HELP Resources - NGO Health-Education-Livelihood-Participation people/technology for community development in Papua New Guinea & globally

Introduction

HELP is an acronym denoting our commitment to committing human and technical resources to achieve Health, Education, Livelihood and Participation for all. HELP Resources is a local NGO, with a focus on rural and grassroots communities. HELP Resources is well networked across Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Region and globally. HELP Resources acts locally and thinks globally. The goal and objectives of HELP Resources reflect the fundamental principles of Constitution of Papua New Guinea as well as PNG's current commitments to global development goals and conventions.

HELP Resources was founded in 1998. The Vision, Goals and objectives of HELP Resources were shaped through a strategic planning process in 1999. HELP Resources was originally conceived as an 'open door ' to meet the Information and Communication, Training and Capacity Building and Networking and sharing needs of local communities, groups and community-based organisations that are keen to undertake sustainable development initiatives.

History and progress

HELP R was built a core team of committed Executive Committee members and staff members who collectively have extensive experience in rural and social development in PNG. Most of the founding staff worked voluntarily or in a semi-voluntary capacity for the first 2 years. Their common commitment was to create a local organisation that would provide the information, linkages, visits, training and technical and morale support requested by the people of the East Sepik province, nd their local NGOs and CBOs. The past four years have involved building the structures, capacity and community confidence to make that happen.

A range of small grants financed the gradual equipping and establishment the essential operating foundation activities and pilot projects across the various arms of the organisation. By 2001,. HELP R succeeded in acquiring core funding and institutional support for three years (2001-2003) from two main donors: Bread for the World, and OXFAM New Zealand, totalling around K350,000 per year. Other donors have funded specific activities and projects on a smaller scale (K2000 - K50,000.00) totalling up to an additional K100,000 per year for the past two years.

HELP Resources has always operated in borrowed spaces. In the first two years these were extremely small and under-resourced donated offices. For the past two years, HELP Resources has operated from a rented house converted into an office. The staff and the services have outgrown these facilities and larger and more accessible premises located in the centre of Wewak town, are now urgently required.

Current programs and capacity

HELP Resources is evolving gradually, building its institutional base and management capacity, consolidating and refining its programs and finding its niche in the local, national and Pacific regional development communities and contexts. HELP Resources provides information services that are in great demand, and not being met by any private, government or NGO provider.

The current major activities of HELP Resources are;

1. Information and Communication (IAC)

An umbrella Multi-purpose Community Telecentre) housing central libraries and supporting public access to new information and communication technologies, with Sepik Information Sharing, a outreach and support program linking organised rural communities with information, communication and adult learning and further eduction opportunities.

2. Community Training and Capacity Building (CTCB)

Developing courses and delivering training in core areas of:

Gender and Human Rights
Sexual Health Education for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care
Citizen's Education For Active Participation and Good Governance
Community Planning, Management, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

We offer adult learning and training in these core and other related areas at different levels and in different modes:

Popular education tours: Participatory and interactive community dialogue, theatre and song (through Baua Baua Popular Education Troupe)
Community-based or Organisation-based participatory workshops
Workshops based on units of Certificate Programs for Community-Based Service Providers (through Callan Studies)

In the future it is intended that adult learning facilities built into to our proposed Community Telecentre, will be a venue for computer-based self study and research in these areas, as well as for night classes bringing public servants, local leaders, educators and community activists together for training that will stimiulate lively discussion, debate and learning circles

HELP Resources develops full training packages in these areas, usually in association with NGOs from PNG or the Pacific. HELP Resources staff have the capacity to write curriculum, test it, refine it and design and publish training manuals and kits. We facilitate national and regional workshops in areas like Conflict Prevention, Citizen's Education, gender-based violence and popular and applied training in ICT applications for development.

HELP Resources can deliver training in two languages: English and the PNG lingua franca, Tok Pisin.

HELP Resources produces small publications that provide important reference material for the core learning programs, as well as stand alone development readers. We can facilitate local research and publish in simple English, Tok Pisin and illustrated formats for a popular audience.

Current Organisational Capacity

Based on a strategic plan developed in 1999, HELP Resources scope of services extended from a central information, advisory and training agency, to community outreach, technical and social support visits and training. In a context of declining infrastructure and rapidly escalating costs, we were over extended and unable to meet the expectations of community clients.
HELP Resources has narrowed its focus to the provision of central services that focus on informing, resourcing, training and empowering local leaders and development activists. This revised scope and mode of operation will be developed through a news strategic plan to be undertaken in 2003.

HELP Resources has a local, provincial base, but has the capacity and quality of services and products to work at national and regional levels.

Current organisational capacity includes:

A skilled team of Information and Publication professionals and trainees
Core management staff
A team experienced community educators, course writers and trainers with strong peer support networks across the country and region
Technical,program and management support through short term advisers
A growing list of associates, linking the expertise, technical and moral support of Papua New Guinean and visiting professionals with our local programs.

Achievements and Outputs

HELP Resources currently operates:

a development focussed library, with print, video, audio and CD based sources of information
a desktop publishing service, including translation, editing, graphic design and illustration service.
A training unit that can research, conceive, write, design and deliver appropriate development training and adult learning curriculum.

HELP Resources publications include:

Comprehensive Training manuals and trainers kits :
- Gender and Human Rights
- Sexual Health Education
- Community Management

Development readers and information booklets :
- Citizen's Education
- Human Rights Education
- Health Education
- Grassroots communication techniques

Local oral history and research publications:

Two local projects initiated by HELP Resources include:: - The story of PNG Comfort Women (Japanese Imperial Army occupation, 1942-1945); - The history of health services and village women volunteers (1960-2000)

New Initiatives for 2003 and beyond

We are in the process of implementing a major new project, the Sepik Multipurpose Community Telecentre. The focus of this project is to bring the benefits and services of information and communication technologies to rural communities and organisations that normally don't have access to or cannot afford them. The project is based on HELP Resources' belief that denial of people's right to information and knowledge prevents:

social and economic development
active participation of civil society,
fulfilment of citizens' human potential and
optimal individual and collective contributions to local and national development processes.

HELP Resources proposed Multipurpose Community Telecentre is a modest but a pioneering initiative and the first of its kind in Papua New Guinea, intended to increase the ease of access and speed of responses to communications and initiatives of people, communities and local organizations who struggle to raise standards of living and quality of life.

HELP Resources is taking steps to present and discuss this project with our current and potential partners, donors and associates to get their valuable feedback, learn from the experience of organisations/agencies that are involved in "ICTS for Development" initiatives and also to mobilise necessary resources, financial or otherwise, in support of the proposed Telecentre in Papua New Guinea.

Contact information

Management and Administration
phone and fax: +675 856 1453
Email: help_admin@global.net.pg
Information and Communication Services/Library:
phone: +675 856 1615
Email: help_info@global.net.pg
Desktop Publishing and Video Library:
phone: +675 856 1877
Email: help-r@global.net.pg