Papua New Guinea

The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Church Partnership Program (CPP) has been funded by the Australian Government since 2004. ABM AID and ACPNG have been partners in this program all that time. The current phase (its fourth) is focused on supporting church service delivery (ACPNG is working with its strengths in delivering its Adult Literacy program), church social accountability and enabling churches to influence government policy.

To enhance local strengths, the church’s Adult Literacy and Numeracy Program has been redesigned, and ABM AID is supporting this work in Popondota and Port Moresby dioceses.

The new design focuses on functional literacy. Once students complete the literacy and numeracy modules, teachers work from a flexible post-literacy curriculum led by learners’ interests. These include asset-based community development, developing businesses, undertaking the Agents of Change course, Healthy Island activities, transition to formal employment, and bridging to formal education. The Church Partnership Program will fund teachers’ allowances for the first year and will support the communities to start a community-led asset-based development project. After the first year, it is expected that the community development project and student fees will support the teachers’ allowances into the future.

The CPP also includes components of socially inclusive development, institutional strengthening, and social accountability activities such as community-based good governance training. The program aims to work with churches, including ACPNG, to change negative attitudes towards women and people living with disabilities, and to work towards much greater inclusion of such people in broader PNG society. It also hopes that churches will eventually have the skills and processes in place to influence government policy in the country to enable the flourishing of all Papua New Guineans.

The CPP is expected to continue until 2029.