Govt, church partnership vital for development: official

Government and church partnerships remain vital to delivering essential socio-economic services to rural communities, an official says.

Lutheran Development Services [LDS] spokesperson Bonny Keoka said this on Saturday during the presentation of K10,000 from the Madang Governor’s office to the Ranara Circuit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea [ELC-PNG].

The funding, drawn from Governor Ramsey Pariwa’s Provincial Services Improvement Program [PSIP] allocation, will support the circuit’s upcoming conference next month.

The event will be hosted by the Duru-Kopa congregation of Naho 2 Parish in the Naho-Rawa local level government [LLG] area of Rai Coast district, bordering Morobe.

Governor’s office representative Sam Uyagaum presented the cash assistance to church elders at Ramu Sugar.

Organisers described the funding as a crucial eleventh-hour intervention that saved the event from cancellation.

ELC-PNG Ranara circuit president Pastor Gumeyu Bais said host communities were facing severe uncertainty over staging the conference due to local food shortages caused by the ongoing El Nino drought.

“With this late intervention by the Madang Governor, it brings huge relief and demonstrates a generous gesture toward the work of the church,” Ps Gumeyu said.

He said it was not the first time Pariwa had provided emergency financial backing.

“Last year during the hosting of the ELC-PNG Madang District Conference at Ranara, Governor Pariwa came to our aid when we fell short.

“Our governor is truly a man of faith whose intervention greatly supports church work. We will continue to pray for his leadership,” Ps Gumeyu said.

Lutheran University of Papua New Guinea bursar Daniel Biti, who hails from Naho-Rawa LLG, also acknowledged the governor for his consistent support during trying times.