During his visit to Goroka in Eastern Highlands Province, UN Women Country Representative, Themba Kalua visited Femili PNG’s Case Management Outpost with his team on Wednesday 18 May 2022.
Mr Kalua was interested to learn about how Femili PNG works in assisting survivors of family and sexual violence (FSV) and sorcery accusation related violence (SARV) through its case management centres, and its coordination with partners in Goroka through the case management outpost. Femili PNG team shared that more than a hundred survivors have been assisted through the case management outpost, in which most are intimate partner violence cases referred by partner organisations and service providers.
The establishment of the Case Management Outpost in February 2021 was made possible through the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, and a direct support under UN Women. The outpost is managed by three staff on the ground, which includes two caseworkers and an Info/Admin officer. Through Friends of Femili PNG, the outpost has received an additional funding from the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) to operate for the next five years in Goroka.
As it was his first time visiting a case management centre, Mr Kalua was grateful and found it very useful for him and his team. He expressed that the issue of GBV paints a very negative picture about PNG as a country, and despite the issue being big and horrendous, there is something being done so that women are not left alone. “It’s people like you, and initiative like yours that give a lot of hope,’’ Mr Kalua said. He also added that UN Women values its partnership with Femili PNG and will continue to explore where they can support.
On Thursday 19 May 2022, Femili PNG team accompanied UN Women and the Eastern Highlands Family Voice to visit two local safe houses in Lufa District in the province. These are the only two safe houses providing accommodation for FSV and SARV survivors outside of Goroka town. Through the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, Femili PNG has been able to support both safe houses with necessary items such as food, toiletries, bedding, solar panels, cooking utensils and kitchenware.
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