The Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) is broadening its community infrastructure initiatives in areas where beneficiaries of resource projects reside. Since 2017, MRDC has delivered close to K80 million worth of infrastructure projects. This investment is managed through the 30% component of landowner benefits allocated to the Community Investment Trust Fund (CITF), with projects receiving board approval from MRDC's subsidiary companies in project impact areas. MRDC Managing Director Augustine Mano emphasized the company’s strategic priorities, stating: “Our investment approach is about securing long-term value while directly uplifting the communities where our beneficiaries reside. We focus on delivering critical infrastructure that improves quality of life. In the past year alone, we invested nearly K40 million in community initiatives — with over half of that directed towards supporting schools in remote project areas.” MRDC General Manager for Community Investments Reginald Ope confirmed that these investments span the oil, gas, and mining sectors. "The Community Investment Trust Fund program—the most common mistake people make is they call it the infrastructure trust fund. It’s the Community Investments Trust Fund. The program is designed to "compliment Government services in the areas where our beneficiaries live" and "the program goes out of its way to provide those services that are not being paid attention to. The CITF program is guided by four key pillars- Education, Health, Social and Economic Programs, and Renewable Resources. "Traditionally, the priority has been education, but the focus and scope are now expanding to include the other three pillars," Mr. Ope stated. He elaborated on the shift, "Currently, we are investing heavily in education programs. That’s been our focus for some time, and we are now shifting from education to health, social and economic programs, and renewable resources. For education, we have been building classrooms and staff houses in communities in the Kikori and Gobe, Simberigi areas. The current major project is Waro Junior High School." This strategic expansion is not just programmatic — it’s geographic and deliberate. “We are actively extending our footprint into Hela Province, with a strong focus on the Hides region,” said Mr. Ope. “This includes Petroleum Development Licenses (PDL) 1, 7, and 8. These are not just map points — they are priority zones. We’re intensifying our efforts in these areas with a clear roadmap of community-focused activities planned over the next two years. Underscoring the long-term ambition behind these moves. The core vision driving the Community Investment Trust Fund is to fundamentally uplift the quality of life for MRDC’s project beneficiaries. Everything we do flows from that purpose,” Mr. Ope reaffirmed.