PHA is fortunate to be the designated charity partner of the Association of Consulting Structural Engineers (ACSE), NSW. PHA President, Rod Johnston, recently delivered the following address to the annual general meeting of the ACSE, thanking them for their ongoing support, and requesting assistance for the fourth stage of the PNG community health building program.
Thank you for the opportunity to make this very brief report to the ACSE membership.
May I commence by reading our vision statement –
“Partner Housing Australasia is an entirely voluntary organisation, which aims to transform the lives of people living in Asia-Pacific villages, by improving the cyclone, earthquake and tsunami resistance of their houses, clinics, schools and community buildings; and by providing clean water supplies, and hygienic sanitation.”
We are indeed fortunate to be blessed by the selfless dedication of a number of professionals and companies, who donate skill, time and money to our programs in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Philippines.
I would like to thank those of you who have assisted us over the last few years to continue this work , despite the potential problems that COVID could have caused.
It is a tribute to our in-country partners, that our major programs in PNG, Solomons and Philippines have progressed at full pace.
In the Philippines, we provide funding to an on-going village latrine construction program, adding approximately 20 pit latrines per year.
In Solomon Islands, our major works are the construction of village water supplies and reticulation, including a secure service to one of the local schools, thus enabling them to expand the number of children attending. Our Solomons partner is likely to receive a significant donation from UNICEF for a sanitation awareness program. We look forward to this development.
But the program that may interest you the most is our program of funding, designing, and supervising the construction of village community health buildings in the PNG Highlands.
To date, three such community health buildings have been constructed –
Kalolo clinic was fully funded by the International Committee of Red Cross, to replace one that had been burnt down during inter-tribal violence;
The Umi community health building was fully funded by Partner Housing and our local partner, Vision for Homes;
And the Kopeng community health building, completed this year, was funded by a consortium of Partner Housing, Vision for Homes, the Digicel PNG Foundation, the PNG Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority and the local community.
Of these buildings, the acting CEO of the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority has stated publicly,
“I believe … we have come up with the perfect design for a rural health facility to deliver primary care services.”
Partner Housing Australasia is now commencing the design phase of a fourth aid post in the PNG Highlands village community health building program.
During the next couple of months, we would like to raise the better part of $ 50,000, which represents most of the cost of materials for one of these buildings.
We hope that some of the ACSE Members might be able to help us reach this target.
I am sure that ACSE will pass on further details of this program, and how you might be able to assist.
Thank you again for your ongoing support.
If you would like to make a donation towards this next project in PNG and support the work of PHA, click here.
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