Vanimo Green district benefit from new road
The people of Rawo and Laitre of Bewani Wutung Onei LLG of Vanimo Green District are now benefitting from a road built by the European Union EU-STEIT PNG Program who have been in the Sepik Region for almost 6 years now.
The road built is part of EU STREIT PNG aim to improve rural infostructures in East and West Sepik provinces to stimulate sustainable and inclusive economic growth, particularly in the agriculture sector.
For almost 2 decades the people of Rawo and Laitre have been without a proper road access linking them to the Provincial Capital Vanimo to excess basic services like health, education and others like markets and supermarkets for business activities.
The only available transport they use is boat. But locals said it is quite expensive to travel by boat to Vanimo.
When the EU-STREIT PNG Program came into the Sepik Region some 5 years back, their core purpose is to transform rural livelihoods from subsistence farming into sustainable, inclusive agribusiness, focusing on cocoa, vanilla and fisheries.
Not only are they focusing on these cash crops but are building roads, maintaining airstrips and jetties for the farmers they train in growing cocoa and vanilla and fisheries to have access to markets to sell their produce.
For Rawo and Laitre Villages, they were fortunate that the EU STREIT have done maintenance to their road (a feeder road into Vanimo) building a permanent bridge making travelling smooth for farmers bringing in their cocoa and vanilla to markets in town.
On Wednesday 25th March 2026 the Inauguration of the Rawo Laitre Road was officiated by the European Union Ambassador to PNG Her Excellency Erika Hasnoz and the Deputy Secretary for Policy and Planning at the Department of National Planning and Monitoring Michael Kumung witnessed by the Provincial Administrator for West Sepik Jacob Areman and the community of Rawo and Laitre.
Community Leader representing Rawo and Laitre Jack Kesi in thanking the EU STREIT said the road has transform the livelihood of the two villages, they have waited so long for this service.
“Initially the Rawo Laitre Road was built by the Vanimo Forest Products in 2005. After it was built there has not been any road works in maintaining the road and it has deteriorated.” said Mr. Kesi.
He said since the road conditions was not good, they resort to using boat with high cost.
“We are so grateful to EU STREIT PNG for choosing us the Cocoa and Vanilla Farmers of Rawo and Laitre and maintaining the road and building this new bridge for us the farmers.”
This new road link will not only be used as an agricultural road, but people also now have access to better health facilities, school, markets to sell their produce for income and many more.
A happy mother of Rawo said she can now be dropped off at her home by a PMV because the road is in better condition.
“My children are now wearing clean and nice clothes because we can travel to Vanimo to purchase our clothes. We can now see a lot of different vehicles and motorbikes in our village and that is something to be proud of. We are so grateful to EU STREIT PNG Program.”
The EU STREIT aim in road infostructure is; Rehabilitation and Maintenance, Economic Enhancement, Work Creation and Climate Resilience.
So far, they have rehabilitated over 200 km or rural roads and maintain 312 km of feeder roads to improve farm-to-market access.
The Rawo-Laitre Road is a 16.7 km road and is part of this aim.
It is built with a cost of more than K3 million kina, which covers the coast of the new bridge costing around K1 million.