Swire Shipping Talent ID Programme in PNG
Cricket Papua New Guinea (CPNG) is the sole organisational body that is a member of the International Cricket Council, covering participation in Papua New Guinea (PNG) from school children to their two international sides for both men and women.
CPNG, in association with Swire Shipping / CNCo has been running the Swire Shipping Talent ID Programme since September 2015, with the aim to find the next Barramundi and Lewas players from around PNG. The programme is conducted by CPNG’s High Performance Department which is tasked with managing PNG’s 4,000+ cricket talent across the country. This programme is ongoing till December 2019.
In 2018, eight Swire Shipping Talent Camps around the country and four Swire Shipping Talent ID Targeted Camps in Port Moresby have been conducted.
CNCo signed a three-year partnership agreement with the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) and became the newest major sponsor of the FRU with naming rights to the “Fiji Warriors” and “Fiji Tuwawa Tens” teams.
Speaking at the announcement, FRU CEO, James O’Connor said that they were happy to have sealed the deal with the globally renowned company, for the next three years.
“I would like to thank Swire Shipping and Swire Bulk for coming on board as a major sponsor for the FRU and the two teams. This partnership will give our brand a stronger global presence and it is fantastic to add another quality member to our Fiji Rugby family,” he said.
Swire Shipping will feature on the front of both the Fiji Warriors and Fiji Tuwawa Tens Team jerseys. As part of CNCo’s ongoing commitment to the communities in Fiji, Regional Manager - Pacific Islands, Chris De Villiers said that the sponsorship will support and help the development of the sport in Fiji and the region.
“We are grateful that we can partner with the FRU as this gives us an opportunity to get more involved in sports-based community development,” he added.
Pictured below: Chris De Villers, Regional Manager, Pacific Islands, CNCo and FRU CEO, James O’Connor at the press conference to announce the sponsorship.
Supporting Mahonia Na Dari (MND) in Kimbe Bay, PNG
Mahonia Na Dari (Guardian of the Sea) a local marine environment research and conservation education centre based in West New Britain asked CNCo to assist with infrastructure funding (Capex) for non-income generating facilities to support its research, marine education and conservation centre in Kimbe Bay, PNG, where half of all coral species in the world can be found.
Their buildings were deteriorating fast and the financial constraints of MND meant that it could not divert education programme grant funding to infrastructure or equipment maintenance. After investigating MND’s 21-year history and inspecting the site, CNCo offered a three-year infrastructure maintenance sponsorship offer which will put new roofs on MND’s leaking buildings. Between June and November 2018 MND spent the full first year’s sponsorship allocation replacing saksak roofs with metal sheeting roofs and completing essential repairs for six of the worst leaking buildings.
The most urgent was a dormitory used for visiting school students involved in marine environment education and conservation programmes.
MND’s Finance and Administration Manager, Elizabeth Marisa said that without the timely sponsorship rescue, Mahonia Na Dari would have been in very serious trouble.
“Not only do we now have six new roofs but China Navigation Company / Swire Shipping also donated a Toyota Hilux which is very useful to the building team when they move materials. Our carpenters, Peter Waka and Stanis Eki both of nearby Kilu village have done well to replace these roofs, often working in very hot, difficult conditions. In some buildings they had to replace walls and framing due to water damage.”
“China Navigation Company has saved us.”
Peter Miller
Director of MND
Assistance to the Family Support Centre in Honiara, Solomon Islands
CNCo is providing assistance to the Family Support Centre (FSC) in Honiara, Solomon Islands on the programme: Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls in Solomon Islands (RVAW) managed by International Women's Development Agency.
Project goal: To enhance organisational capacity of a local NGO that aims to address gender-based violence, including sexual abuse and child abuse in Solomon Islands. CNCo is sponsoring the position of the FSC Deputy Centre Manager for three years.
Over 2018, the programme served 255 clients with 115 counselling services and 143 legal services provided.
In July 2018, 52 youths across Papua New Guinea have been selected to take part in the latest Swire Shipping Talent ID Programme which ran through the term break.
To observe these young talent, Cricket PNG hosted them for a week, which began with masterclasses from the Hebou PNG U19 Garamuts coach, Kila Pala.
Talent ID Coach, Rodney Maha, identified the best players who came from Kimbe, Alotau, Lae, Central and Port Moresby to join the academy - the Hebou PNG U19 Garamuts squad.
From 1st to 4th October 2018, colleagues from our Suva branch in Fiji participated in a community outreach project to refurbish the Paediatrics Procedure room in the CWM Hospital’s Children’s Ward. Among the participants were the Swire Shipping Fiji Warriors team members.
Human Resource Manager, Ashika Chand, said that the painting of the Children’s Ward Procedure room and the ward visit by the Fiji Warriors team members were part of the Company’s community outreach programme for 2018. “This community project is part of our wider initiative to serve the communities we work in. As sponsors of the Fiji Warriors 15’s team, we also asked them to join us in this meaningful activity.”
Expressing her sincere appreciation for the work carried out at the procedure room, CWM Hospital Pediatrics Head of Department, Dr Ilisapeci Tuibeqa, said, “We are grateful for the kind and thoughtful gesture of giving back to our children. Annually, this room receives about 10,000 patients on its own and carries out about 15,000 to 20,000 procedures for children up to 16 years old every year.”
Below:
CNCo Fiji staff with CWM Hospital personnel
In August 2017 a devastating fire swept through three clans in the village of Hanuabada in Port Moresby, destroying 18 houses and partially affecting 12 other houses in the vicinity. The unfortunate accident resulted in 250 people getting displaced. These included the families of some of our current staff from the Port Moresby office.
The Hanuabada Fire Appeal – NSW (HBFA-NSW) – led by CNCo employees, with the support of Swire Shipping Australia, CNCo headquarters and Oatley Uniting Church raised a substantial AUD 21,555.15 between August 2017 and February 2018. In addition to monetary donations, two 20ft containers were shipped from Sydney and Brisbane to Port Moresby and personally delivered to the victims.
As part of Swire Shipping’s continuous commitment to the community, the Suva and Lautoka Fiji branch offices provided free storage of surgical equipment and delivery of surgical supplies for charity organisation: “Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation”, for the fourth year running.
The Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation is a New Zealand registered charitable foundation that performs free operations for poor and needy citizens of Fiji suffering from valvular heart diseases.
Three container loads of surgical equipment and supplies were stored by Swire Shipping and successfully delivered to CWM Hospital, Suva’s main hospital, and Lautoka Hospital where the operations were carried out.
Harvey Balekiwai, a Container Freight Station Supervisor at Suva, said that it was one way of helping the underprivileged people of Fiji. “This is the fourth year we have provided storage for Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation and we are grateful to be giving back to the community in any way possible,” he said.
Mahonia Na Dari (MND), or “Guardians of the Sea” started in 1997, through cooperative effort between The Nature Conservancy, the European Union Islands Regional Environmental Programme and Walindi Plantation Resort.
MND operates from the Walindi Nature Centre in Kimbe Bay which has one of the most diverse oceanic ecosystems in the world. It provides educational programmes and research facilities for both local schools and international institutions.
MND’s mission is to understand and conserve the natural environments of Kimbe Bay and PNG for the benefit of the present and future generations. This has been and continues to be achieved by supporting local resource management initiatives.
MND has reached out to more than 150,000 students and teachers, local communities and other organisations.
