Monday September 7, 2020

THE NATIONAL Control Centre under the leadership of National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning, presented 10 boxes containing 20,000 face masks and five boxes of hand sanitisers containing 160 500ml bottles and a box of Covid-19 T-Shirts to the youths and community at the Two-Mile settlement in Port Moresby recently.

Joint Agency Task Force Media and Public Information Team Member Chief Superintendent Mr Dominic Kakas, presented the items on behalf of the Police Commissioner and Controller Manning.

He told the community that Controller   Manning had heard about the initiative the community had taken to protect themselves from COVID-19, and therefore decided to donate the face masks and hand sanitisers.

Mr Kakas stressed that it was encouraging that they had gone ahead and taken the initiative to protect them using whatever resources  they have to keep COVID-19 out of their community.

This included building a security fence around their settlement of some 3,000 people, sewing and providing face masks to those who could not afford, providing water and soap for hand washing and maintaining a 10pm to 4am curfew for the community.

Mr Kakas told the community that it was pleasing to see them helping themselves.

“After all it is your responsibility to take care of yourselves and not the government, the health department or the police.”

James Wemin who spoke on behalf of the community thanked the NCC for recognising their efforts to keep their vulnerable group of women, children and the elders in the 2-mile community from COVID-19.

He said the area has always been known for bag snatching and petty crimes and by initiating little things like washing your hands, wearing a face mask and implementing a curfew at 10pm has reduced these crimes in the city and ultimately changed the mind sets of the youths.

Mr Wemin said this initiative has been on-going since COVID-19 arrived in PNG.

He said with the influx of people coming into the city, it was a concern for them and they took it upon themselves to start off by contributing to buying chains, and barbed wire and cement for fencing to have control of people moving in and out of the settlement.

Furthermore, he said 2 Mile was notorious for bag snatching and the criminals usually fled into their community after committing the crime.

He said police usually held them responsible so by erecting the fence the criminals escape routes are now greatly reduced.

“If we don’t do it, who else will do it for us?” he asked.

Mr Wemin thanked the Controller and the government for recognising them. He hoped many other settlements in the city would do the same to keep COVID-29 out of their communities.