Papua New Guinea's IMF Loan at Risk, Opposition Raises Alarm

 Paula Toman, a dedicated educator from Ombun Tapi village in the Nondugl local level government area of Jiwaka, has witnessed the debilitating effects of poverty on her community firsthand. With a career spanning 35 years as a secondary school teacher, Toman recognized the urgent need for sustainable solutions to uplift her people from poverty.

In 2014, Toman took a bold step by resigning from her teaching position to establish the Gawai Women’s Enterprise, comprising 38 families under her leadership as director. The primary objective of the enterprise was poverty reduction, with a concurrent focus on promoting gender equality in economic development opportunities.

Initially, the group of 192 individuals ventured into bulb onion farming, selling their harvest to Simbu Farmers Marketing Ltd. However, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted their plans. Undeterred, some members shifted their focus to Hilans Fres on Facebook, a subsidiary of Tininga Ltd based in Mt Hagen, where they began supplying rice in 2020.

Toman, an advocate for maximizing the potential of land, emphasized its significance as Papua New Guinea's greatest asset. She urged her fellow citizens to harness the power of agriculture, citing land ownership as a unique advantage. Toman attributed poverty to a lack of knowledge, stressing the correlation between illiteracy and economic hardship among the populace.

With a firm belief in the transformative power of agriculture, Toman encouraged the cultivation of bulb onion as a cash crop to generate income and improve living standards. Through the Gawai Women’s Enterprise, she remains steadfast in her commitment to empowering her community economically while championing gender equality in business endeavors.

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Papua New Guinea's IMF Loan at Risk, Opposition Raises Alarm