Project 8516

The delta area of Gulf Province in Papua New Guinea is remote, underdeveloped and swampy. Among the network of rivers and creeks, in the village of Ubuo, God has enabled the building of the Oroi’io Madei (Living Word) Training Centre (OMTC). This is a hub for local language communities to gather and learn God’s life giving word. With a classroom, a dorm, kitchen and staff housing (see Project 8522), local people gather at the OMTC for a week or so of training, then take their new skills and knowledge back to their communities to share with people there.

The training held at the OMTC can be divided into three main areas;

1) Translation: six language communities have completed a series of six workshops to learn to tell 40 Bible stories in their own languages, and to tell them clearly, accurately and naturally. From this group, 12 local storytellers have been chosen to be trained as Oral Bible Storytellers (OBS) so that they will be ready to train the next nine language communities when they come and learn storytelling.

2) Scripture Engagement: Courses such as SALT (Scripture Application and Leadership Training) and Story Based Trauma Healing have been taught, so that people can deeply engage with God’s word in their lives and be transformed by forgiveness. These course have also resulted in local trainers who can now teach in villages all over the Gulf Delta area. The church is requesting more teaching, and on more topics.

3) Vernacular Literacy: Kids have the best chance of success at school if they start their education in their home language. This is why we have been training local volunteer teachers how to teach literacy in their own language (the vernacular) and how to bridge from vernacular to English, which is the official language of education in PNG. We are also making local language books to support these literacy teachers and classes.

All this training costs money and involves a lot of logistics and administration. As the OMTC is in a remote location, we need funds for planes to get trainers into the region, and for boats to get everyone to Ubuo and home again. Each workshop has food, materials and other expenses. Participants contribute towards course costs, but the full expense is beyond the income of subsistence farmers.

With all the logistics and administration involved in running these courses, a project manager is needed. Hiring a skilled and committed Christian Papua New Guinean to oversee logistics and administration will allow the work to continue and to grow. The immediate and urgent need is for funds to hire a project manager as soon as possible, with the longer term need being the continuation of this role through 2026 to ensure as many training courses can go ahead as possible.

God is doing truly great things in the Gulf Delta area of Papua New Guinea. Would you be able to help this growth continue?

Partner with us

Our partnership target is for $27,778 by the end of 2026, with $5,000 needed urgently by the end of December 2025.

Excess funds will go towards the following year’s target.