Nawaeb Lutheran High School has officially opened new dormitory facilities to improve education opportunities for over 150 female students in Morobe Province.
The ceremony was held at the school grounds today (May 1st) and attended by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his delegation of Government ministers.
Nawaeb Lutheran High School is nestled in the Boana mountain ranges, 30 minutes outside of Lae town, with a student population of 700 students, of which 200 are female.
Gobuta Kosieng has been the principal at the school for the past 12 years and said the new facilities will support education in the area and ease overcrowding at the school.
“Despite the accommodation issues faced by the school, we did not have the heart to turn back students, as they all got in on merit, many from remote parts of Morobe,” said Kosieng.
Funded through the PNG-Australia Governance Partnership at a cost of K450,000, the new dorm building includes 40 beds for female Grade 10 students with cupboards, study tables and lamps.
“Australia is proud to partner with Nawaeb District on this project. By enabling girls to attend high school we are helping them to reach their full potential and investing in their future – as well as the future of Papua New Guinea,” said Minister Counsellor, Australian High Commission, Andrew Egan.
“Our partnership aims to enable the district to implement local solutions to local development challenges. Importantly, these projects are led by the district, with Australia’s support, and the district makes a financial and in-kind contribution.”
Other projects in Nawaeb District, funded through the PNG-Australia Governance Partnership, include the Situm-Gobari Cocoa nursery, family farms training, village empowerment project, financial literacy training, quality coffee processing project and various capacity building workshops for District Administration staff.
Nawaeb is one of six districts under the PNG-Australia Governance Partnership to support PNG’s decentralisation agenda to improve service delivery, economic opportunities and community development in provinces and districts.
(Prime Minister Peter O’Neill addressing the school today)
