Low scholastic participation among Mimika Regency communities is due to limited educational access and facilities, and the low level of awareness of the importance of education. Therefore PTFI and YPMAK's Education Bureau provide community development programs in education towards opening up access to the widest extent possible for indigenous children to acquire decent education. In implementing the programs, PTFI and YPMAK's Education Bureau work alongside Mimika Regency's Education Office, Educational Organizations, Education Consultants, and other partners.

Education & Training

From 1996 to 2018, PTFI and YPMAK have provided 11.000 scholarships ranging from primary school level to doctoral degree level, and regularly conduct direct monitoring of the schools in which scholarship recipients study.

Towards increasing educational quality for students in remote areas, PTFI and YPMAK collaborate with the foundation Yayasan Pesat and the Timika Diocese in running 5 dormitories for boys and girls in Mimika, and with the foundation Yayasan Binterbusih in Central Java. Application of this boarding school education pattern is aimed at instilling discipline among students, towards their acquiring self-reliance and regularity in their lifestyle.

Collaboration with third parties in providing training for teachers in Mimika Regency on school-based curricula (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan /KTSP) to increase teachers' competencies and professionalism in teaching specific subjects, and assisting teachers assigned to remote areas.

PTFI also built a Mining Institute to train indigenous Papuans in skills required for world-class mining and prepare them to compete in the mining industry workforce.

Women's Empowerment

Since 2008, PTFI by way of Aitomona Cooperative has been empowering Papuan women and providing skills for housewives, allowing them to play a role in increasing family incomes. Through various training courses to teach household financial management, sewing and preparing dishes with local ingredients, the women learn how to generate cottage industries.

Capacity Building

PTFI continually endeavors to support organizations representing local communities towards increasing professionalism and accountability in the management of funds provided by PTFI for community development programs. Organizations receiving community development program funding include YPMAK, the foundations Yayasan Tuarek Natkime, Yayasan Waartsing, Yayasan Yu-Amako, and Yayasan Hak Asasi Manusia dan Anti Kekerasan (Human Rights and Anti Violence/ YAHAMAK) and the MoU 2000 Forum.

Independent auditors and training for the preparation of financial reports are highly needed to increase organizational accountability, so that program target communities are aware of how the funds are used and conflict of interest with community groups is precluded.