Rhonda Samson, a potato farmer, widow, and mother of seven, is originally from Western Province who married into Kinapulam Village, Pilikambi Local Level Government, in Enga’s Laiagam District.
She has been struggling to raise seven children while providing for all their needs since the passing of her husband four years ago.
However, Samson’s burdens have been eased after the Kinapulam Farmers’ Co-operative Society became one of the two recent grantees for the Enga Landscape Project Grants.
“I am pleased with the support that we are receiving now. This support means more money to boost what we have been doing,” she stated.
“My family will now be able to extend our potato farming activities.
“I will be able to meet extra costs like school fees and we can be able to improve our diets.”
Amongst other activities, Kinapulam Farmers’ Co-operative Society supplies potato seeds to farmers for small-scale commercial purposes.
Samson’s group and the Yakam Resort Co-operative Society are the second group to sign the LVG at a value of PGK89,810 (USD 25,506) and PGK82,172 respectively.
To date, four community-based groups have signed LVG agreements with the UNDP under the EU-funded Enga Landscape Management Project.
These small grants are part of the key component of the Enga Landscape Project.