In 2018, The Rotary Club of Port Moresby (RCoPM) implemented the SayNO2familyviolence campaign. At the time of implementation, President Adam Hughes explained “this campaign is modelled from the Rotary Club of Maryborough, Victoria (RCM)”
As a first step, our club formed a partnership with the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Family Sexual Violence Unit (RPNGC FSVU).
It was identified there was a lack of dedicated office space for victims to meet with police to make reports of GBV incidents so the first project was obvious, to provide an office that had to be separate from the mainstream police station but still within the same compound. RCoPM purchased a 40-foot container which was refurbished into an office. Fast forward to 2025, RCoPM has completed FSVU offices at police stations in Badili, Gordons, Seven Mile (Airport), Kwikila and now is nearing completion of another at Sogeri which was made possible due to funding provided by the Kingdom of the Netherlands through the High Commission.
Sogeri town is the headquarters of the Sogeri Sub-District of the Kairuku-Hiri District in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea. It is located in the mountains eastward from Port Moresby and is situated in the Sogeri Plateau at about 500m above sea level. It is connected to Port Moresby by Sogeri Road. The town is near the famous Kokoda Trail.
Whilst there is a FSVU police officer based at Sogeri, she operates from a small office within the police station. With completion of this project will mean a separate area including office space, interview room, bathroom, and kitchenette.
RCoPM has spent in excess of K750,000, this included funds raised from the club’s annual golf charity days along with donations from corporate entities. A huge shout-out to Rotary Club of Maryborough (Victoria), whose SayNO2familyviolence campaign is making an impact in Papua New Guinea!
Kelly Bartle
RC of Port Moresby
