The young men and women of Western Province can expect to continue their education through distance learning centers, technical colleges and universities, all thanks to the scholarship program being continuously funded through the partnership between CMCA Trust, the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) and Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML).
OTDF, in partnership with OTML and CMCA Trusts, since 2015 has provided educational opportunities to students from the Preferred Area (Oksapmin, Telefomin, Olsobip) and Western Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Apart from other disciplines, priority is given to health, education, and agriculture.
Every year over 300 students who meet the requirements are sponsored to take up studies, with an average of 100 students graduating. The focus on the selection and support is not on the quantity (number of sponsored students) but the quality in the selected disciplines.
According to the Manager Program Services Sustainable Development, Mr. Andrew Mari, the Scholarship program has relieved the burden on parents and provided the opportunity for students to further their education, return and contribute to the development of the province and their communities.
Higher education has enabled graduates to engage in formal employment throughout Western Province and the country.
In 2020, the demand for scholarship positions increased due to raised program awareness. However, there was a slight decrease in scholarship positions due to more stringent selection criteria, with scholarships only awarded to students achieving a minimum 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA).
Havini Vira, CEO OTDF, expressed appreciation for the well-managed Scholarship and Maritime support program. However, he acknowledged that effectively monitoring the progress of students after they graduate poses a challenge and believes there is scope for further improvement.
2, 585 Western Province and PAD students have been sponsored by OTDF through the CMCA Trusts and OTML since 2019. OTDF is committed to contribute to the development of human resource of Western Province and PNG.