UNICEF Provides Rp 79 Billion To Assist In Literacy Training Program

BIAK, Papua, July 20 (Antara) - The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has provided US$6 million, or about Rp79 billion, to help improve literacy programs in elementary schools in remote areas in six districts of the provinces of Papua and West Papua. The funding was an Australian government grant given for the period of 2015-2018, UNICEF Representative of Papua and West Papua Monica Nelsen said here on Wednesday. Nelsen stated that the funding support revealed UNICEF's commitment to improve the quality of human resources of indigenous Papuan children. She expected the district governments to intervene by providing additional funds to help accelerate literacy programs at target schools. The amount of additional funds could be adjusted to the policies of the district and local governments. She also stated that the literacy programs, which were held by UNICEF in remote and backward primary schools in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, have been used as models for similar programs in Sumba Tengah district in East Nusa Tenggara Province. She revealed that the program could improve children's literacy skills in various suburban and remote elementary schools so that it would be feasible to be developed in other areas. UNICEF collaborated with Rumsram Biak Foundation to hold a training of literacy trainers and mentor training for education facilitators in Biak Numfor district from July 19 to July 30. As many as 120 participants from four districts in Papua province, namely Biak Numfor, Jayawijaya, Jayapura, Mimika in Papua Province, and two districts in West Papua province, namely Manokwari, and Sorong, took part in the training.