Papua new guinea women in agriculture development foundation

our Training Programs.

PNGWiADF through Voice Feed,

can now be able to let our associ-

ates know of the current events

occurring in PNG, Abroad and

with other groups.

A call out to all our Registered

members to send in your Activi-

ties, Programs, or Achievements

and we will include them in our

Publication of VOICE FEED

every quarter.

Thank you & God Bless!!

Maria Linibi

PNGWiADF President Email: maria.linibi@nari.org.pg

Papua New Guinea Women in

Agriculture Development Foun-

dation, “Voice for Women in the

Agriculture Sector” in PNG had

an inception meeting in 2006

with a small core group of 14

interested Women from Aus-

tralia & PNG in an office in the

PNG National Agriculture Re-

search Institute (NARI) at 10

mile Bubia in Morobe Province,

Papua New Guinea. It then

gained momentum and in 2012

PNG Women in Agriculture De-

velopment Foundation was

officially registered.

Since 2012, PNGWiADF office

could not afford to fund a Com-

munications Personnel to create

and publish its Newsletter. How-

ever, for this year 2016 it is my

pleasure as the President of

PNGWiA to introduce and

launch VOICE FEED as the

official Newsletter for PNG

Women in Agriculture Develop-

ment Foundation.

PNGWiADF would like to sin-

cerely thank the Prime Minister

of Papua New Guinea, Hon.

Peter O’Neill CMG MP, for do-

nating a vehicle to PNGWiA to

help us in the daily activities of

the organization.

PNGWiA would like to thank the

National Agriculture Research

Institute (NARI) for provision of

logistical support including

office space, access to email &

internet, phone, fax, and confer-

ence facilities for PNGWiA use.

We are most sincerely thank full

to Trukai industries who had

rescued, and continued to sup-

port the organization by funding

PNGWiA with an annual alloca-

tion of K40,000 a year for Logis-

tics.

We also thank Zenag Chicken for

their support in providing

monthly transport fuel supply for

the PNGWiA vehicle. Further-

more, we immensely thank and

very much appreciate the Pacific

Island Farmer Organization Net-

work (PIFON) & IFAD for your

year on year financial support to

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 1

PIFON Workshop 2

Budget

Tracking Training

2

Communication &

Media

Workshop

2

Youth & Women Eco-

nomic & Empowering

Training

3

Trukai Field Day

2015

3

PNGWIA

Building

Partnership with

Churches

3

Healthy Soils for

Health Life

4

VOICE FEEDVOICE FEEDVOICE FEED

M A Y , 2 0 1 6 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1 Information and

Communications

Partnership and

Networking

Organizational

Capacity Develop-

ment

Women in Agri-

culture Endow-

ment Fund

Policy Advocacy Above: PNGWiA & NARI staff standing with the Vehicle

Above: PIFON Manager Kyle

Stice with women leaders

at Leadership training,PNG

“A Voice for Women Farmers in Papua New Guinea”

Below: Trukai CEO giving K40,000 to PNGWiA

P A G E 2

Budget Tracking Training

Below: Toss and Jenni

speaking to Women leaders.

Communication & Media

Workshop

[20th– 24th July, 2015]

Communication & Media Workshop

PIFON WORKSHOP: PNG Farmer Organization Learning

Exchange & Women’s Leadership Training

The PNG Farmer Organization Learning Exchange & Women’s Leadership Training was hosted by PNG Women in Agriculture Development Foundation from the 19th– 22nd October, 2015 at the National Agricultural Re-search Institute (NARI) campus in 10 mile, Lae, Morobe Prov-ince.

This four days workshop was sponsored by European Union, Secretariat of the Pacific Commu-nity (SPC), Intra Agricultural Poli-cy Program (INTRAACP), Pacific Agriculture Policy Program (PAPP), Trukai Industries Limited, Australian Aid (AusAid), Interna-

tional Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Medium Term Cooperation Program Phase 2 (MTCP2), and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). It was facil-itated by the Pacific Island Farmers Organization Network (PIFON) and Australian Women in Agriculture (AWIA).

Among those who participated were 41 Papua New Guinean farmers and seven (7) interna-tional participants who were from Fiji, Solomon Islands and Tonga. Also present during that day were 21 women lead-ers.

The workshop not only provided an avenue for women leaders to collaborate with farmers through the training sessions based on the Role of Farmer Organizations in the Pacific, Sharing lessons from around the region ‘helping address the in-formation gap’ for farmers, Strengthening Farmer Organiza-tions, The Importance of net-working and partnership, and using ICTs in farmer organiza-tions. It had also promoted the importance of sharing knowledge and building capacity amongst Papua New Guinea and other Pacific Island countries.

Econnect communication, trained female participants on the importance of effec-tive communication and how it can be utilized in order to deliver impact. That is the main message that those who participated including women scientist from NARI, and representative from PNGWiADF, NAQIA, FPDA,

Communication is vital!!! Effective communication in the workplace is like life for any organization’s body. Thus, the Communication & Media Workshop that oc-curred at the Alan Quater-man Hall in NARI on 20th– 24th July, 2015 which was facilitated by Toss Gascoigne and Jenni Metcalfie under

CIC and Baptist Union of PNG had received on that day. Re-gina Sowa who is the Admin Officer for PNGWiADF Head Office, was also one of the participants and she com-mented, “ It was a great learn-ing experience, I enjoyed the workshop and was very fortu-nate to have taken part in this Communication Workshop”.

During training, those leaders were taught how to track budget by using the 2014 allo-cated budget for Markham District. They looked at PNG’s National Budget allocation and how much was allocated, then tracked their budget allocation down from provincial all the way to the wards. In addition to that, the leaders also looked at their Ward plans and linked those with LLG plans, Districts

plans, all the way up to the National goals and Principals.

The most significant outcome of this Budget Tracking Train-ing was that those leaders from the Markham District now know how to do budget tracking as well as be able to link their ward, LLG and dis-trict plans to the National goals and Principals in order to achieve Papua New Guinea vision 2015 and vice versa.

A Budget Tracking Training was hosted by the Consulta-tive Implementation and Mon-itoring Council (CIMC) on 2nd– 4th November, 2015 at the Alan Quaterman Hall, NARI.

For this Budget Tracking Train-ing, leaders from Markham District of Morobe Province were the main participants. The leaders included Markham LLG presidents, council manag-ers and women leaders.

V O I C E F E E D

Above: Participants sitting

during the PIFON Workshop.

[19th-22nd October, 2015]

Below: Markham Leaders

who attended BTT

[2nd- 4th November, 2015]

Youth & Women in Agriculture Economic and Empowering Training

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

One area in which PNGWiADF is focused on is Capacity Building. It occurs through communication of information and, Partnership and Networking. This has been sup-ported by numerous farmer train-ings throughout PNG that PNGWi-ADF has organized and facilitated over the years since its establish-

ment. One such recent training was the Youth and Women in Agriculture Economic and Empowering Training. The training took place at Mutzing, Markham District, Morobe on the 15th– 16th of December, 2015. The Facilitators of the training were Mr. & Mrs. Linibi (PNGWiA President), Joe Imbo and Albertha Dimung. A total of 110 people participated including men, women and youths whom were very determined to obtain Economic and Empowering skills development training.

Left: Outcome of training, Youths packing their produce & ready to sell!!

Women in PNG have the potential to change their own economic status, as well as that of the communities and even the country as a whole. Howev-er, most women’s economic contribu-tion go unrecognized and are most often devalued. In addition, unequal opportunities in the society prevent women from reaching their full poten-tial, and elevate their economic status. Therefore, the Youth & Women in Agriculture Economic and Empower-ing Training is one initiative that will potentially move things forward for women and their respective communi-ties as well as implant an added ad-vantage in women through empower-ment so all their contributions will be valued.

women in agricultural activities and training. Women groups that are formed through the church are more organized and communica-tion with them is much easier.

After the congress, more than 20 women groups keenly became registered members of PNGWiA. What it means for them now is that they will have access to infor-mation which they never had be-fore including agriculture and train-

On the 20th– 26th September, 2015, PNG Women in Agriculture through president Maria Linibi, attended the Morobe Mission SDA Congress in Gabensis that was hosted by SDA church. It was an opportunity that gave way to the formation of partnership between SDA church and PNGWIA. The aim of this partnership was to create bigger networks, empower women in economic activities, and engage

ing to to increase their knowledge, and help to build their own skills for economic empower-ment.

PNG Women in Agricul-ture is willing to expand its network through fur-ther formation of part-nership with other de-nominations as well.

between the two organizations.

The theme for the field day was “Trukai Leading Sustainable Rice Development for Food Security in PNG”. This gives the message that food security is imperative in PNG and Trukai is contributing to lead-ing sustainable rice development purposely to promote food security in Papua New Guinea.

Furthermore, PNGWiADF also real-izes the need for food security. Hence, the key activities in which

PNGWiADF is involved in, signifi-cantly promotes food security through empowering women, men, and youths in areas such as Horticulture, Livestock & Apicul-ture, Aquaculture, and Fisheries. PNGWiADF aslo encourages peo-ple to get involved in eco-tourism and floriculture and be self-reliant.

On the 29th of April, 2015, the PNG Women in Agriculture Develop-ment Foundation staff took part in the Trukai Industries Limited Rice & Agricultural Development Field Day. This trade show took place at the Trukai Agricultural Develop-ment Farm at Erap, in Morobe Province.

PNGWiADF showed its support in the field day in respect to the part-nership that Trukai Industries Lim-ited has with PNG Women in Agri-culture since the MOU was signed

Field Day 2015

PNGWIA Building Partnership with Churches

Above: Women who attended the SDA congress

in Gabensis [20th– 26th Sept, 2015]

“PNGWiADF…

significantly

promotes food

security through

Horticulture,

Livestock &

Apiculture,

Aquaculture, and

Fisheries”

Right: PNGWiA Presi-

dent, Maria speaking @

Trukai Field Day [29th

April, 2015]

surround us with nature’s beauty. However, if we continue to abuse it, the soil dies taking man with it.

Mr. Linibi commended the Pacific Soil Learning Exchange and said, “I’ve learnt a lot. It’s a bonus, I will be going back equipped with new ideas gained from this workshop. I’m grate-ful to PIFON for bringing us over here...The soil gives food to the

‘If we do not teach the farmers, our children and everybody else about the importance of SOIL, then who will do it? If we don’t start now, then when?’ this was the key message received during the Pacific Soil Learning Exchange that took place from 23rd– 25th September, 2015 at the Tutu Rural Training Centre in Taveuni, Fiji.

Pacific Island Farmer Organization Network (PIFON) facilitated the meeting which all Pacific Island Nations who have affiliated to PIFON partook, including Mr. Peter Linibi and PNGWiA Vice President Mrs. Jacinta Bera who represented PNGWiA as it is also a farmer based NGO that has affiliated to PIFON.

The importance of the soil learning ex-change was that it addressed issues that are affecting a very essential element to man kind, and that is the Soil. Man’s survival depends on the soil. Husband it and it will grow our food, our fuel, our shelter and will

plants, the plants give food to us but humanly we are not giving something back to the soil”.

Mrs. Bera resonated similar com-ments and said, “I count it as a bonus coming for this soil training here in Taveuni and not only sitting in on the theory part but going and seeing the practical aspects. I loved it”. She fur-ther commented, “The younger gen-eration need to embrace the soil, to see its value and its importance, they’ve got to own it, we’ve got to teach them now!”

PNGWiA can help its farmers by uti-lizing resource people who already have the knowledge to conduct train-ing on how to preserve the soil with-out using chemicals. Crops depend on the soil. If soil is healthy, the crops will be healthy. Hence, yield high and quality food production.

Address:

PNG Women in Agriculture Development

Foundation

C/- NARI Headquarters

Sir Alkan Tololo Research Centre

P.O. Box 4415

Lae, Morobe Province

Papua New Guinea

Phone: (675) 478 4167

Fax: (675) 475 1450/ 1449

Or Bubia Research Centre: 478 4138

E-mail: maria.linibi@nari.org.pg

PNG Women in Agriculture Development Foundation

is an NGO formed to be the voice of women to be recog-

nized as equal partners and provide platform that

encourages innovations by women in Agriculture for

development. The activities that PNGWiADF engages

in are Horticulture, Floriculture, Livestock, Aqua Cul-

ture, Apiculture, Eco-Tourism, Agro Forestry and

Fisheries. Membership to the PNGWiADF is open to

groups comprising of women involved in agricultural

activities be it in rural or per urban settings as well as

women agricultural professionals in the country.

For more information about PNG Women in Agricul-

ture Development Foundation please do not hesitate to

contact our office.

Papua New Guinea Women in

Agriculture Development Foundation

Healthy Soils for Healthy Life

Above: Pacific Island Participants @ Soil

Learning Exchange

[23rd– 25th September, 2015]