An Ostomate is a person who has undergone a surgical procedure to create an opening in the body called a stoma, used to discharge waste.
Janet Yaki, an Ostomate herself, registered the PNG Stoma Association in 2011 to be a voice and vehicle of Ostomates in the country.
Their theme this year is “Many stories, One Voice!”
But to this day, Yaki is the only Ostomate pushing the association forward.
“It is still very hard for Ostomates to find the courage to come out because of the stigma that surrounds them,” she said.