“Gandep
project” will provide improved access via air and road to support
emergency medical, educational and trade outcomes in Papua New Guinea
By Stan Hunt, Special to ASSIST News Service
TOOWOOMBA, AUSTRALIA (ANS – July 16, 2015)
-- A church in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, is undertaking an
infrastructure project in Papua New Guinea to support a remote area of
170 villages with a population of approximately 20,000.
HumeRidge Church of Christ's
“Gandep project” will provide improved access via air and road to
support emergency medical, educational and trade outcomes.
Gandep
(pronounced Garn-dep) is the name of a neutral, multi-tribal, community
meeting point and trading post for the remote villages in central north
PNG on the Ramu River.
Access to medical and education
facilities is difficult, as local trade routes to Madang (a town of
approx. 30,000) take up to 3 days to navigate each way and involve
walking, canoeing and vehicle transport.
The Gandep project involves
fundraising to purchase plant, machinery and materials to transport to
the site; to upgrade the airfield; construct 2 bridges and road
approaches, and construct 15km (just over 9 miles) of road.
It will require approximately
$2 million and be implemented over a number of years, relying on many
volunteers. $500,000 has already been raised.
Companies, trades people and
labourers are invited to volunteer for the project, and the HumeRidge
Church of Christ is also now inviting interested companies and
individuals to make tax deductible contributions.
The project is being undertaken
in consultation with local PNG tribes and is aimed at supporting and
improving their current lifestyle.
The Churches of Christ have had a mission in Gandep since the 1950s.
More information can be found at www.facebook.com/GandepProject, or by e-mail at gandep@outlook.com
Photo captions: 1) Looking Along "Slush" Road. 2) Stan Hunt
About
the writer: Stan Hunt is a retired radiographer and lay preacher. Since
retiring he has worked as volunteer editor/presenter of the daily Faith
News for 106.5 Rhema FM on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Before retiring
he wrote a weekly “In The Churches” column for the Queensland Times
newspaper. He and his wife, Grethe, live on the Sunshine Coast at
Tewantin. They have three adult children and six grandchildren. His
e-mail address is: stanhunt@westnet.com.au.
** You may reproduce this and any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net)
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