PDPA thanks partners for support

The Porgera Disabled Persons Association (PDPA) has thanked development partners for assisting its members to further pursue their education through the delivery of assistive devices.

The devices include walking aids consisting of auxiliary crutches, elbow crutches and walking sticks which have been donated to all 27 recommended PDPA members.

The assistive devices were donated by AusAID and delivered to the PDPA through the assistance of Porgera Joint Venture.

During a handover ceremony, PDPA President, Thomas Petale, thanked AusAID as well as PJV for facilitating the delivery of the devices to them.

Petale, who is also an employee of PJV, commended PJV for recognising and supporting the population with disability in the district.

PDPA member, Injipen Yambu from Panadaka, also thanked the PJV team for considering the needs of people living with disability.

“We were not like this before. Now we have a good group of people and we are seeing assistance for our people.  Thank you PJV for taking care of us and may God bless you”.

PJV Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Timothy Andambo, told the PDPA that the company will support persons living with disability in the district and that they recognized PDPA as a stakeholder.

PJV Senior Manager for CSR and Asset Protection Department (APD) Bruce Morton said the company was only happy to assist where it can, the communities in which it operates.

“In community development we can have a lot of plans or programs but what we really want is to find out who in the community we should really help”, he said.

AusAID donated the assistive walking devices through the PNG National Board for Disabled Persons under its Strongim Pipol, Strongim Nesen Program.

The Board then used the National Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (NOPS) working relationship with PJV to deliver the devices to18 of the total 27 recommended PDPA members. The other nine members received theirs from PJV shortly after the presentation.

On December 28, 2016 PJV facilitated the delivery with six boxes of 18 auxiliary crutches, four with 18 elbow crutches, one box with 18 walking sticks and the last box contained over 100 pieces of rubber tips.

Photographs courtesy of PJV Media and Communications Section

Author: 
Cedric Patjole