By Vasinatta Yama, EM TV – Mt Hagen
An initiative created by like-minded young Papua New Guineans to reduce poverty in Papua New Guinea has seen the launching of the Panda Gas distributor last Friday at Wabag in Enga Province. Panda Gas Distributor is a reseller of Puma Gas, distributing it to thousands of homes in Enga Province. It is an initiative created by Paradise Development Consultancy under its community programs. Panda Gas Distributor launched its first distribution site at Irelya Village, a few minutes drive outside of Wabag town.
Comprising of a lot of young Papua New Guineans in the team, they believe it is their duty to create constructive ideas, discussions and solutions, for the development of this Country. Puma Energy PNG Limited fully supported the work of Paradise Development Company Limited, a subsidiary of Ipali Limited by partnering to bring this service to local people.
Paradise Development Consultancy Limited, after identifying from its Poverty Stop Light program that people’s lifestyle to chop down trees, and the energy used to carry trees from long distances to their homes to be used as firewood to cook food is poverty. PDC CEO, Shane Ipatas, says that “poverty in a sense where people are using up their time and energy, as well as health and wealth to turn a tree into firewood to cook food”.
The introduction of cooking with gas using burners and stoves will save time and energy, a solution to lift the standard of living in each home. The Poverty Stop Light Program is a technological tool created by a professor in South America, Dr Martin Burt, to unlock each family’s potential to eliminate poverty.
Paradise Development Consultancy adopted the idea, looking at indicators such as access to drinking clean water, health and environment, housing and infrastructures to identify poverty needs. Its self-evaluating method is used to assess poverty and can show real-time data of different levels of poverty in each families and communities so that development partners and the government can identify and know the real needs of each community to bring services.
Panda Gas has chosen to resell Puma Gas, since it is locally produced and it is cheap and durable. Puma Energy Limited also has corporate responsibility to making a difference in the communities by supporting local Small and Medium Enterprises.
