ACTING GOVERNOR AND REGENTS OF CENTRAL PAPUA VISIT STC

Somatua Training Center (STC) was personally visited on Wednesday (30/11/2022) by the Acting Governor of Central Papua Province, Ribka Haluk, Acting Regional Secretary Valentinus Sudarjanto Sumito, and eight regents from across Central Papua. The delegation departed for STC from Rimba Papua Hotel following a meeting with the Vice President and after accompanying him to Mozes Kilangin Airport for his departure to Kaimana. They headed to the STC facility, founded by Maximus Tipagau, to observe the ongoing training activities and visit an exhibition showcasing MSME products supported by the Somatua Foundation. Despite the afternoon rain, the distinguished guests were warmly welcomed by the organizing team from the Somatua Foundation and STC.

In her speech, the Acting Governor of Central Papua expressed her hopes as the province's highest official: “I hope that Somatua Training Center will produce highly capable Papuan human resources each year through its existing training programs, so that indigenous Papuan graduates are well-prepared to enter the workforce.” Ribka Haluk also emphasized that regional leaders must remain united and committed in supporting Somatua Training Center to become a central vocational training hub (BLK) in Central Papua, in accordance with the mandate directly given by the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, who inaugurated the STC building on the same day.

Not only did Ribka Haluk tour the STC facility, but she also visited each MSME stand to personally greet the mama-mama (women entrepreneurs) running the businesses. The regents didn’t want to miss out either—they enthusiastically purchased a variety of Papuan souvenirs and traditional snacks. As a result, all the MSME products on display at the stands were completely sold out, thanks to the support from provincial and district government officials across Central Papua.

Maximus Tipagau expressed his deepest gratitude to all regional officials of Central Papua Province and representatives from the Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia for taking the time to visit Somatua Training Center. “I hope for continued support from both the central and regional governments for the programs run by the Somatua Foundation, particularly through the training of future professional workers at Somatua Training Center,” Maximus concluded.