Chasing Dreams
Women in PNG are being empowered through a wide-ranging program. Michelle Oetman reports.
Imagine being unable to read to your child. Imagine the horror of accidentally overmedicating them because you are unable to read the dosage. And, worse, imagine carrying shame because you can neither read nor write.
This is life for more than 40 per cent of women in rural Papua New Guinea, who are treated as outcasts because they’re illiterate. There, 37 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. Understanding that the health and education status of a nation mirrors that of its mothers, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) partnered with government, communities and civil society organisations to strengthen the country through its women.
literacy
Women in ADRA’s functional adult literacy programs learn literacy and basic skills in practical issues, such as how to make items they can sell to earn an income. In 2004 ADRA’s program helped more than 2400 students and provided in-service training for 120 teachers and life-skills training for more than 300 more.
economic development
ADRA’s economic development projects teach women’s community groups how to start a savings account. ADRA trains the women in family finances, planning and budgeting. They also learn to write a business plan and do market research so their ventures can succeed. The group then provides a loan to its members. The loan is repaid with interest, enabling other women in the group to receive loans to start a business that provides an income for school fees, food and their savings.
health and sanitation
Limited access to safe and clean water is stifling the dreams of many women and their families. ADRA’s rural health and sanitation project in Morobe Province is providing a clean water supply, toilets, and hygiene and sanitation education to some 80 communities. ADRA provides the materials and technical expertise, then the community forms a committee to decide on tap locations, for example, and manage maintenance issues. The community also hosts an ADRA field officer during the project, provides the labour and sand needed, and pays a small fee for future maintenance. As a result, the community takes ownership of the water supply, creating long-term sustainability.
HIV/AIDS education
HIV/AIDS is also threatening the dreams of many in PNG. ADRA’s peer-education program trains volunteers about HIV/AIDS, and how to best address this stigmatised topic in their communities. ADRA also partners with provincial hospitals to conduct HIV pre- and post-testing counselling.
ADRA’s work is making an amazing difference in the lives of women and communities all over PNG. But for every woman who has benefited from ADRA’s work, there are hundreds more who are waiting for that opportunity. ADRA continues to work in PNG, empowering people to realise their dreams.
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