I was privileged to visit the George Washington Forest some weeks ago with Jim and Judy Ranck. I’m grateful to both of them for the opportunity to enjoy this experience outside of my school life here in Virginia.
Who would have thought an uber driver would become my family in a foreign land. But hey God does the impossible possible at all levels.
Jim and Judy remind me to be kind,grateful,loving,cheerful and joyful everyday. With their friendship I am learning to pray more fervently and rely on God for almost everything.
In this fall season I remain hopeful in God for courage,patience,kindness and gratitude.
My name is Arlette aka Arlie and I come from East New Britain Province.
Fun fact about me, I wasn’t brought up with my biological parents and until to this day I’m not close to neither of them but I’m working on improving the relationship I have with my birth parents.
I was brought up with my biological father’s big sister and her late husband who practically played the role of a father figure in my life hence why I proudly say I’m from Sepik because I do until to this day carry his name as my official surname that I use both during my university days and also today professionally at the workplace and in business.
I’m not sharing this for your sympathy but for the purposes of encouraging and empowering young men and women who also have similar background like myself to look beyond their current circumstances and keep your Mindset focused on the goal you envision for yourself in the future.
I was born in Nonga General Hospital and I grew up in Rabaul and Wewak and eventually moved back to Rabaul in 1997 where my schooling began at a Catholic agency school in Rabaul called Sacred Heart International Primary School(SHIPS).
After SHIPS, I went to Kokopo Secondary School and Malabunga Secondary School to complete my secondary education. I ended up attending the University of Papua New Guinea through the external program on open campus.
I was determined to get into the internal study mode and so I worked hard until I completed my final year and After completing my first year externally I worked hard smartly to get a second year placement internally and promised myself to work extra hard in my courses and I completed my final year in 2014.
I successfully graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Business Management with a Major in Strategic Management and got a job as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
For seven years , work travel took me to Asia and Oceania. These opportunities provided a space to contribute to PNG’s foreign policy aspirations and in promoting PNG’s interest abroad. I’m truly grateful to have assisted in shaping my country’s Foreign Policy aspirations over the course of my tenure. Last year in March, I made the decision to venture into the financial services industry to create my new chapter.
It has been a year and six months in my current role and I’ve invested in personal growth programs and also run my Mentorship Programs that is aimed at teaching Papua New Guineans about how to order products online via Alibaba,Ali-express,Amazon and E-bay. Further still, I also teach Papua New Guineans to take control of their personal finance through my Pay Yourself First Program.
A lot of Papua New Guineans have benefited from my Program and are really thankful that they have invested in improving their personal lives. I’m not boasting about my program but I am trying to encourage the habit of paying yourself first.
Thank you for taking your time to read this and I hope I have inspired,challenged and reminded you that it’s never too late to create your own reality.
Your current situation is not your final destination so start now!
Disclaimer: All views and opinion expressed are solely mine.
It’s been almost three months since I left home for this journey of faith and adventure. I’m privileged and honoured to have been selected as another Fulbrighter from Papua New Guinea to study in the United States of America. Praise God for this favour and thank you to the United States Embassy in Port Moresby for making this dream come true for my family especially my father and me. I am grateful and appreciative to those that have encouraged,inspired,challenged and motivated me to become a better version of myself and to step out of my comfort zone, face my fears and take bold actions.
God has been good to me . I met kind people who welcomed me with so much generosity and kindness. These persons inspired me to be more kind to those I meet. I also met people who believe in God and this has really motivated me to continue to seek the Lord in all my day to day challenges ,aspirations and in my studies. It’s amazing how I met this uber driver through another international student and after a conversation about PNG , Jim and his lovely wife have become my family. We are a community fueled by faith, compelled by love.I have found my space in the church and have enjoyed the Sunday services with great hymns and songs. I’m learning new things every day and especially every Sunday at the Faith Community Church. This joy has helped me to navigate my classes and remain patient,humble,kind, grateful and emphatic.
I take this time through my writing to Glorify the Father, Honour the Son and Welcome the Spirit. While I have dedicated my classes to the Triune God for wisdom,guidance and protection, I have decided to do the same for this blog too.
Northern Environmental Solutions Inc (NESI), a local NGO in Oro province with a purpose to carry out sustainable agriculture, reforestation, environmental conservation and farmers capacity building in terms of sustainable agriculture skills training has successfully hosted a stakeholders’ workshop as part of its program to celebrate its second anniversary in Oro Province.
The event was hosted at the NESI’s Project Base at Arehe Block, Popondetta, Oro Province where stakeholders from public, private, NGOs, women groups, community-based organizations and individuals attended and shared their views and inputs on how they could support the local NGO to drive its programs to support local communities in the space of sustainable agriculture, reforestation and climate change to create resilience communities amidst the face of climate change.
NESI Project Manager Christopher Soka who officiated at the presentation stated that the focus of hosting this celebration was to engage with all the stakeholders at all sectors so that it gives that opportunity for NESI to find common ground on how to work together with all stakeholders in collaboration to support the local communities to foster sustainable agriculture, reforestation, environment conservation and climate change programs.
The Provincial Acting Advisor for Commerce, Culture and Tourism Mr Collin Ohoha applauded the work that NESI has been doing and emphasized on how to give that support through maintaining a working relationship in order for the local NGO to deliver to local communities in the province.
NESI Executive Director Greg Soka on behalf of the project team acknowledged the stakeholders, team members and volunteers for their time and support given over the last two years of providing community projects.
“As we celebrate this event, it also gives us the opportunity to reflect back on where we started, the journey we came through, where we are today and where we could go from here. We believe that through stakeholders’ engagement, we can forge a working relationship through partnership, networking and linkages to create an ecosystem or an enabling environment that can bring sustainable community projects,” said Greg.
The organization also would like to acknowledge and thank NBPOL Higaturu, particularly the Sustainability Department under the leadership of Benjamin Lele Osa for the support through donation of new nursery canopy (net), water tank as well as the logistical support. Another thanks to OISCA Japan for the donation of administrative necessities. Further thank you is also extended to Oro Provincial Government, schools, other CBOs and individuals for their tremendous support over the course of two years.
NESI will continue this engagement and they would like to call on other private sector players, government departments, NGOs, CBOs, associations and individuals to reach out and add value to this engagement. They thank Oro Provincial Government through Mr. Raymond Hunt, Sohe District Council of Women President Ms Rojil Afa, Executive Officer for Sohe District Council of Women Mr. Rodney Geba, Acting Advisor for Commerce, Culture & Tourism, Popondetta Office Mr Collin Otoha, Mosley Derari of Mosley’s Photography, and NBC Northern Mr Ian Suharupa who joined the team and other volunteers at this event.
About Northern Environmental Solutions Inc
Northern Environmental Solutions Inc (NESI) is an established and registered local NGO with IPA Certificate Number: 5-109983 being incorporated under the Association Incorporation Act, with a purpose to carry out reforestation, sustainable agriculture, address climate change and environmental issues affecting Oro Province and expand throughout to Papua New Guinea in the future. As a local NGO, NESI is supporting local communities in reforestations, conservations and sustainable agricultural programmes for resilience communities in the face of climate change in Oro province.
I took this photo of farmers attending a training on cocoa husbandary in Zumim village in Kaiapit in 2012.
This training was facilitated by extension officers from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock(DAL) based at Mutzing. My father was one of the officers at that time and so I had the privilege to accompany him so I could observe and see the kind of challenges extension officers go through on a daily basis and what they do despite very little financial support from the sector.
Despite the challenges, they still go out to help farmers. I remember driving to Zumin where farmers, mostly men who owned cocoa gardens in the village were keen to receive the team from Mutzing. Most of the farmers had little education but they came because they were interested to learn in an informal setting. And agriculture extension is that informal education process directed towards the rural population and the field is their classroom to learn. The training covered field demonstrations of growing cocoa and coffee in a nursery to transplanting in a garden, shading, intercropping and control of weeds and pests.
While the men attended this training in a makeshift shelter, women prepared food. I wanted to highlight here the role and importance of rural women in agriculture. Rural women are largely responsible for the food on the tables and households. Zumin village is no exception. It is one of those villages located along the highway in Markham which is vulnerable to extreme event such as drought. So you can imagine the challenge women and girls here face in maintaining their households while having to walk some distance to the nearest water source while trying to build sustainable livelihoods for their families. Women here are less resilient to climate change which means they are vulnerable like many other women in rural areas of Papua New Guinea.
For DAL officers, it takes a lot of passion and enthusiasm to be one. You have to do what you can, given the limitations you have and the kind of change you want to see implemented. Some times you need to hit pause on training sessions because there is not enough cash flow to buy seedlings and tools to continue with certain activities.
And the struggles of farmers will still be there but farmers need to remain focused on their dreams and aspirations to continue. DAL officers can only help where they can. On my last visit to Zumim recently, I was happy to learn that a lot has happened and Zumim farmers are now selling cocoa beans for income. Farmers need to comply to best husbandary practice to meet the standard and quality required by PNG Cocoa Board and the role of DAL is crucial here. While DAL can do its part, farmers need to be honest and creative to remain compliant to ensure they continue to benefit from extension services at the same time transform their communities.
Farming God’s Way! This is the story of an entrepreneur, Jerry Aviro who is actively involved in farming and environment conversation work in the hope of improving the quality of life at his home village in Keremu in Daulo in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea.
He is not championing this sustainable lifestyle alone, he has a team of hard working farmers on the land.
I was really impressed with the kind of work Jerry and his team currently engaged in on the ground, so I decided to share this story on my blog to inform, educate and empower those who read to do the same by actively taking care of the environment and growing food to feed families and members of their communities while at the same time make money from the sale of fresh vegetables too.
Jerry and his team of hard working family members and farmers from Keremu have been committing their time to plant bulb onions, tomatoes, cabbages and other fresh vegetables for everyday dietary needs and for market supply as well.
He is indeed a role model to those who want to change their own communities by taking ownership and responsibility of creatively leading, managing time and people to do what is needed to sustain livelihood and create wealth with extra effort and the right environment.
With a goal to achieve in farming, Jerry and his team have increased production of bulb onions. On August 3, a net bag of well cured onion was sold in Goroka for K120 each.
These net bags of onions above were sold under Mama Fresh Produce which is one of the activities of Daulo Commodities Cooperative Society which Jerry and other farmers formed in 2018. An interesting journey of hard work, team work, dedication, commitment, resilience coupled with challenges and motivation to generate family income, provide employment for the youth and women, unfortunate people and equal participation in business.
Development partners since then have come on board to provide support where needed.
After attending a training on disaster preparedness with Care International, Jerry identified the need to plant trees as a mitigation initiative for landslide in the Daulo area. With the support from Global Greengrants Fund and Partners with Melanesia, the team planted about 60,000 trees.
Jerry is committed to plant bulb onion by increasing production for livelihood and sustainability to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life and safeguard the environment in his community by planting more trees.
This initiative to turn a kunai grass hill side into a beautiful forest landscape in Leron in the Markham Valley of Morobe Province is beginning to take shape.
Joel Gedisa who is leading this initiative says four years ago, PNG Forest Authority supplied trees and twenty people were engaged to do the planting.
“We want to set an example to our people that, we can’t wait for the government or non-government organizations to bring changes. We have to create it to better our livelihood.”
There are about 50,0000 trees being planted.
The aim is to empower people to take charge of their lives and where feasible identify a better livelihood option that works for the community.
By planting trees ,we create a conducive space for humans to live in harmony with nature and also create resilient communities in the face of climate change.
Sarah Kaut Nasengom will always be a very special friend to me. She was my second year roommate at UPNG whose friendship and kindness helped me overcame depression in 2011 during the separation of my parents at one point in life.
I feel compelled to thank her for her kindness and to remind her of how special and unique it was for me to have met her as a friend and a sister. I believe God knew what was going to happen to me and before I knew, appointed Sarah as my roommate for that academic year. She was nice to me, she gave her best to me. In saying nice I mean thoughtful, caring, helpful and considerate in her action and her speech.
Not only did I overcome depression, I did well to score a GPA of 4 which allowed me to secure a room for the following academic year and get back to my HECAS scholarship.
Here is a brief of what actually happened to me. I still remember that fateful morning where I woke up to fetch a jug of water for tea. I had been sad and depressed for some months and it was eating me emotionally and physically. I was deeply affected because I was the only sibling away from home at that time when my parents separated.
My health was in a pretty bad state. I was under weight and was not eating a balanced meal.
That morning I was preparing for class. The last thing I remembered was connecting the jug to the power.
I closed my eyes and took a nap and that was it. The jug exceeded its boiling limit and all the contents began to dry up. I struggled to wake up. I felt dizzy. I didn’t have the strength to walk or to talk. I was weak and helpless.
I took a piece of paper and wrote a note for Sarah to pass it on to my bestfriend, Leiao Gerega whom I believe would respond kindly. In that note, I ask her to inform my aunt Angie and if she had time in the afternoon Leiao should come by to Rainbow where I would be waiting.
Sarah went to class and delivered the note. When I woke up at around 4pm, Leiao was there.
She took my bag, stopped a taxi which took us to my aunt’s house at Fort Banner.
Aunty Angie was kind enough to meet Leiao and saw her off after that ordeal.
I was diagnosed with chest infection and was put on antibiotics. For three weeks ,I stayed away from classes.
When I showed up on the first day on campus ,few of my friends met me and said I looked like I had been ill for a month or two. I looked really sick and was struggling emotionally.
Leiao was kind enough to share her lecture and tutorial notes with me for catch up. I was really appreciative of her effort and company at that time.
When I returned to my room, Sarah welcomed me with a pleasant greeting. Her modest and pleasant personality inspired me to embrace a positive attitude and to focus on getting good grades at the end of the semester.
She would share information about career pathway in public relations, research and diplomacy and relate specific jobs to me and how to get there through hard work, determination, discipline, commitment and respect.
I knew I met a rare and a special friend in Sarah. I knew Sarah’s company would help me become the better version of myself because she reminded me of myself and the values that I believe in life. If you want something, work hard for it and earn it honestly!
I was right. Sarah was my like-minded friend and a sister. Her kindness provided a friendly environment which had an impact on my thoughts, behaviour, feelings, motivation and well-being as a person.
I thank her for the food she would share and more than all the laughter which I needed at that time.
Interestingly to my surprise, I later learned that Sarah had a special connection to Kaiapit through her father. Sarah has been to Ampan Primary School during the time when her father was a teacher. I come from a village called Gantisap in Kaiapit and this, I thought gave me a personal emotional connection because I went to school up to grade eight at Ampan.
Being very close to my father, Sarah’s connection and likeable personality gave me a sense of belonging. I knew I had to take charge of my life, be responsible and not become a victim of circumstance.
And I made it past second semester. I thank Sarah for sharing her life and by giving her best to me. It was the warmth and love that helped me grew personally. I thank her beyond special because not everyone can value their childhood connection to a place and continue to deepen that family connection with those they meet along the journey of life.
She had a bunch of cheerful friends in Lorraine, Vanessa, Norah and Phyllis. They all became friends to me. They still call me ”roommate”.
I kept in touch with Sarah after uni and followed her progress in life. Whenever I meet Sarah in Mosbi, I would stop and greet her and continue my journey. Even at times when I am walking along the road and I see her in a bus, I would still wave and call out to her as a greeting. I often feel obliged to meet her because she was the inspirer, a gem and a precious friend whose friendship touched my life and enabled me to grow.
She went on to work as a researcher with the National Research Institute(NRI) and I knew she would excel and reach her potential in life.
I was really proud last year when Sarah became a recipient of the flagship United States Fulbright Program. She has truly inspired me personally and professionally to pursue the extraordinary in life. With mad respect for her achievement, I jokingly love to call her Kumul Amerika for being my sister from the island of Siassi.
Thank you Sarah for being a gem of a friend. I love you and pray that you continue to shine a light on those you meet and become a blessing to them.
Northern Environmental Solutions Inc (NESI), a local NGO in Oro province with a purpose to carry out reforestation programs, environment protection, conservation, sustainable agriculture and advocate on environmental issues affecting Oro Province has received logistical support from the Sustainability Department of New Britain Palm Oil Limited in celebrating the recent World Environment Day in schools in Oro Province.
This support saw the distribution of landscaping trees from NESI’s project nursery at Arehe Block to Sangara Primary School, Sangara Skills Training Centre, Popondetta International School and Sorovi Primary school.
The support also extended to a positive engagement and dialogue between the Sustainability and Quality Manager of NBPOL Higaturu Mr Benjamin Osa and NESI’s Project Lead Christopher Soka on possible way forward in working together to deliver the reforestation and environmental sustainability programs for small Oil Palm Block Holders.
NESI’s Project Lead, Christopher Soka while thanking the Sustainability Manager of NBPOL Higaturu Mr Benjamin Osa stated that the support and engagement in environment protection, reforestation and conservation projects are very significant for human survival which will create a conducive space for humans to live in harmony with nature while creating resilient communities in the face of climate change.
NBPOL Higaturu Sustainability Manager Mr Benjamin Osa (left), NESI’s Project Lead Mr Christopher Soka (middle) and the Director of the Sustainability Department at the meeting.
“The support has enabled our project team to drive our programs in schools for tree planting during the world environment day celebration. We are thankful to NBPOL for the support and these trees will provide shade and oxygen for the students as well as landscape for the school,” said Christopher Soka.
Northern Environmental Solution Executive Director, Greg Soka conveyed his sincere thanks with great appreciation and acknowledgment to New Britain Palm Oil Limited on behalf of the executives from Port Moresby, members of Northern Environmental Solutions in Oro and other stakeholders for the support and the positive discussions on environment protection, conservation and reforestation programs.
Greg Soka thanked the NBPOL for the engagement and stated that this has given confidence to the programs of NESI and is an indication of a positive gesture from the biggest investor in Oro province in line with the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility to support local communities’ programs and engagements.
NESI is thankful and is look forward to working with NBPOL Higaturu through its sustainability department for a fruitful engagement in their programs in the near future.
About Northern Environmental Solutions Inc
Northern Environmental Solutions Inc (NESI) is an established and registered local NGO with IPA Certificate Number: 5-109983 being incorporated under the Association Incorporation Act, with a purpose to carry out reforestation, sustainable agriculture, address climate change and environmental issues affecting Oro Province and expand throughout to Papua New Guinea in the future. As a local NGO, NESI is supporting local communities in reforestations, conservations and sustainable agricultural programmes for resilience communities in the face of climate change in Oro province.
Rural mothers, daughters and grandmothers in Papua New Guinea play a huge role in producing food and building agriculture at the village and district level.
But in order to empower these women farmers to become healthy active participants and more efficient, productive and self-reliant in their own environment, you need an agriculture extension officer who is willing to impart knowledge and skills.
Many times agriculture extension officers in rural PNG find themselves in work circumstance where there is limited resources to use, but they are always willing to help farmers improve their livelihoods through the growing of cash and food crops, raising of pigs, poultry, livestock and fishery for food and for income.
Extension training with farmers in Zumim villagein Markham.
It gives me the greatest honour to share the story and promote the work of my father’s colleague, Mrs. Salome Zongesia.
She is the only female agriculture extension officer ‘didimeri’ attached with the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) at Mutzing in Markham in the Morobe province.
Aunty Salome’s maiden name is Salome Nausai Poion.
She comes from Lawes village in Penabu local level government area on the south coast of Manus Island.
Her journey as a ‘didimeri’ started in 1978 after completing grade ten at Manus Provincial High School.
During her high school days she had an uncle named John Yowat who was an agriculturalist at Lorengau. He was the one who persuaded her to take up agriculture.
In 1979, she ended up doing a three months’ work practical at Manus DAL, before going off to Vudal Agricultural College (now called the University of Natural Resources and Environment) for training in Rabaul, East New Britain.
She graduated in 1981 with a certificate in tropical agriculture. It was there that she met and married a Finschaffen man and followed him to Morobe.
Her first job started at 3 Mile in Lae with the Department of Primary Industry (DPI).
In 1984, she was transferred to Situm in Nawaeb then to Lae where she worked for what is now called Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA).
She moved to Mumeng in Bulolo for two years, then returned to Lae in 1991.
Work took her and her family to Wau rural local level government for nine years.
After more than ten years of field capacity in general extension work she went to Highlands Agriculture College in Hagen for her Post Diploma in Tropical Agriculture.
Shortly after this in 2002, she was posted to Mutzing in Markham and that’s where she joined my father, Giame Philip and three other male colleagues including her former boss, Dakia Wokio whom she had met in 1981 in Lae.
Because of her easy going personality and generous approach, it was very easy to know her.
Rice field extension somewhere in Markham.
Over ten years of her life was spent in Markham doing what she love most and that is serving humanity by providing extension services on spice and vegetable farming through farmer trainings and field demonstrations.
Where the department lack in terms of field capacity and expertise, partnership is key to achieve this.
“It’s rewarding at the end of the day when farmers succeed and their families benefit, it’s all about transforming livelihoods,’’ she explained.
It’s a very special feeling when you meet a farmer on the road and that farmer has managed to pay for children’s school fees or has ventured into a small business from the sale of crops or animals.
Despite every situation a farmer goes through, every farmer will always share a plate of food and greens. It’s a noble act!
And it takes extreme dedication, hard work, commitment and passion from someone like aunty Salome to inspire and empower young women farmers out there.
The challenge now is to see more young people take up that responsibility to come forward and actively participate through learning so they can help their parents.
Also to bring this work to a greater height with existing market opportunities and help change this narrative that farming is only for the poor and elderly.
Currently, aunty Salome is attached as the Rural Development Officer (RDO) with Markham DAL providing extension services on spice and vegetable farming.
Altogether she’s served DAL for 41 years and she is thinking of retiring at the end of this year and go back to Manus to start her own business.
She has three grown up children. Two of them are now attached with the Division of Community Development and the Division of Commerce & Industry respectively with Morobe Provincial administration.
Planter's Child Adventures 