A week long training program for mentors conducted by the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of PNG has ended, with 40 women now ready to drive social change in their communities.
The mentoring training was supported by operator of the PNG LNG Project, ExxonMobil PNG Limited and was rolled out for women from Porebada, Boera, Papa, and Lealea.
This training is a lead up to the Rise Up Project which is an initiative aimed at educating and empowering young women and girls to lead change in their society by creating safe spaces for them.
The mentoring training has groomed the 40 women to be mentors who will then guide and support YWCA to run the Rise Up training targeting young women between 15 and 30 years of age. The YWCA aims to train 120 young women and 40 young men from the four Plant site villages by 2017.
At the program’s closing ceremony, a participant from Boera Village, Lily Homoka, thanked ExxonMobil PNG and YWCA for the knowledge imparted to the women, and encouraged the women to take what they've learned back to their communities and share with other young women and men.
ExxonMobil PNG recognises the important role that youth development programs have in PNG’s development.
In addition to investments in youth, ExxonMobil PNG’s focus also includes women’s empowerment initiatives.
“Through our partnership with YWCA PNG we are contributing to the efforts that give women opportunities to develop leadership skills, and acquire mentoring support that inspires them to contribute positively to their communities,” said ExxonMobil PNG’s Operations Technical Manager Melissa Bond.
“We encourage you to use your new skills to support those around you and contribute to a vibrant and exciting future for future generations in Papua New Guinea,” said Ms Bond.
Executive Director for YWCA PNG Diane Kambanei expressed gratitude to ExxonMobil PNG for supporting this training program.
“It is heartwarming to know that ExxonMobil PNG is making an outstanding contribution to helping women and youth in PNG fulfill their potential and serve as drivers of both economic and social change in their communities,” said Ms Kambanei.
In 2013 YWCA PNG adopted the “Rise Up” Project initiative developed by YWCA in the Solomon Islands in 2011. The YWCA PNG implemented this project initially with an urban settlement in Port Moresby and further tested the training program in the rural areas in PNG including Central
Province and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. To date, a total of 110 young women and men have been skilled through this training.