News

We are thrilled to announce preparations for our next CFK Village Birth Attendant training event are starting to be made, set to take place around April next year! A dedicated group of our head VBAS and Australian Midwife educators will be traveling to Alotau to provide this much-needed training for our wonderful Kiriwinan VBA community. Stay tuned for more updates as we work towards enhancing maternal and child health on Kiriwina.

Photo: Midwife educator extraordinaire Shea Caplice and co-directors of CFK, Nessie and Jodi (Jacqui Andrews was sadly missing from the photo).

#CFKVillage #BirthAttendantTraining #MaternalHealth #Alotau #CommunityCare #VBAS #MidwiferyEducators

We extend our sincere gratitude to Carnival Cruises Australia for their unwavering support of P&O Cruises’ charity initiatives. The Carnival Cruises Corporation is playing a crucial role in aiding our efforts to deliver essential resources to the Island. They are currently organising the pickup of donations from both Sydney and Brisbane for their upcoming cruise to Kiriwina, set to depart on April 27th.

This generous support enables us to allocate funds that would have otherwise gone towards high freight costs, allowing us to invest in midwife salaries and provide critical clean water tanks and pumps. It also helps us maintain our focus on supplying birthing and dignity kits, recording births, and training village birth attendants.

In this upcoming delivery, we are excited to include a collection of donations, including half that Cyclone Alfred impacted. Special thanks go out to our incredible friends, Sandy and John, for facilitating this effort and to the talented knitters and sewers from Belrose Country Club and Willandra Village. Additionally, we’re proud to provide 100 dignity kits for the female students at Losuia Secondary School.

With the continued assistance of our amazing sponsors and donors, we are thrilled to respond as effectively to the needs of the Kiriwina community. A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone involved!

#knittingforacause #Kiriwina #babyknits #caringforkiriwina #vbabirthingkits #team, #management, #people, #caringforkiriwina, #cleanwater, #villagelife, #villagebirthattendants, #kiriwina, #trobriandislands, #papuanewguinea, #mothers, #mothersandbabies, #babies, #safebirths, #covid, #villagebirthattendants, #midwives, #belroseknitters, #education, #schools, #health, #charity, #willandravillage, #belrosecountryclub

Ready to take full advantage of this rainy weather! ☔😁 #RainyDays #WaterConservation #Sustainability #Cleanwater #CaringforKiriwina😁💧

Photos and video of the Water Tank at the Losuia Secondary School and Health Centre being installed 😍

We are thrilled to share that the much-anticipated donations from passengers of the P&O/Carnival February cruise have finally reached their destination in Kiriwina!

These generous contributions, whose delivery was affected by cyclone Alfred, have now made their way into the hands of the students at Kiriwina’s Primary and Secondary Schools.

A heartfelt thank you to all the passengers whose kindness has made a positive impact on the community. Your support will help enhance the educational experience for many young learners.

Stay tuned for updates on how these donations are making a difference!

Photo of education donations finally being received by Losuia Primary School.

#team, #management, #people, #caringforkiriwina, #cleanwater, #villagelife, #villagebirthattendants, #kiriwina, #trobriandislands, #papuanewguinea, #mothers, #mothersandbabies, #babies, #safebirths, #villagebirthattendants, #midwives, #P&Ocruisesaustralia, #CarnivalCruises, #education, #schools, #health, #charity.

We are excited to announce that the upcoming installation of water tanks will take place at Kiriwina Secondary School and the Losuia Health Centre starting next week. Thank you to all our sponsors and donors who have made this dream a reality!

As part of our ongoing clean water program (funds permitting), we are also planning to install additional water tanks at Losuia Primary School and Oyabia Mission Station in the following phase.

Stay tuned for updates as we work towards improving access to clean water in the Kiriwinan community!

#caringforkiriwina, #cleanwater, #watertanks, #hygiene, #charity, #water, #health, #education, #papuanewguinea, #kiriwina, #trobriandislands, #MilneBay, #ReopenKiriwinaflights

We are thrilled to share that our shipment of 10,000-litre water tanks will be delivered to Kiriwina in two days for Installation next week!

We can’t wait to capture the installations at the Losuia Health Centre and Losuia Secondary School. Stay tuned for updates and photos!

This delivery is also a heartfelt tribute to Margaret Lawton on her birthday anniversary. We believe she would be proud to see this important contribution to the community. A big thank you to our sponsors and donors.

#caringforkiriwina, #cleanwater, #watertanks, #hygiene, #charity, #water, #health, #education, #papuanewguinea, #kiriwina, #trobriandislands, #MilneBay, #ReopenKiriwinaflights

We are deeply saddened to hear news of Aaron’s passing.  He was a gentle and beautiful person, always with a smile on his face.

We have fond and lasting memories of Aaron, especially his time in Canberra, and remember the great legacy of his Bible translation work, which will be with the Kiriwina people long into the future.

Please pass on our love and condolences to Aaron’s family.

Doug & Jodi Lawton

Sydney, Monday 24 March 2025

In our ongoing commitment to ensuring a reliable water supply, we’ve identified the need to not only maintain our existing water pumps but also to enhance our infrastructure with the installation of rainwater tanks. This initiative will allow us to collect and store precious rainwater, making our system more sustainable and efficient.

We are thrilled to announce that we are in the process of purchasing, delivering, and installing two new 10,000-litre rainwater tanks! One tank will be located at the Losuia Health Centre, serving our CFK office and supporting the patients who rely on their services. The second tank will be positioned at the Losuia Secondary School, providing a supplementary water source for students and complementing the pumps already in place.

These installations are a significant step towards improving water access in the Kiriwina community, and we are excited about the positive impact they will have. Stay tuned for updates on our progress as we continue to work toward a more sustainable future for everyone!

Thank you to all our donors, sponsors and volunteers; this life saving work could not happen without you :).

#caringforkiriwina, #cleanwater, #watertanks, #hygiene, #charity, #water, #health, #education, #papuanewguinea, #kiriwina, #trobriandislands, #MilneBay, #ReopenKiriwinaflights, #CarnivalCruisesAustralia

On this special International Women’s Day, we want to express our deepest gratitude and admiration for the incredible women of Kiriwina Island. Today, we celebrate all women, including the dedicated midwives, nurses, birth attendants, nurturing mothers, and the precious babies who symbolise hope for the future. Our charity’s mission is based on the belief that empowering girls and women in Kiriwina is essential to strengthening the entire community.

Let us celebrate the strength, wisdom, and boundless contributions of the women of Kiriwina. Together, we can continue to uplift, support, and honour these remarkable individuals who are, indeed, the beating heart of their island community.

As our charity continues to collect data on births to report to the MBPHA, we are constant in our commitment to these fabulous women and babies.

Happy International Women’s Day!

#CaringforKiriwina, #InternationalWomensDay2025, #KiriwinaIsland, #Womenandbabies, #Birthingkits, #DignityKits

As we reflect on our recent P&O sponsored CFK reporting trip to Kiriwina, we can’t help but acknowledge the profound impact of Cyclone Alfred. Despite our return to dry land, the effects of the cyclone continue to resonate with us.

Cyclone Alfred altered our carefully planned schedule, disrupting meetings that had been arranged months in advance. The situation was particularly heart-wrenching as we watched from the bridge of our boat, donations in hand, while powerful waves lashed the shores of the island. We could see our friends and community members on Kaibola Beach, equally helpless as we were forced to turn away from the island.

Although the circumstances were disappointing, the resilience of the Kiriwina people truly shone through. Our incredible community members seized the opportunity to come together, organising meetings and discussions focusing on the welfare of women and children. The photographs captured during these meetings showcase the strength and determination of these remarkable women, who strive to uplift their community.

Together, we are committed to supporting their efforts as they work tirelessly for the good of their people. A big thank you to P&OCarnival for this wonderful opportunity!

#caringforkiriwina, #charity, #women&children, #CarnivalCruises, #P&OCarnival