Featured photo: Losuia Health Centre nurse Linnesse (centre) photographed with our brilliant midwife educators, Jacqui Andrews (left) Shea Caplice (right). CFK and the Kiriwinan’s will be forever grateful for their servant hearted generosity of spirit. This photo was taken during our 2019 training trip.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank one of the trained midwives at Losuia HC, Bokawau who has now retired (left, next to Linnesse). During her time at the Losuia HC, Bokawau was a trusted leader with the VBAs and the community, providing valuable knowledge and experience to the VBAs, as well as encouraging mothers to give birth at the Losuia HC instead of their villages. Her retirement is a loss to the community in the area of womens’ and babies’ health that is constantly in need of support.
Above: Losuia Health Centre nurses Raymond and Linnesse. Happy International Nurses Day. Thank you for all the work you do.
The Digicel network has been down again on Kiriwina for the past few weeks. Once available we were notified that the female and male water pumps both needed parts and repairs. Parts purchased and repairs will soon be made by our wonderful plumber Mr Koega :).
Thank you again to all our sponsors and donors. Without you none of this could happen.
Thank you to all our sponsors and donors for enabling us to continue this life-saving work. Images of the Kavataria Village pump being fixed, CFK plumber Mr. Koega and his boys attended to the water pump, and now the water pump is working and serving the community.
World Water day celebrates and raises awareness of global water issues. Clean drinking water is fundamental to all our lives and needs to be valued. During this time of COVID prevention, it should be even more valued. At CFK our very own plumber’s Mr. Koega and his boy’s job is to constantly maintain the 5 pumps that have been installed around the Island and advise and install the new pump/s that have already been purchased and are in the process of being freighted to Kiriwina.
Caring for Kiriwina wishes a Happy International Women’s Day to all those women who Choose to Challenge. RESPECT! #ChooseToChallenge. #InternationalWomensDay, #women, #respect, #CaringforKiriwina
There is still no help for VBA’s by the Health Department, however, they are very committed to their work and doing their work with kindness and generosity, helping pregnant mothers deliver their babies safely.
Birthing kits were delivered to Fellows, Luba 1, Kilivila 1, Kaileuna and Kula circuits VBA’s.
The birthing kits were delivered to the following villages VBA representatives:
Kavataria VBA’s – Fellows Circuit
Mulosaida VBA’s – Fellows Circuit
Oyabia-Orabesi VBA’s – Fellows Circuit
Osesuia VBA’s – Fellows Circuit
Kwemtula VBA’s – Fellows Circuit
Ilalima VBA’s – Luba 2 Circuit
Okaikoda VBA’s – Kilivila 1 Circuit
Kaisiga VBA’s – Kaileuna circuit
Munuwata VBA’s – Kaileuna Circuit
Giva VBA’s – Kaileuna Circuit
Kitava VBA’s – Kula Circuit
There are currently a lot of pregnancies and the VBA’s require many more birthing kits. The VBA’s also request more torches or lights to help them to attend to deliveries at night as well as batteries. We are currently purchasing another 30 lanterns and more batteries.
We have also distributed condoms’ to our village health volunteer as well as Losuia Health Centre to encourage males to use condoms to promote family planning.
Caring For Kiriwina Projects Progress well despite COVID November 2020 issue below:
November 2020
e-NEWS CFK progress despite COVID
Happy Kiriwinan Mothers with their VBA delivered babies in their donated knitted clothing.
Our Caring for Kiriwina in-country manager Toks recently reported back on the continued success of our 8 projects implemented across the Island despite COVID restrictions. Here is an update on several of the projects below. A special thanks to our sponsors, donors and volunteers for their continued support to enable us to make this all happen.
Toks with Fellows Circuit VBA’s and presented the birthing kits and soap to them. They distributed the birthing kits as follows: Luba 2 circuit, Kilivila 1 circuit, Fellows – circuit.
In the next delivery, will extend to the other circuit VBA’s.
Pencils donated to Losuia Elementary School.
Pens were distributed to the Grade 10 students in time for their Final National Examination from 19-23 October 2020 and Grade 8 Final National Examination from 2-4 November 2020. What a great help!!!
The rest of the pens and pencils were distributed to the following schools: Kiriwina Secondary School, Oyabia Primary School, Wapipi Primary School, Kavataria Elementary School, Mulosaida/Oyabia Elementary School, Oyabia Primary school, Losuia Primary School, Launakalana Primary School.
Pencils donated to Losuia Primary School.
Pencils donated to Mulosaida and Oyabia Elementary schools.
Pencils donated to Kavataria Elementary School.
The happy faces of our Kiriwina Secondary School Fee recipients after receiving their official Awards.
Photo of 14 out of 20 Kiriwina Secondary School recipients of CFK scholarship School Fee program with the Deputy Headmaster, Mr Esau Topirim.
Toks met Will Koega for an update on the water pumps in the following locations: Kavataria village water pump, Kiriwina Secondary School female water pump, Kiriwina Secondary School male water pump, Kenobasi water pump, Kuluwa water pump.
Mr Koega confirmed that all five pumps are in good condition working perfectly well. The 18 water buckets brought from Port Moresby were the correct sizes, which is a relief for CFK and the communities as the pumps will now be maintained with new water buckets to keep them operating to serve the communities with clean drinking water.
The details of a new larger water pump (that has been advertised to work for 20 years) that CFK has purchased and will be installing as a trial were presented to our CFK plumber for him to familiarise himself with the new pumps parts and functions.
Delivery of water buckets for the pumps. The water buckets were the right sizes for the pumps so it is a relief for CFK and the communities to have the water pumps in good condition and operating.
Kavataria water pump in action.
Kiriwina Secondary School Girls Pump in action. Boys pump to right.
Both girls and boys pumps are in good condition and providing clean drinking water, washing and laundry to the students.
Approximately 200 people gathered to listen to Toks discussing the food security program project and encourage the people to toil the ground and work on their gardens to sustain their everyday living. Due to COVID-19 effects, Toks encouraged people to work on their land to promote agriculture as a priority for their survival. An elder also encouraging the men, women and youths to concentrate on their gardens in order to expect a good harvest.
Photos of our CFK Food security gardens which were managed well and kept to a standard to expect a good harvest in June 2021.
The food security program will be celebrated in June 2021.
Thanks to our sponsors and donors and our fabulous CFK volunteers our CFK plumber Koega confirmed that all 5 pumps are in good condition and serving the communities with clean drinking water. The supplied water buckets were the right sizes for the pumps. It is a great relief for CFK and the communities to have the water pumps in good condition and operating.
Now they have a small amount of clean water they need more soap to attempt to stay COVID safe…and so we have more boxes of PPE, soap and Education supplies on their way thanks to our wonderful volunteers, donors and sponsors.
August 2020 e-NEWS School Fee Scholarship for Kiriwina
Kiriwina Secondary School Boarders in the girls boarding rooms.
Caring for Kiriwina has been helping the women and children on Kiriwina for many years. Even during the difficult conditions of Covid-19 pandemic, our in-country partners have continued to provide our support to the island. We continue to send birthing and dignity kits, and have recently sent safety posters, masks and sanitiser to the VBAs and the Losuia Health Centre to assist the health workers at this time. Beautiful hand knitted baby vests, and equipment for the Junior School have also made their way to the island recently as well as equipment and parts to repair the water pumps we maintain.
As our in-country training is not viable at this stage, we have developed a new initiative to provide scholarships for high school students on Kiriwina. While schooling is free for all students in PNG, there is a cost for boarding at school on Kiriwina. There is only one high school on the island, and many students live in remote villages or outlying islands and so cannot attend daily from home. Kiriwina Secondary School provides a boarding facility for these kids to live at the school during term, and the cost for boarding must be paid by their families.
Your donation of $125 can provide a year’s boarding for a student in need to attend high school and continue their studies. You will be supplied with a photo and profile of the student who receives the scholarship, and can communicate with them via CFK.
You can be assured that your full donation will be targeted to a particular student, who has been selected on the advice of both the Principal and Deputy Principals, to allow them to remain at school.
We appreciate the wonderful generosity of our supporters. As Australian Government funding has been put on hold during the pandemic, we rely solely on our donors to continue our work on Kiriwina.
Thank you to our In-country manager Toks Bwaina and NauFM news reporter Tasminnie Isimeli for the wonderful Radio interview over the phone on Friday last week.
