In some of Papua New Guinea’s most remote villages, groups of ChildFund-trained health volunteers are delivering life-saving support to vulnerable children.
The beachside village Kivori-Kui lies on the western edge of PNG’s Central Province, an 8km walk in the searing tropical heat to the closest health centre.
It is a journey Stephen has made several times with his young daughter, and one he has seen many people avoid because they were too sick to travel.
“It’s a very difficult walk, especially if you are very sick of if you are pregnant,” Stephen says.
“Sometimes it can take two hours or more. People avoid going to the health clinic because it is too far away, but that makes them more sick.”
Diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis are common in Kivori-Kui and the surrounding villages. Although these diseases are curable if treated in time, they are two of the main causes of death for children in Papua New Guinea.
Steven is one of 95 volunteers ChildFund PNG has trained throughout Central Province to bridge the gap between remote villages and health care centres in major centres. This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
He is one of 60 Village Health Volunteers who deliver basic health services to people in their village and make referrals to the health centre.
Village Health Volunteers also play an important role in cutting down the number of women who give birth at home, which can lead to high rates of mother and child mortality.
Volunteers refer mothers to clinics with skilled birth attendants and can provide emergency assistance during delivery when mothers cannot make it to the clinic.
Many Village Health Volunteers, like Stephen, volunteer as TB Treatment Supporters, ensuring people with tuberculosis go to health centres and follow their course of treatment.
“They are on the frontline,” says Olive Oa, who leads ChildFund PNG’s national health program.
“In Papua New Guinea we cannot have doctors or nurses in every village, so this network of volunteers is crucial to stopping diseases like TB and malaria and helping keep people healthy.”
Steven has been a Village Health Volunteer for a year and he says the role has been rewarding and challenging.
“At first there was not a lot of knowledge about health issues and the treatment available,” he said.
“But people listen and they are go to the health clinic now. They come to us when they are sick and we can help them.
“I did this because I want to help my village. I am proud I am doing that.”
To mark International Day of Non-Violence, ChildFund has released a new report highlighting the vital support that its gender-based violence hotline is providing to women and families in Papua New Guinea.
PNG experiences some of the worst statistics for violence against women in the world. While reliable data is scarce, it is estimated that more than two thirds of women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. Human Rights Watch estimates that 70 percent of women experience rape or assault in their lifetime, and in research carried out with men in PNG’s Bougainville, 62 percent of men reported having perpetrated rape against a female.
In 2015, ChildFund PNG and its partners established the country’s first ever Family and Sexual Violence Counselling Hotline – 1-Tok Kaunselin Helpim Lain. As well as telephone counselling and safety planning, counsellors provide information and referrals to a wide range of gender-based violence (GBV) service providers and face-to-face counselling services including police, medical services, safe houses and legal support.
In emergency cases, counsellors can talk to the police on the client’s behalf, then call the survivor back to assure her that help is on the way. The hotline is available nationally and offers callers three languages – English, Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu.
In PNG, where services are scarce (87 percent of the population of PNG live in rural and remote areas) but where mobile phone ownership is high, a telephone counselling service is critical. In fact, for survivors and perpetrators living in remote areas, telephone counselling is the only accessible intervention.
In the two years since its launch, the hotline has received calls from around 8,000 women, men and children. Analysis of call data in 1-Tok Kaunselin Helpim Lain: A report on the first two years of operation has found that:
- family and sexual violence, followed by relationship issues and child welfare concerns are the top presenting issues for callers;
- in more than half of the calls relating to incidents of GBV, the perpetrator was an intimate partner; and
- one-quarter of all callers were provided with crisis counselling and safety planning.
Interestingly, almost half (48%) of the calls to the hotline are from males. This is because men in PNG are typically less likely than women to seek help, reflecting stereotypical gender roles. As such, the hotline provides an anonymous service to men seeking help.
In Maryanne’s case, the hotline provided a life-saving service when she was threatened with violence by her partner. Counsellor Grace used the 1-Tok Helpim Lain’s service provider database to find the number of the nearest Police Station. The police arrived within 15 minutes, escorted Maryanne to safety and apprehend her husband. In the days following the event, Grace provided ongoing counselling, helping Maryanne with a range of options to improve the situation for her and her children.
With increased promotion of the service across the country, calls to the 1-Tok Helpim Lain are increasing and the helpline will continue to play a critical role in answering calls for help, providing counselling and making referrals to a range of services.
The 1-Tok Kaunselin Helpim Lain – 7150 8000 – provides toll-free confidential telephone counselling, information and support for anyone experiencing gender-based violence in Papua New Guinea. ChildFund PNG is the lead implementing partner of the service, working in close partnership with the Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee and FHI 360. The service is funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), with contributions from ChildFund Australia and ChildFund New Zealand.
