Grass Skirt Project

Grass Skirt Project (GSP) is a community-led organisation in Papua New Guinea supporting youth to become confident, culturally grounded leaders- using sport as a trusted pathway for safety, equity, and collective wellbeing. Young people and communities are the heroes. GSP’s role is the guide- providing tools, systems, and safe environments that help communities transform conflict into confidence and leadership. Across PNG, youth face complex challenges including gender-based violence, limited access to youth-friendly health services, and few visible leadership pathways. Yet communities are rich in cultural capital, resilience, and collective strength. GSP works with communities- not on them- to unlock this potential. What We Do We deliver trauma-informed, culturally rooted programs at the intersection of youth leadership, gender equity, conflict transformation, community health, and sport. 10 Million Strong (10MS): A youth leadership and gender equity initiative delivered through schools, churches, and community hubs. GymBox: Community-owned hubs created from repurposed shipping containers, providing safe access to health, fitness, education, and leadership pathways. Hevea Cup & Wellness Expo: A national rugby tournament and health activation that creates visibility, pride, and access to health services while mobilising men and boys as allies for gender equity. Why It Works A recent Forecast Social Return on Investment (SROI) study projects that between 2026–2030, GSP will generate USD $22.5M in social value- a 7.9 : 1 return on investment- with youth accounting for over USD $11M of that value. These outcomes are driven by local leadership. How We Partner GSP is a trusted delivery partner for donors, corporates, governments, and development organisations seeking long-term, measurable impact in youth, gender, and community development. We don’t create heroes. We help communities recognise the heroes they already have and build the pathways to lead.