Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A vital source of life


Enjoying the fruits of our labour!
BUPNG implemented the The Sula & Laigam Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project to provide the community with a sustainable, safe and hygienic supply of drinking water. It aims to provide access to over 7500 villagers in the Kompian district of the Enga Province and Tambul District of the Western Highlands Province. 


Pipeline
Digging the main pipeline

According to AusAid, 'more than 1.5 million children around the world die each year as a result of diarrhoeal disease, the second leading cause of deaths for children under five, worldwide. Improved access to safe water and sanitation will lower the incidence of diseases carried by water, improving public health, especially for women and children.'

Sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation is one of the UN Millennium Development Goals (Target 7.C), that aims to halve the proportion of the world's population without access by 2015. 


Water tank
In PNG we are noticing the great impact projects like ours, that enable access to this basic human right, has on the local community. Access to clean water and basic sanitation has a positive effect on many aspects of human development and is important for a healthy population and  a sustainable environment.

Sula water supply
The Sula Project is located in the Kompiam District of the Enga Province. This project covers two council wards with an approximate population of 2500 men, women and children. The Laigam project is located at Tambul District of the western Highland Province. The approximate population is about 4000 peoples.

Our job is not done, demand from our communities is apparent and we want to fulfil those needs. We are developing further water projects in our communities, one in Mendi in the Southern Highlands and one in the Western Highlands. Feasibility studies & design for technical proposal of these two new project has now been implemented. 

GPS survey for Upcoming new Water Supply Project
We are able to deliver these projects with the support of international aid organisations such as the European Union (our largest contributor thus far) and Baptist World Aid Australia (BWAA), Canada fund and Aus-Aid and our local donor PNGSDP. We are also grateful to our faithful smaller donors for their continuous support that enables us to deliver vital services to the vast population in remote areas in PNG. Without your support these projects and services would't be possible.

It's important to recognise the community development department at BUPNG, in particular Dangmei Gaingamlong and team that ensured the successful implementation of the Project.

May GOD bless you as you continue to support us support the remote communities of PNG. Thank you.

'Great achievements often happens when our backs are up against the wall. Pressure can actually enchance your performance' [Robin Sharma]



Friday, February 1, 2013

...many hands build a house, so many hearts make a School


The timber admin building at KBHS
As time draws near to the start of another school year for children, the construction of our  newly registered Kumbareta Baptist High School is coming closer to completion. While construction takes  place, enrolment of students and posting of teachers is also in progress. The new high school will accommodate 3 x grade 10 classes and 4 x grade 9 classes, i.e. approx 300 students.

Two steel-frame double story classrooms being built constructed
It was a soggy, wet afternoon out in the Baiyer Valley last Friday when our BUPNG Project Dev Board  were joined by  delegates from the Provincial Government office,  the Provincial Education Advisor, Mr Stanley Maip and a news team from Post Courier, to visit the site last Friday and inspect  the new development. The foundations of the 2 x double classroom buildings (each building has 4 classrooms) are already fixed and the steel frames are ready to erect.  The government officials were very pleased and commended BUPNG for the selection of materials used for the buildings.

John Kaewa (BUPNG General Director) and Stanley Maip (WHP Prov Education Advisor - holding the umbrella)
talking with John Larry (Site Construction Manager)
 
The Western Highlands Province (WHP) Governor’s Executive Officer,  Mr Barry Runguwa assured us that today’s Government is focusing more on the education and health for its people and that most of the government funds will be put towards these priority areas. Baptist Union will be receiving a first quarter payment of K500,000 hopefully in March 2013. These funds will be put towards the schools and hospitals in the Baiyer District affiliated with Baptist Union.

Thank you to the hard working staff of the Education Department and the project team of Baptist Union PNG. If it wasn’t for your time, efforts and commitment such goals would be unattainable.

God be praised and glorified.

The School Creed

This is our School,
Let peace dwell here,
Let the rooms be full of contentment,
Let love abide here,

Love of one another,
Love of mankind,
Love of life itself, and Love of God.

Let us remember that -
As many hands build a house,
So many hearts make a School.
-Amen-