Australia improving access to healthcare and clean water in Manus communities

Head of Australian Aid in PNG, Stuart Schaefer

Australia provided almost K300,000 in grants today to improve access to health services, clean water, better sanitation and shelter in five Manus Province communities.

The Head of Australian Aid in PNG, Stuart Schaefer, witnessed the handover of the Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen (SPSN) program grants in a ceremony in Manus.

Mr Schaefer said the projects will improve lives in small isolated communities like Butchou, where women and children often paddle three to four hours a day to fetch clean water.

“Australia will help Butchou to supply clean water into the community and build toilets that will reduce disease for more than 600 people,” Mr Schaefer said.

“More than 1,600 people in Naringel, Riuriu and Papitalai wards will get better access to health care when a new aid post is built at the Los Negros LLG Administration Centre with Australian assistance.

“In Likum Village, Australia will fund a community health worker house and the Likum LLG will fund an aid post to provide more than 600 people with health services in their village for the first time in 15 years.

“Australia will fund a new water supply system in Ndrehet so women and children won’t need to take a long, difficult and dangerous walk to get water, while new toilets will help to reduce disease for the entire community.

“On the island of Kali, Australia will fund a shelter that women will use as a resource centre to plan and deliver a village microfinance banking system that will improve livelihoods.”

Mr Schaefer said each community had identified their needs, worked in cooperation with local level governments and other groups and committed their own funds to the projects.

“They are making their own communities stronger by taking responsibility for their development, which is the goal of the SPSN program,” Mr Schaefer said.

The SPSN program is a partnership between the Governments of Australia and PNG that is funded by AusAID. The program aims to enable civil society, the private sector and government to work together in partnership to better meet the needs of communities across PNG.

Today’s grants are the second round of SPSN funding to Manus Province. In 2012 six communities shared in K560,574 of funding for projects in health, education and disability. Before the SPSN program, Australia had provided Manus Province with more than K2 million in small grant funding for 67 projects.

Through the PNG – Australia Partnership for Development, the Australian aid program currently delivers support for Manus Province in priority areas of education, health, law and justice and governance.

In 2012, Australia provided almost 30,000 new textbooks to primary and lower secondary schools in Manus Province and in 2013 Australia will deliver facilities including double classrooms and staff housing to 25 of the province’s primary schools.

In 2011-12 Australia provided more than K566,000 to deliver 754 medical supply kit boxes to 75 health facilities in Manus Province.

2013 SPSN grant breakdown:

• Pihing Butjou Women’s Group  -  water supply and toilets, K62,589
• Los Negros Local Level Government – community health post, K79,810
• Likum Ward Development Committee –housing for community health worker, K71,450
• Ndrehet Ward Development Committee – water supply and toilets, K67, 995   
• Pihi Kali Women’s Association – resource centre, K65,540