PNG's Boera Village Women Turn Backyard Gardens into Thriving Agribusinesses

• A groundbreaking agricultural initiative is started by women in Boera village, Central Province
• The initiative's main goal is to turn backyard gardening into lucrative ventures
• Intends to provide women with agribusiness knowledge and practical skills

With a ground-breaking agriculture project aimed at empowering local women by transforming backyard gardening into lucrative enterprises, women in Boera village, Central Province, are setting the standard. With assistance from ExxonMobil PNG Limited, the Boera Entrepreneurial Community Gardening Pilot Program was introduced in April 2023 with the goal of empowering women with the skills and resources necessary for profitable, self-sustaining farming.

20 women, ranging in age from 30 to 70, participated in the pilot program and were given both theoretical and practical training in online marketing, financial literacy, climate change awareness, smart gardening, leadership, and governance. These women received seedlings and instruction on how to grow wholesome food for their families and make money by combining traditional and modern gardening methods.

Boera village was chosen as the project site, and participants received ongoing mentoring to transform their modest gardens into successful, long-term businesses. There is a lot of interest in the program, and more women from nearby communities want to participate.

The program's president, Doreka Dai, said that the effort is gaining traction and thanked ExxonMobil for its investment and support. According to her, Boera's pioneer women are now serving as mentors to assist in training women in other fields as Hiri District in Central Province adopts the model.

"We, the Boera pioneer women, are honored to be leading this agricultural project," Doreka remarked. "The government's emphasis on agriculture serves as a reminder of the significance of the things we are constructing in our communities." The Boera women are now branching out into clothing and poultry farming as a result of the program's ongoing expansion, showcasing the broad reach of women-led, community-driven agricultural entrepreneurship.