More than 30,000 women from Southern and Western Highlands provinces celebrated the first flight of their produce to Port Moresby from Mt Hagen.
The vegetables will be sold at Stop N Shop outlets in the nation’s capital.
The women from Ialibu-Pangia, Imbonggu, Kagua-Erave in Southern Highlands Province and Tambul-Nebilyer District in Western Highlands Province are members of the Mama Halipim Mama Foundation.
Through this Foundation, the rural mothers are now financially empowered and realising their dreams.
Their fresh produce are straight from their backyards and gardens. The struggle for limited market spaces in their towns and the risk of travelling long distances on the Highlands Highway in search of demand prompted the establishment of this Foundation and more so, for the mobilisation of women from the informal sector.
Founder of MHM Foundation Ruth Undi, who is also the owner of Niugini Aviation, said: “We just started so I advised CPL that every week we’ll use one container.
“I am very happy that I have brought this service to my own place so the mothers can be able to make K50, K100 a week to support their family.”
Undi thanked CPL for making all this possible.
She stated that with the national government’s 2050 vision of making PNG wiser, healthier and wealthier, this is the women’s contribution and a statement that women are able to deliver and contribute meaningfully.
The vegetables are organically grown and will be available in NCD based Stop N Shop outlets.
(MHM Foundation founder Ruth Undi with CPL category manager, Raj Shahi)