Vocational Training Empowers Women and Youth

Tape can now sell beautiful meri blouses to interested women 

The Ginigoada Business Development skills development program, supported by the Australian Government, is empowering women and youth from Port Moresby to acquire training that allows them to contribute to their family incomes.

Over the past nine years, the Ginigoada Business Foundation (Stand Strong) has assisted more than 11,000 individuals through the provision of short-term skills development training for youth and women who are often disadvantaged in finding a job or generating an income because of limited education.

The initiative, started and supported by the former Member for Moresby South and Minister for Community Development, Dame Carol Kidu, in partnership with the National Capital District Commissions Yumi Lukatim Mosbi project, has over the years gained momentum and the support of various private sector organiations, donor agencies and vocational institutions in the city.

The latest training saw more than 800 disadvantaged youth and women from Port Moresby attaining skills from the Ginigoada Business Development skills development program that will provide them with an opportunity to improve their lives.

This training was made possible by the Australian Government, through SPSN, with funding support of PGK457,022 to the Ginigoada Business Foundation in 2012.

A graduation ceremony in June was attended by Minister for Community Development and Religion, Loujaya Kouza; National Capital District Governor, Powes Parkop; Counsellor Governance from the Australian High Commission, Rob Brink; and former SPSN Deputy Program Director, Martin Syder.

Also at the graduation was Tape Peter, a mother of four from Eastern Highlands Province. Tape, who resides in Port Moresbys Morata Settlement, is now a thriving member of Port Moresbys informal sector, after graduating from this program in 2002.

On graduation day this year, she had set up a stall with other past beneficiaries of the program, to demonstrate the benefits that the Ginigoada training program can bring.

Tape beamed with pride as she showed colourful meri blouses (national dress) she had made. She now earns at least PGK300 a week from the sale of these blouses from her mobile market.

Bipo mi haus meri tasol, mi stap long haus na wetim fotnait bilong papa tasol, na mi lukim olsem pei bilong em ino inap long lukautim olgeta nid bilong femili. So mi bin go pas long bungim ol mama long Morata na mipela go askim Ginigoada long painim wei long mipela iken kisim helivim long ol. Long 2002, Ginigoada stretim rot bilong mipela long skul bilong somap long Morata Lions Vocational Centre. Trutru mi lukim bikpela senis long laif bilong mi bihain long dispela trening. Mi inap long helivim man bilong mi long lukautim femili wantaim moni mi mekim long somap, long baim skul fi, kaikai na ol narapla samting. Ginigoada i wok long kamapim senis long laif bilong ol man, meri na yut long Mosbi, tasol wanpela bikpela samting em yu husat manmeri kisim save wantaim helivim bilong Ginigoada mas gat bel kirap long usim dispela save gud, said Tape in Tokpisin.

(In the past, I would stay at home and wait for my husbands the fortnightly wages. I realised that the wage was not enough to meet all our needs. I then gathered women from Morata Settlement and approached Ginigoada to assist us with some skills training. In 2002, we were sent to Morata Lions Vocational Centre to take up sewing. The training has really changed my life. I now earn money from sewing and that has helped to support my husband with school fees, food and other family needs. Ginigoada is changing the lives of men, women and youth in Port Moresby. You have to have a sense of purpose and diligence to make great success of the chances given by Ginigoada Business Foundation.)

 Now, thanks to Australian Government funding, another 800 graduates have the chance to follow in Tapes footsteps and become their own success stories!