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<\/p>\nIn the remote Frieda River communities of the Sepik region, a quiet revolution is unfolding \u2013 women and families are embracing family planning as a powerful tool for managing their health, futures, and livelihoods.<\/p>\n
Thanks to Frieda River Limited\u2019s (FRL) ongoing capacity-building training, individuals and couples amongst the customary landowners of the Frieda River copper-gold resource are now making informed decisions about when and how many children to have \u2013 based on personal, health and financial realities.<\/p>\n
For local advocates Christina Nathan and Martha Ronald, family planning is more than just a medical service \u2013 it\u2019s a pathway to dignity, wellbeing and sustainable family life.<\/p>\n
Christina, 33, from Wameimin 2 village in Telefomin, is the mother of three children and a proud recipient of a family planning implant. She describes her decision to use the implant \u2013 one of the most effective, low-maintenance contraceptives available \u2013 as life-changing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was one of the best decisions I\u2019ve ever made,\u201d she said. \u201cIt has allowed me to care properly for my children, support their education and maintain their health. With a smaller family, I can grow food in the gardens, help the children with their schoolwork, look after myself and participate in training programs like leadership and financial literacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Christina, who left school after Grade 7, now finds herself back in a learning environment \u2013 this time, by choice and with purpose.<\/p>\n
Downriver in Ambunti\u2019s Paupe village, Martha, also in her 30s, made a deeply personal decision to undergo family planning after a near-death experience during childbirth. A mother of four and classified as high-risk due to her health status and poor nutrition in her community, she speaks candidly about how family planning saved her life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew I wouldn\u2019t survive another complicated childbirth,\u201d Martha reflected. \u201cFamily planning gave me a second chance \u2013 and the opportunity to be there for the children I already have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crucially, both women say their partners supported their choices \u2013 an encouraging sign in communities where women\u2019s health decisions are often not prioritised.<\/p>\n
Fredah Wantum, FRL\u2019s Community Development Officer, who is a registered nurse and midwife, is inspired by the growing momentum.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s rare in many rural areas for women to have control over their reproductive choices,\u201d Fredah said. \u201cHearing Christina and Martha speak with such confidence about their rights and futures is exactly the outcome we hope for. Our capacity-building programs are not just saving lives \u2013 they\u2019re enhancing them. They\u2019re giving women a voice and giving families the chance to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since 2017, hundreds of women and teenage girls in the seven landowning communities of FRL have participated in the company\u2019s training programs, which focused on health, leadership and life skills. These initiatives are part of FRL\u2019s broader commitment under the proposed Sepik Development Project (SDP) \u2013 a transformative, multi-billion-kina proposal to responsibly develop one of the world\u2019s largest untapped copper-gold resources. The SDP encompasses the Frieda River Copper-Gold Project, the Frieda River Hydroelectric Project, the Sepik Power Grid, and the Sepik Infrastructure Project, which is expected to connect the region to the rest of the country and beyond.<\/p>\n
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In the remote Frieda River communities of the Sepik region, a quiet revolution is unfolding \u2013 women and families are embracing family planning as a powerful tool for managing their health, futures, and livelihoods. Thanks to Frieda River Limited\u2019s (FRL) ongoing capacity-building training, individuals and couples amongst the customary landowners of the Frieda River copper-gold […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":1000,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n