNG music to the international standard in the next 5 years.

Good news for 400 families of Sigatoka, Ba, Nadi and Lautoka as ANZ Fiji will donate $50 worth of redeemable food pack vouchers to them till the end of January next year. These vouchers are redeemable at any Shop and Save outlet where recipients can purchase basic necessities for their families. ANZ Fiji says they want to donate funds back into the community due to the impact of COVID-19 this year. They have thanked their partners, Loloma Home and Lautoka Ratepayers Association for helping them identify the families in need. Source: Fijivillage

This feature is to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disability on 3 December Imagine having a speech and hearing impairment but eager to learn. This is the story of Anna – a happy young girl who attends Ragizumang Elementary School in rural Markham Valley, Morobe Province. Each day when school ends, Anna and her friends excitedly walk out of their classroom in groups of two and three. Despite her challenges Anna is always eager to be part of the games everyone is playing. Anna (left) takes part in a game of marbles. Her teacher Billy Akim’s moral conviction and support from the school has helped Anna learn in class despite having limited professional development on disability inclusive education. “Anna is a very enthusiastic student,” he says. “Despite having hearing and speech impairments, she has never missed a day of school.” Anna’s drive and passion has inspired Mr Akim and the other teachers, who are doing their best to help her in class. Ragizumang Elementary is one of 325 schools in Morobe benefiting from the Together for Education (T4E) project funded by the Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership. T4E aims to improve literacy and numeracy of early learners and is implemented by World Vision in partnership with Child Fund, Consultative Implementation Monitoring Council, Library for All, and the University of Canberra. Mr Akim is excited as he will now receive formal training on inclusive teaching and learning, boosting his teaching abilities to support Anna and other children with special needs. He has also taken it upon himself to visit Anna’s parents at their home to explain her progress and encourage them to give Anna the support she needs. “When I teach the students and write on the board, I write slowly and look at Anna to indicate to her that she needs to follow through – she understands and copies what I write,” Mr Akim continues. “I am really looking forward to attending the teacher training to build my skills and knowledge on inclusive education. “This is an area that I feel I really need to improve on, and I am glad for this opportunity.” By end of 2022, T4E will have supported more than 15,000 children including girls and children with disability to improve their literacy and numeracy. Anna is not only encouraged by her teachers to learn but also from her classmates, who work with her. She has the ability to learn and with the right support she will continue to succeed.