The core service providers meeting is an important quarterly activity that brings together family and sexual violence (FSV) service providers to discuss challenges and successes, and learn from each other to improve service delivery to survivors of FSV. As well stated by Sgt. Joseph Sangam from the Police Prosecutions in Port Moresby, “our purpose is to protect and ensure families are strong and safe.”
Femili PNG staff, operating the Bel isi PNG Case Management Centre (CMC) and Safe House in Port Moresby, met with partners on the 14th February this year. This was the second meeting since Bel isi PNG’s operations started in Port Moresby in September 2018.
Bel isi PNG (“Peaceful PNG” in Pidgin) is a public-private partnership between the private sector, the National Capital District Commission (NCDC), the Australian Government in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea as part of the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development program, and is managed by the Oil Search Foundation (OSF).
CEO and Senior Social Worker of Femili PNG, Daisy Plana, gave the background to the establishment of Femili PNG and shared the organisation’s objectives with the partners. Bel isi PNG Project Manager, Danielle Winfrey, also gave a brief insight into the Bel isi PNG initiative. This gave the partners a clear understanding of Bel isi PNG’s role and how the staff will be working together with the partners to assist survivors of FSV access services through its CMC and Safe House.
Partners that attended the core service providers meeting included representatives from the NCD Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee, Family Support Centre (FSC), Magisterial Services, OSF, Public Solicitor’s Office, NCDC, safe houses, Lifeline, and the Police, including the Family and Sexual Violence Units.
Milestones achieved since the start of operations of Bel isi PNG were highlighted in the meeting, including a data presentation of the number of clients assisted.
There were a few concerns raised by the partners during the meeting. District Court Magistrate Ms. Tracy Ganaii stated that partners need to know safe house policies, and also be notified about safe house cases, so that the court could give priority to those cases. FSC Assistant Coordinator Mr Isidore Winkuaru also expressed concern that there are some clients who return to them even after obtaining an Interim Protection Order (IPO). This concern, raised by FSC, indicated that some perpetrators who breach the IPOs were not dealt with by the law. This problem identified the need to discuss responses to breaches of court protection orders in the next meeting, and to determine why the penalties for breaches are not being pursued.
Femili PNG staff under Bel isi PNG also discussed some of the challenges they face when assisting clients. This included dealing with high profile perpetrators, the issue of almost all safe houses in Port Moresby being full, and the misunderstanding by some partners about the establishment of the CMC in Port Moresby.
The meeting ended on a high note with some partners conveying their thanks for the support from Bel isi PNG. The Manageress of one of the safe houses in Port Moresby also thanked Bel isi PNG for assistance in providing gas for cooking. The partners who attended the meeting stated that they look forward to working together. In agreement, Mr. Winkuaru from FSC said, “we would really like to see good networking among the partners in addressing the issue of FSV.”
The Bel isi
PNG initiative and Femili PNG are both supported by the Australian Government
in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea through the Pacific
Women Shaping Pacific Development program.
