The twelve women are part of 33 associations and groups that applied for a grant, amounting to one million kina… registered under the National Government’s assistance scheme, and funded by the World Bank.
They come from mine impacted areas all over the country.
The Small grant project aims to assist woman landowners create new businesses and support existing ones in their mine-impacted communities.
Over the years, mine impacted areas have never got the recognition they deserved. Not until recently.
While these women may be part of newly established landowner groups, there are many others who are yet to receive theirs, such as the Misima people.
The legacy left behind by the Misima Gold Mine in the Milne Bay province, portrays the level of neglect by the responsible authority, soon after the mine’s closure.
After 20 years of the mining operation on the island, Socio-economic standards of the people have dropped significantly.
The economy on the island has been kept alive by local alluvial mining… and subsistence farming and fishing.
The Mineral Resources Authority wants to make sure that those who are facing the impact of mining operations are at an advantage even after the mining activities end.
While a few landowner groups are being recognized, there are many others, like the Misima people… whose stories remained untold.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=zRWRqiXqHWY%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
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