Pukari

Pukari in Malalaua district is the first to accept the idea initiated to formally organise themselves through landowner associations.

Jerry Sarufa, founder of JI, says the idea is to network the communities with business, corporate and private entities.

But first, there has to be proper documentation and paperwork in order to enter formal arrangement or agreement with entities they wish to partner with.

Sarufa’s team travelled into Gulf on April 4 to see the progress on ground, which he said was impressive.

For Pukari, a remote community in Gulf Province, human resource is an issue.

The blame may fall back to Pukari Primary School, but there are many other external contributing factors.

Shedding light and expressing concern was the current headmaster Erevai Toere.

The school has 297 students from grades 3 to 8. There are 80 students in each class, and only 6 teachers to cater for them.

On average, less than 10 students pass on to do Grade 9, either at the Kerema Coronation Secondary School or Malalaua High School.

But for the first time, Pukari in Gulf Province were able to speak up for their rights.

These needs include the right to access clean drinking water, primary health care, education for all and road link access, among others.

Road link is top on their agenda.

Even though Gulf Province is connected to Port Moresby by land, the feeder roads into the communities have deteriorated and are inaccessible.

This has in turn impacted other services like health and education.