The Rotary PNG Project and the Rotary PNG Projects Group
 
The Rotary PNG Project and the Rotary PNG Projects Group (PNGPG) has evolved over several years of Rotary clubs working in Papua New Guinea.

Since the 1990s Rotary Club of Geelong (District 9780) member Anton Van Doornik (also the Geelong DIK Coordinator) has coordinated several PNG humanitarian aid projects. Through this work Anton has established several reliable PNG contacts, setup a logistic protocol for container shipping, organised a base for volunteers to work from and provided a (now completely worn out) Toyota Landcruiser for teams to move around in.
 
Over the years Anton organised projects under RAWCS project number 45 of 2009-10, mostly in Oro Province at the St Margaret’s Hospital, The Popondetta Hospital, The Martyr’s Memorial Secondary School, Sariri Village and other locations. Anton has involved several other Rotary Clubs in his projects including the RC Warrnambool Daybreak and RC Warrnambool.
 
In 2017 Anton had personal commitments that prevented him coordinating a 2017 PNG Project.  The Rotary Club of Warrnambool (District 9780), who had been part of the team in 2015 and 2016 has coordinated a separate project from that point taking advantage of the infrastructure set up by Anton.
 
The Rotary Club of Warrnambool’s project is RAWCS project number 37 of 2017-18, Water Provision Project. The Project Coordinator is Tony Austin of the RC Warrnambool.
 
The current project has two major focus areas; assisting remote villages and communities get access to clean water by providing water bores and pumps and growing the project by increasing the number of supporting clubs & organisations (The PNG Projects Group). Allied to that The PNGPG, where it can, provides support to PNG communities with health and education requirements.
 
This project is currently supported and endorsed by:
District Governor 2019-20, Rosanne Kava Rotary Club of Warrnambool (Victoria)
Rotary Club of Geelong (Victoria) Geelong DIK (Victoria)
Rotary Club of Warrnambool East (Victoria) Rotary Club of Warrnambool Daybreak (Victoria)
Rotary Club of Mount Martha (Victoria) Rotary Club of Wynyard (Tasmania)
Rotary Club of Boroko (PNG) Wannon Water (Victoria)
Medical Re-purposing Network Inc. (NSW) The Oro Community Services Foundation (PNG)
 
Since 2017 PNGPG volunteer teams have gone to PNG each year to work in and provide humanitarian aid materials to communities in Kongoho, Popondetta, Embogo, Karaisa, Sarawassa, Bobo, Foru, the Oro Fishing Community, Embessa, the Popondetta Hospital, the Martyr’s Memorial Secondary School, the Embogo School and the Popondetta Secondary School.
The PNGPG is currently planning its 2020 PNG project and is in the preliminary stages of planning a future project called “Fifty pumps for fifty villages”.
 
The “Fifty pumps for fifty villages” project can only happen if the PNGPG achieves additional member groups and can access District and hopefully Global Grant funds.
 
For information about how to get involved and help, contact
Tony Austin
International Services Director
PNG Projects Group Coordinator
Rotary Club of Warrnambool
+61 400 688 941
pngprojectsgroup@gmail.com