Pinake Villagers, Wapi LLG in the Menyamya District of Morobe Province were ecstatic to launch their new Rural Health Aid Post, funded by Digicel PNG Foundation.

Located at the edge of Morobe Province, the Rural Aid Post, which comes at a cost of K160, 000, will serve Pinake Villager along with 9 other surrounding villages, some crossing borders and coming from as far as Kaintiba in the Gulf province.

Pinake Rural health Aid post is managed by the Morobe Lutheran Health Services.

Secretary for PNG Constitutional and Law Reform Commission, Dr Kwa was at hand to facilitate the launch of Pinake Rural Health Aid post.

Being the current Morobe Lutheran Synod Chairman and a member of Digicel Foundation’s Men of Honour Awards independent panel of judges, Dr. Kwa sternly told the locals to work together and look after the new property and the workers who sacrificed their time and lives to work in Menyamya, taking care of the people.

“You are lucky to have this building because having come all the way here, I know how hard life is for you all living here. As the head of a Government body, I thank Digicel Foundation for coming to the most remote and rural parts of PNG to deliver these services that even the government cannot reach,” Dr. Kwa said.

Secretary for the Lutheran Health Services, Gesa Diningup expressed much gratitude, on behalf of the people and the Church, for the work of the Digicel Foundation, in their effort to bridge the gap of health services to the geographically marginalised communities.

“This Rural Health Aid Post is for everyone. Not just for the Lutheran Church Members and not just for Pinake Villagers. It should bring everyone together for the good of all,” Mr Diningup said.

Menyamya is right at the heart of Papua New Guinea, about 650 km from Lae City and take about 12-15 hours’ drive through rugged terrain to reach.

Meanwhile, LLG president Issacc Eron , guaranteed Digicel PNG Foundation, the health workers, and the people of Menyamya that his Local level Government will continue to support the Aid Post in terms of operational and administration costs.

To date Digicel PNG Foundation has funded 502 elementary and Primary School classrooms and 21 libraries, 40 Community Learning Centre Classrooms, 28 Mobile Health Clinics, 6 rural Health Aid Posts, 3 Women’s Resource Centres, co-funded 5 Family Support Centres in partnership with UNICEF and NDoH. We have graduated 261 grassroots community based teachers in early childhood development and learning and over 15,000 men and women are now equipped with basic business skills.

Over 1000 people with special needs, together with their families and communities have been impacted positively by the Community Based Rehabilitation Program; and the Men of Honour Awards – a campaign against violence in PNG, is the latest to the Foundation’s development portfolio. So far, we have 10 winners, 30 finalists and 162 nominations. Digicel PNG Foundation appreciates that change is not going to happen overnight, but it will happen.

Established in October 2008, Digicel PNG Foundation has directly invested K55 million in PNG’s rural, remote and socially marginalized communities across all 22 provinces directly impacting over 500,000 people.