WOMEN’S GROUP RECEIVES CERTIFICATES FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY
By Vicky BAUNKE, Goroka
A TOTAL of 30 woman from a woman’s business group in Goroka Eastern Highlands Province have graduated from a financial literacy training and presented certificates last Friday in Goroka.
The Nalepa Woman’s Business Group is part of woman empowerment volunteer work by Ms Tala Gotaha based in Goroka Eastern Highlands Province after seeing the need to empower woman especially in rural villages with the nessessary needs and requirements to start their SMEs.
Ms Gotaha has been voluntarily assisting business woman groups in villages in Daulo, Lufa and in Goroka with a total of 12 woman business groups and more than a 1000 woman.
However, three among the groups are registered under the PNG woman in Agriculture which are the Massy Woman’s Agri Business Group, Gotopi and Ongupii-Ningerove.
Last Friday a total of 30 certificates were presented to the women by National Development Bank Goroka Branch Manager Mr Samson Junas.
Mr Junas was pleased to see the woman’s group graduating from the 2 day workshop and receiving the financial literacy certificate which he said has recently become one of the requirements when opening up a bank account for SME owners.
He said while the NDB is a lending bank responsible to only give out loans he assured to assist the woman using his business connections and capacity with banks to ensure that all requirements are met to open their business accounts which was one of the major challenges faced by woman especially illiterate mothers and those in rural areas.
Among other invited guests was Goroka Lodge Manager and Wild Security Warrick Wild who has been helping more than 10 woman groups including the Nalepa Woman’s Business group in partnership with Ms Tala in fundraisings.
Other support includes the EHP Natural Resource Office and Ms Sally Watson from the Niugini Fruits as the only business houses supporting the women farmer groups.
The financial Literacy training is conducted by Freda Korarome a Lead Trainer for Cottage Livelihood Consultancy who runs mushroom training and financial Literacy Training and is also an Advisor with the EHP Natural Resource Office, and Ambassador for Juncao Technology-China Aid (Silk Friendship Road) across 106 countries in the world.
Ms Korarome runs both trainings in support of the work done by Ms Gotaha with women groups to empower them with the life-long skills needed by woman to sustain their livelihoods and does not charge any fees for her both trainings and has been supporting women groups for over 2 years throughout the province.
