Community Rangers Graduate

Female Community Rangers demonstrating first aid skills.

The smile and confidence on the faces of the locals from Western Province as they step forward to receive their certificates gives assurance to their communities that they will see change.
Fifty- two Community Rangers, which includes 12 women and 40 men, from Treaty Villages in Western Province are now being equipped in construction, first aid, leadership, sanitation and many other important skills to help their communities.
The Treaty Villages come under the Torres Strait Treaty between Australia and PNG, which recognises the importance of protecting the traditional way of life and livelihoods of traditional inhabitants of the region in a cross-border context.
The rangers were trained under the Building Resilience in Treaty Villages Project, which is funded by the Australian Government through the Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen Program (SPSN) and implemented by the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC).
The rangers were chosen by village elders from the villages of Mabuadan, Buzi/Berr, Sui/Parama and Sigibaduru in Kiwai LLG, South Fly District.
A total funding of AUD$1,093,000 (PGK2, 194,189.57) was committed by the Australian Government to implement the two year pilot project, which commenced in September 2014.

This initiative aims to strengthen long-term human development outcomes through building resilience in the areas of social protection, livelihoods, disaster risk reduction, community-based health prevention and health-seeking behaviour.
The Graduation Ceremony signified that all the requirements have been met by the trainee rangers and they will be monitored by RRRC to ensure that there is continuous support and mentoring to assist the rangers carry out activities until the end of 2015.

The Community rangers have already contributed to improved Physical and Social environment through the rehabilitation of 880,000 Litres of effective water storage in three Treaty Villages and conducting a Water Sanitation Hygiene Awareness.

Meanwhile, the entire fourteen Treaty Villages have agreed to contribute a portion of the PNG Government counterpart funding when it is released to seek an extension on this pilot project to include all Treaty villages in livelihood projects.