In 2007, the U.S. Congress designated January 11th as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. People who are trafficked are considered victims of a crime under international law. The U.S. government is steadfast in its commitment to prevent human trafficking around the world and to protect survivors of all forms of human trafficking. Human trafficking occurs worldwide, including in Papua New Guinea. In Papua New Guinea, human traffickers exploit women and children in sex trafficking and in forced labor in domestic service, the tourism sector, manual labor, forced begging, and street vending. According to international NGO research, approximately 30 percent of…
Author: PNG Haus Bung
Meet Gene Kelly, 23 years of age who hails from the beautiful Tsoi Islands in the Lavongai LLG and kol peles Goroka in the Eastern Highlands province. Gene who spent most of his life in New Ireland discovered his gift for art when he was in grade three. “I found out I was good at drawing when I began sketches using pencils. Then as time went by I was introduced to painting after watching the boys doing face painting during Blues and Maroons games,” said Gene. In 2012 was when Gene’s gift was further elevated to painting portraits. “My first…
The Indigenous boy who broke Australia’s hearts in distressing footage will hit the big screen alongside one of the world’s biggest stars as his own movie career takes off. Quaden Bayles, 12, is yet to start high school but already has a thriving life as a movie star and influencer, less than three years after he was bullied so badly he wanted to die. The Queensland boy made headlines in early 2020 when his mum Yarraka posted a heartbreaking video of him sobbing and asking for ‘rope’ to kill himself after being bullied at school due to his dwarfism. High-profile names around…
In an effort to promote agriculture as a profession (Agribusiness) among youths in Papua New Guinea, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, is supporting an initiative by Wosera High School to engage students as well as the surrounding communities in sustainable cocoa value chain development. Following appraisal visits and a review of their business plan, the Programme supported the school’s newly initiated cocoa project through the provision of cocoa husbandry tools and materials, including polybags, shades cloths, pole pruners, wheelbarrows, pruning saws, shovels, tie wires, watering cans, measuring tapes, and budding tapes. “The EU-STREIT…
The National Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has donated K200, 000 as emergency fund to support thousands of people that were displaced in Nipa Kutubu District in Southern Highlands Province due to the post-election violence. The post-election related violence displaced more than twenty thousand people and they were in dire straits, mostly women and children. NGCB Chief Executive Officer Imelda Agon said the donation by the Board to the people of Nipa Kutubu shows the organization’s concern over the displacement-affected communities. “We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate election-related violence and the NGCB, as an organization owned by the 8 million…
Cyclone Hale is now hitting Northland, Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island and is also forecast to reach Marlborough and the North Canterbury coastline, from tomorrow morning. Northland is being battered by heavy rain, as Cyclone Hale approaches New Zealand. A fallen tree has closed a section of State Highway in Dome Valley, while severe surface flooding has closed Kokupu Road in Whangārei. Police were advising motorists to stay clear of the area until further notice. Police also advised motorists to avoid travelling in Northland unless it was urgent due to the continued heavy rain. A heavy rain warning remains…
Gibson Seseru was an energetic teenager with ambitions of becoming a politician or business leader when he first noticed numbness in his legs. As the months progressed, he found it increasingly hard to walk, eventually requiring a wheelchair for mobility. Gibson found attending school difficult, eventually resulting in the heartbreaking decision to leave. Gibson recognised the lack of representation of people with disabilities at all levels of government. He decided to organise community outreach programs, advocated for improved support and utilised data collected from a PNG-Australia Partnership-supported survey to form the Bulolo Disability Association (BDA) – an organisation that serves…
China has taken down more than 1,000 social media accounts – some with millions of followers – that criticised the government’s Covid policies. Social media platform Weibo said it had suspended or banned accounts for what it described as personal attacks against Chinese Covid specialists. Weibo did not specify which posts had prompted the action. China scrapped its strict zero-Covid policy in December and has seen a rapid surge of infections and deaths. Online criticism has until recently largely focused on the strict enforcement of Covid regulations, including lockdowns that required people to stay at home in isolation for weeks.…
China has reopened its borders to international visitors for the first time since it imposed travel restrictions in March 2020. Incoming travelers will no longer need to quarantine – marking a significant change in the country’s Covid policy as it battles a surge in cases. They will still require proof of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of travelling. The move has been welcomed by many eager to reunite with family. In Hong Kong, 400,000 people are expected to travel into mainland China in the coming weeks with long queues for flights into cities including Beijing and Xiamen.…
The East New Britain provincial administration has received K43, 875 as their 2022 dividend payment today from Gazelle International Hotel (GI). The cheque was presented to Governor Michael Marum and East New Britain acting provincial administrator Levi Mano by the Hotel Manager Luis Gomes and chairman of the hotel Professor David Kavanamur. The dividend following an 8.75 share own by the provincial government and the hotel management has been paying dividend since 2014 which is a total of K15 million has been paid over the period of years to all the shareholders. According to Mr Mano he thanked GI hotel…