NRL stars & KTF bring the gift of light to Hanuabada students
Players from Australian NRL teams, the Cronulla Sharks and Canterbury Bulldogs, delivered 2,500 solar lights to students at Hagara Primary School in Hanuabada today, thanks to the strong partnership between Australian NGO KTF (Kokoda Track Foundation) and the Motu Koita Assembly.
Despite its proximity to the nation’s capital, many households in the village of Hanuabada, traditional home to the original landowners of Port Moresby, do not have access to the electricity grid due to the high cost of connection and prohibitive cost of supplies.
This lack of access to safe and reliable electricity has many impacts for households, including curbing children’s opportunity to study after sundown. This has far-reaching effects on their education and development of the skills necessary to break the cycle of poverty.
KTF’s partnership with Australian organisation SolarBuddy provides individual solar lights to children living in energy poverty across PNG. With a SolarBuddy light, initial findings show that children in PNG are studying 78 percent longer and reliance on kerosene and other dangerous fuels has been reduced by 80 percent.
The Cronulla Sharks are proud Ambassadors of KTF, previously delivering SolarBuddy lights to children when they crossed the Kokoda Track in 2017. On invitation by Motu Koita Assembly Chairman, Dadi Toka, the Sharks jumped at the opportunity to visit today, inviting their opponents for Saturday’s pre-season NRL match, the Canterbury Bulldogs, to join them in delivering lights to children at Hagara Primary School.
“We are extremely proud to once again partner up with KTF on the ground in PNG.” said George Nour, General Manager – Sharks Have Heart, Cronulla’s community engagement program. “Being able to first-hand deliver SolarBuddy lights to children to enhance their ability to complete their homework and other tasks within their community is something we are extremely privileged to be part of. We also want to thank the Bulldogs for joining us in making a difference in PNG in the lead up to our trial match.”
The light delivery is just one element of the partnership between KTF and the Motu Koita Assembly. Spearheaded by Chairman Toka, KTF and the Motu Koita Assembly are currently undertaking several projects in Hanuabada, including an innovative new eyesight testing program and the establishment of the Motu Koita FODE (Flexible Open Distance Education) centre providing second-chance education pathways for students to Grade 12.
“Working with NGO partners is a key aim of mine and the Motu Koita Assembly. We are delighted to be kicking off an exciting, multifaceted partnership with our new NGO partner, KTF, and their charity partners in Australia, SolarBuddy, which has enabled more than 2,000 lights to be distributed to children from Hagara Primary School today. Light is critical for safety and security and for education and health outcomes for our young people.”
KTF CEO, Dr Genevieve Nelson, embraced the opportunity to bring together a diverse group of partners:
“We could not pass up such an exciting opportunity to bring together so many of our partners here at Hanuabada in support of the community. Our heartfelt thanks go to the Motu Koita Assembly and Chairman Toka for welcoming us to work side by side on so many initiatives, our Ambassadors the Sharks for making time in their pre-game training schedule and our friends at SolarBuddy for providing the lights to deliver to the children of Hagara Primary.
“Today we also had the chance to visit our eye health team, who are testing and prescribing spectacles for those in need in the community; and visit the site of the soon-to-be opened FODE centre we’ll be operating in partnership with the Motu Koita Assembly. What an extraordinary day!”
A bright evening tonight is the start of a brilliant future ahead for the children of Hagara Primary School, and a flourishing partnership between KTF and the Motu Koitabu community.