Teminabuan, South Sorong — Mutiara Hitam Papua Foundation (YMHP) in collaboration with Black Pearl Network Australia conducted a working visit on Tuesday (20/01/2026) to the GKI Teminabuan Synod in South Sorong Regency, in order to strengthen synergy in human resource (HR) development through English language education.

This visit had several strategic objectives, including evaluating the progress of the Black Pearl English Course (BPEC) Teminabuan program, enhancing the English language skills of the community in various villages with tourism potential, and introducing the plan to develop the Black Pearl English Academy (BPEA) that will be located in downtown Sorong.

The Director of Mutiara Hitam Papua Foundation, Fred Bundah, in his statement mentioned that South Sorong Regency is a region with abundant natural resources and promising tourism potential. However, this potential needs to be supported by the readiness of local human resources, particularly the younger generation.

"South Sorong has very attractive tourism potential. Therefore, synergy between the Foundation and the church, in this case, the GKI Teminabuan Synod, is needed to jointly develop the human resources of the children in this area, especially in the field of English language," said Fred Bundah.

He emphasized that mastering the English language is crucial for Papua’s children, especially in South Sorong, to actively participate in the tourism industry and also to have the competitiveness to access various scholarships, both domestic and international.

"English is one of the main requirements for obtaining many scholarships. Through this program, we aim to prepare the children of South Sorong to have a broader and more competitive future," he added.

Meanwhile, the GKI Teminabuan Synod, represented by the Synod Secretary, Rev. Yunesti Sagrim, S.Si, expressed full appreciation and support for the continuity of the English language development program that has been running.

"Essentially, the GKI Teminabuan Synod continues to support the English language program in our service area. We hope this program will have a positive impact on the children, especially in the areas that have tourism potential in South Sorong Regency," he said.

Furthermore, the Synod also announced plans to build a classroom that will function as an English language learning center to support the sustainability and quality of the educational program jointly carried out with the Mutiara Hitam Papua Foundation.

This working visit is expected to be an initial step in further strengthening the collaboration between the Foundation, the church, and the community, in creating a confident and globally competitive young generation of Papua, ready to build their region through education.