The inaugural Friends of the Museum (FOM) Gala Night fundraiser, held last night in Port Moresby city, has raised quite a significant amount of money to go towards the maintenance of the National Museum in order to continue preserving Papua New Guinea's rich cultural heritage.
Chair of the Friends of the Museum, Ms. Sylvia Pascoe said the National Museum plays an important part of holding the ancient and modern history of every man and women in Papua New Guinea, through the artifacts, the stories behind them, tells of a thousand people of ancient cultures weaved in one modern country.
As such, Ms. Pascoe said the support from the government and corporate PNG is vital to helping preserve the cultural identities of the people.
She said the FOM work is to engage the various sectors to support a good cause.
“Friends of the Museum now exist to bridge that gap between the friends and corporate PNG and with everyday Papua New Guineans near and far,” said Ms. Pascoe.
“Many of you have the resources to make a difference, we’re simply offering the pathways.”
“Thanks to you, we have raised almost half a million kina,” she said.
The priority of the maintenance is the massive air-conditioning system in the museum, which is over 50 years old, and in need of a replacement. This is important in that many of the cultural artifacts and certain animal specimens kept at the National Museum require the right room temperature to preserve their properties.
Meanwhile, the Defence Minister Dr. Billy Joseph, who was quest of honor at the event representing the tourism minister, who had other engagements, acknowledged the importance of the museum and the work the team is doing to improve the facilities.
In his speech, he confirmed that a proposed allocation of funds has been brought forward to Cabinet for approval. That funding proposal is for the maintenance of the National Museum, which he said Tourism Minister Belden Namah presented.
He did not further reveal the status of the proposed funding- where it is now, but it is hoped that the funding be included in the 2026 National Budget.
