A fund contribution from Ramu NiCo royalty funding has helped Fr. Frank Zuccolo Memorial High School purchase stationery, according to a teacher who welcomed Ramu NiCo staffs to the school on 29 September 2026.
The staffs were visiting Bogia District as part of a week-long awareness program on Deep Sea Tailing Placement (DSTP).
During the welcome at the Potsdam care centre, the teacher Mr Carl Manabu said the school received the funding through the Iabu Local Level Government (LLG) from its 2023 royalty.
The contribution came at an important time for the new school, which needed stationery to support its operations. Mr Manabu said back then, the school had not yet begun receiving assistance through the national government’s Tuition Fee-Free (TFF) program and the royalty funding enabled the school to purchase supplies what they were urgently needed.
“This school, comprising its staff and students and the people of Manam and Iabu LLG are privileged to be one of the recipients of the Ramu NiCo royalty although we are not in the impact area of the mine,” Mr Manabu said.
“We thank Ramu NiCo wholeheartedly for this funding so that the less privilege communities like us and our school can benefit from the royalty from the only mine that is operating in our province, thank you Ramu NiCo,” he said.
Mr Manabu also acknowledged Iabu LLG president Kenny Boli for making the K10, 000 available promptly, helping the school continue its work.
The announcement was part of the welcome speech for the DSTP awareness team. It made a strong impression on the visiting staff, who said the school’s experience gave them a concrete example of how royalty funding can benefit a local community.
Ramu NiCo shares royalty funding with 19 local-level governments in Madang Province. While the impact of such funding may not always be easy to see, the school’s account offered a direct illustration of how support can address immediate needs.
The testimony of Fr Zuccolo encouraged the Ramu NiCo team as they continued their awareness work in Bogia. The visit also gave staff an opportunity to meet members of the school community and build connections while discussing the DSTP program.
