McLellan Community Centre Update

Something remarkable is being built in Yamen! Construction on the McLellan Community Centre is well underway.

Our building team, led by Jeremiah Konji and John Tarat, have put in an extraordinary amount of effort to get the project to this point. Transporting all the necessary materials to site has seen the team undertake numerous long journeys from Wewak to Yamen, involving both road- and river-based modes of transport and multiple trips in a short time to ensure all the cargo travelled safely.

Making cement is not an easy task in these conditions. John and his team of ‘boss crew’ have also undertaken several trips to the remote Tamo mine site to purchase sand and gravel. This travel has also taken several days.

A saw mill operator was also engaged to assist with cutting and milling the timbers you see in this photo. Local community members assisted the team to carry each piece of timber by hand for a 20-minute walk from the jungle to the site.

Now, the roof is on! What began as a vision for a permanent community hub in the Keram LLG is becoming - beam by beam, sheet by sheet - a real and tangible thing.

We are deeply grateful for the commitment of Jeremiah, John, Gina and the team supporting them. When complete, the centre will serve as a hub for Living Child's programs and future initiatives undertaken jointly with government partners and other NGOs. For the communities we serve, it represents a place to gather, meet, and learn together.

The McLellan Community Centre has been made possible through the generous support of the McLellan Foundation, whose vision and investment in this project has been transformative. Architectural expertise has been contributed by Architects Without Frontiers and SJB, whose professional generosity has ensured the centre is designed thoughtfully and built to last.

We cannot wait to share the next milestone with you.