Project Two Mile
PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Project Two Mile, named after a notorious squatter settlement in Port Moresby, is the brainchild of Brisbane-base, PNG native Maggie T Kera. Growing up in a village in PNG, Maggie witnessed first-hand struggles and challenges many of her female relatives experienced, awakening her passion for women’s advocacy.
Maggie says,
“I have always been passionate about helping women. In my society, women didn’t have a voice. That is changing slowly now, but even as a child, I always wanted to do something to empower women.”
Maggie moved to Australia to attend university in Melbourne. Throughout her studies, she always carried a handwoven bilum bag made by one of her female relatives. She noticed she was stopped frequently on the street by women admiring her bilum and asking where they could get one, providing the catalyst for Project Two Mile.
Project Two Mile is a social enterprise with vision – uplifting the lives of impoverished women by providing economic agency and independence, and creating a global platform for their art.
Bilum weaving is an ancient handicraft, practiced exclusively by women across PNG. Maggie describes it as a communal practice, where women of all ages come together and learn from one another. Bilum weaving requires few materials or equipment, and can be done anywhere, anytime.
Maggie explains bilum weaving is part of everyday life in the village,
“Women come in from a day in the garden to prepare dinner and sit together weaving by the fire while the food cooks. They can weave when resting from their day to day activities.”
In a patriarchal society where there are few career pathways available to women, bilum weaving is a convenient way to earn an income around domestic life.
Maggie works primarily with women residing in the squatter settlements surrounding Port Moresby, a city where the astronomical cost of living means many cannot access necessities such as food or education. Sadly, these settlements are also rife with physical and sexual violence. Project Two Mile creates an invaluable income stream for these marginalised women, allowing them to escape harmful situations, support their families and improve their quality of life.
Project Two Mile generates many other tangible benefits for women, income from weaving provides start-up capital for micro-businesses such as market stalls, and providing income for young girls who are able to pay for their education, opening up important future pathways. The organisation has an ongoing commitment to educate any girls and women wanting to learn the traditional art of bilum weaving so they can access a sustainable, meaningful income.
At the core of Project Two Mile is a commitment to pay the weavers premium prices for their wares. The organisation provides all necessary materials at no cost to the weavers, then buys the resulting bilums at market cost. This means the women are paid fairly for their work, resulting in a high calibre of unique, handcrafted bilums.
Maggie says,
“If I was going to do something, I wanted it to me tangible. I wanted it to mean something.”
To the lives of over 100 women, Project Two Mile means a future.