J1201N Kikori District Health & Education Project

The Situation

In Papua New Guinea (PNG), approximately 85.7% of the population lives in poverty, largely due to high monetary poverty rates, low educational attainment, and a lack of access to electricity. The Kikori District, spanning about 27,000 km² in the Gulf Province has a rising population, yet is underserved in terms of investment and social infrastructure. Limited school attendance contributes to high adult illiteracy rates despite prevalent multilingualism. Kikori's communities largely engage in subsistence living, facing vulnerabilities to climate change and food insecurity, compounded by inadequate access to basic services like electricity, clean water, and healthcare. With only 1% of the Gulf population having electricity, travel to the region's two hospitals is challenging, requiring hours or days by canoe, leaving over half of the population without access to healthcare. Limited medical staff and resources, alongside gender-based violence and period poverty, further impact women's health and well-being, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions in Kikori’s healthcare sector to address these systemic challenges.

The Objectives

The objectives of the Kikori District Health & Education Project are to support the provision of sustainable healthcare and education in the Kikori District, thereby contributing to community development and poverty alleviation. The initiative delivers this through:

-         The distribution of critically needed medical supplies and repurposed equipment (such as hospital beds, nursing stations, linen, birthing kits and emergency stretchers) that will save lives and support the provision of quality health services and medical care to the communities of Kikori.

-         Provision of desks, chairs, workbooks, solar buddy reading lights and reading libraries to selected elementary and primary schools within the Kikori District.

-         Supporting 2,000 women to receive feminine hygiene kits and delivery of Women’s Health Education Courses.

Project J1201N utilises a community-centric development approach, promoting gender equality and social inclusion to improve the health and education of community members.