For almost a decade, Project Yumi has bridged the gap between potential and opportunity, delivering education, health services and employment pathways.
Communities across Papua New Guinea (PNG) are filled with bright young minds eager to learn, grow and contribute to their country’s future. Yet many of those minds face barriers to accessing education, health services and meaningful employment opportunities.
For people in these communities, support from the private sector, particularly from the mining and resources industry, can make a transformative difference in their outlook.
At the heart of that effort is Project Yumi, an Australian and PNG charity connecting the two nations through education, health and community empowerment initiatives. The organisation has become a trusted development partner since it was founded in 2016, delivering tangible results that change lives.
Project Yumi founder and director Renee Mero said the organisation began with a simple vision for developing youth education.
“We wanted to give PNG youth the tools they need to succeed,” she said. “What started as a small volunteer effort collecting school furniture and stationery has grown into a multifaceted organisation dedicated to building a sustainable future: socially, economically and also environmentally.”
Project Yumi’s three flagship initiatives – Project Skul, Project Meri and Project Wok – work together to create lasting impact across education, health and employment, respectively.
Project Skul focuses on improving educational access and quality in rural schools.
Through the collection and shipment of classroom furniture, learning materials and stationery, this initiative has helped create hundreds of functional learning environments across the country. What might seem like a simple desk or a box of pencils becomes, for a student in a remote village, a key to opportunity and lifelong learning.
Project Meri is designed to empower women and girls by addressing gender inequality through improved access to essential health and hygiene resources. A key focus of the program is women’s health, achieved through collaboration with other non-government organisations and local partners to deliver greater impact across communities.
By working together, Project Yumi helps provide much needed medical supplies, maternal packs, health education and hygiene products to women and girls in under-served areas. Through these efforts, Project Meri promotes leadership, wellbeing and self-reliance, building stronger families and healthier, more resilient communities.
Project Wok is the charity’s flagship youth empowerment and employment program. Designed to bridge the gap between education and employment, Project Wok equips young people with practical skills, mentorship and pathways into industries that are driving PNG’s growth, including the mining sector.
A natural fit
Project Yumi’s work aligns seamlessly with the corporate social responsibility and sustainability frameworks embraced by many mining companies operating in PNG. Its message is a simple, but powerful, statement: when communities are given the tools to thrive, everyone benefits.
The organisation’s programs target several shared goals, including improving education, promoting gender equity, supporting youth employment and strengthening community capacity, while also connecting with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.
Partnership opportunities range from sponsoring classrooms kits through Project Skul, to offering internship positions for Project Wok participants. Each collaboration is tailored to align with the participating company’s priorities and community engagement strategies, ensuring that every contribution delivers measurable outcomes and visible local impact.
For mining companies in particular, these collaborations offer a powerful way to demonstrate commitment to the sustainable development goals. Goals around good health and wellbeing, quality education, decent work and reduced inequality are all connected to Project Yumi’s varied interventions.
In communities where Project Yumi has delivered resources or training, Mero said the transformations have been tangible.
“Schools that were once struggling with limited furniture now have fully equipped classrooms,” she said.
“Mothers supported through Project Meri have received maternal packs that provide essential items for safe childbirth and newborn care, and Project Wok graduates are gaining employment in industries that once felt out of reach.”
More than 50,000 people have benefited from Project Yumi’s initiatives to date, including over 2700 students who have gained vital employment and vocational skills.
“These numbers represent more than statistics; they reflect lives changed, opportunities created, and communities strengthened,” Mero said.
“Each of these success stories reflects what happens when people and organisations work together to invest in human potential.”
More and more, the mining sector in PNG is being pushed to create a more inclusive future for all communities across the country. Mero believes Project Yumi represents the ideal partner in empowering the next generation.
“By partnering with Project Yumi, mining companies can extend their positive impact beyond their operational boundaries, helping to create stronger, better educated and more resilient communities,” she said.
“Our partners have the confidence that their contributions are not only tax-deductible but are also directly supporting life-changing, sustainable initiatives across PNG.”
