Cufa is pleased to announce that we have returned to Papua New Guinea (PNG), with a program to bring financial literacy training to women in Lae in partnership with Tok Stret Consulting and funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the program aims to address the economic shocks that resulted due to Covid-19 and disproportionately impacted women.

The objective of the Women’s Economic Empowerment program is to enable women-led micro, small and medium enterprises to better withstand future economic shocks, by empowering women to effectively manage their businesses.

This is an area of strength for Cufa, and we are thrilled that the UNCDF felt the same way, recognising the work that we have done in this area and the benefits to the community that financial literacy brings. In conjunction with our lead-partner in this project Tok Stret Consulting a Lae-based PNG female owned business, the combined program truly engages, enthuses and empowers PNG women.

This is especially relevant in PNG, where according to UN data, 31.6% of working women are below the international poverty line.

While work will be initially focused in Lae, this is a first step in a future full return to PNG, and we look forward to addressing the challenges identified by the UNCDF.