School students living in communities along the Kikori River in the Gulf province can expect to learn in new and improved learning facilities next year when they start the new school year.

Thanks to the Minera Resources Development Company (MRDC) working in collaboration with Gas Resources PNGLNG Pipeline Ltd, vital educational facilities in schools in Kikori were improved and commissioned recently.

Known as waterway projects, the facilities were built in schools situated along the Kikori River system which includes Kopi Primary School, Kitomave Primary School, Veiru Primary School, and Babaguina Elementary School.

The facilities commissioned include classrooms and teachers’ houses, critical to improving the education experience in the community.

MRDC Managing Director Augustine Mano was pleased that children in such remote part of Gulf province would have access to quality learning facilities.

The classrooms and teachers ‘houses were delivered under the MRDC managed Community Investment Trust Fund (CITF) program.

The CITF program is aimed at providing critical services in Health, Education, Social and Economic sectors to improve the quality of life of project beneficiaries.

“Education is a powerful tool to empower our children from our resource project communities, and this investment reaffirms MRDC and its subsidiaries focus in this area,” Mr. Mano said.

“Isolated by the river system, sometimes the geography and change in weather conditions impact the teachers and students’ movement, learning, teaching and living conditions using the old facilities. These new buildings will provide a more comfortable and conducive education environment for the teachers and the students.”

Through the CITF program, over K80 million has been spent since 2017 in providing critical infrastructures in project impacted communities.

These communities in Kikori are PNG LNG Pipeline landowners who get royalty and equity payments from the PNG LNG project because the gas pipeline runs through their land.

Approximately 30% of their royalty and equity benefits are spent on the CITF program managed by MRDC.