The new Village Development Trust Training Centre is an innovatively designed facility, incorporating a combination of traditional styles, local building materials, and village labour along with modern technology and amenities. It provides an education and training venue that offers vivid examples of Papua New Guinea timber, ecosystems, biodiversity, and conservation practises essential to sustainable development.

The facility was designed by by Ken Costigan and Geoffrey Larawin through UDC Architects of Unitech. This group also supervised construction which used employed villagers from neighbouring Lababia village.

This training centre will become the major venue for VDT to conduct its popular training programmes for village residents from along the Morobe Coast and other parts of the country. It will also serve as a local point for VDT's work within the Kamiali WMA offering significant economic opportunities for the village. Over the last I 1/2 years the construction of his facility has resulted in more than K 8,000 of cash income being received by the community residents. This has been primarily through the earning of' income by workers at the construction site and the purchase of' sawn timber for construction from the community's portable sawmill. In addition, skills such as carpentry and sawmilling were developed by certain individuals improving their prospects for future employment. The short term benefits from the construction phase will then give way to long term income earning by villagers. These incomes will consist of' wage.s earned by facility employees housekeeping, maintenance and kitchen staff who will be be trained and supervised by VDT staff and its contracted partners. Landowners of the I hectare site are also receiving annual lease payments from VDT through the long term lease that was established there almost three years ago. Under a further agreement with villagers an amount per guest per night will be paid into a community account providing the village with income with which to carry out their own development and community service projects. There will be other economic benefits realised by villagers who will provide guiding, transport, artifacts, and other sales and services to visitors. Added to the economic benefits will be the educational and empowerment benefits from having VDT's trainings being offered in close proximity to the village.

Village Development Trust wishes to acknowledge the following donors for their financial contribution to the Construction of the Kamiali Training Centre & Guest House

The World Bank

The MacArthur Foundation

National Forestry and Conservation Action Plan (NFCAP)

Interchurch Organisation For Development Cooperation (ICCO)

New Zealand High Commission

Pacific Conservation and Development Trust

VDT also wishes to acknowledge its many partners, donors, and supporters around the world who have supported its work in many ways and thereby made this facility possible.