Femili PNG’s case management outpost in Goroka has extended its collaboration and support to its neighboring province in Simbu to assist survivors of family and sexual violence (FSV).
On Thursday 13 April, a caseworker from Femili PNG’s Goroka Outpost (name withheld) with Fleet Manager Anderson Ango, and Communications and Public Relations Manager, Renat Muruket, both from the Femili PNG’s National Office in Lae, donated food rations, bedding and other survivors’ needs to Kundiawa Family Support Centre (FSC). The FSC Manager, Ms. Jean Kupo, in the presence of Kundiawa Family and Sexual Violence Unit (FSVU) team and Kundiawa Sir Joseph Nombri Memorial Hospital Administration team, received the donated items for the survivors.
The team from Femili PNG who observed the event were happy to hear and see the two prime service providers – FSC and FSVU are working and advocating together to help survivors. Ms. Kupo stated that, in December 2022, a female survivor from a coastal province who got married to a highlander reported of experiencing ongoing sexual, physical, emotional and mental abuse from her husband and her in-laws. The FSVU team referred the survivor to FSC for medical intervention. The client was treated and taken cared of for three months. Ms. Kupo spoke about the FSC’s daily challenges in meeting the basic needs of the survivors and their dependents.
“FSC is not a money-making centre. When survivors come, I make sure that I can feed them, I always keep a packet of rice and tinned fish to cook for them. I meet the costs of these items from my own salary, so I could feed them, but it is not enough,” says Ms. Kupo.
On 18 February 2023, Ms. Kupo referred the case of a survivor and her newly born twins to Femili PNG after three months of supporting them, and after she was finding it very difficult continuing to support them.
Through its direct assistance budget, Femili PNG assisted Kundiawa FSC with the request for some basic needs for survivors. Direct assistance is one of Femili PNG’s approaches to help survivors with their basic needs. During the ceremony for the handover of donated goods, the Kundiawa FSC and FSVU teams became emotional when speaking of their collaboration to assist survivors in the province despite daily challenges and limitations.
A survivor at the FSC also spoke, she was also emotional while thanking the FSC and FSVU for the support received, and Femili PNG for the donated goods. As part of the closing speeches, the FSC Manager and Officer-In-Charge (OIC) at FSVU thank Femili PNG by saying, “Your kind gesture of coming and donating these items boosted our spirit, it encourage us to keep working together to help more survivors despite of many challenges faced in doing so.”
On behalf of Femili PNG, Ms. Muruket thanked FSC and FSVU for their tireless work in helping survivors in their province. She encouraged them to continue to work in collaboration with Femili PNG’s Goroka outpost. In response, both teams expressed their appreciation and intention to continue to work in partnership with Femili PNG.
The Goroka Outpost Project is supported by Friends of Femili PNG with support from the Australian Government’s Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). The ANCP program makes it possible to provide such vital care to survivors of FSV in Goroka.
