Everyday people PNG

He is the last born of a family of six siblings, four boys and two girls.  His education in the village only reached Grade 6. Since his parents passed on, Luke has no idea about his age, nor when he last did Grade 6. Luke decided to come to Port Moresby in search for better life and to further his education hoping that his relatives could assist him but they did not. He reckons they think backwards as they do not see the importance of education.

“I don’t have a house but I’m renting one of those K100 rooms at Vadavada. I don’t have any family, I am living on my own. I don’t even have a partner,” she says.

Evelyn’s husband passed away in 2014 and left her with a son who is now 16 years old, and lives in Wabag with is mother’s relatives. She said she is not able to put her child to school because she couldn’t find enough money to pay for his school fees.  

“I find life very difficult for me and there is no one to take care of me, so this little market is very important to me for my survival, Evelyn said.  

Strength and conditioning within PNG itself is a very new concept. For the [cricket] players, it’s definitely brought up their standard and it has no doubt changed the game.

Being the first woman appointed to coach an international men’s cricket team (in the S&C department), I have certainly developed a love for this sport science.

Initially coaching the Lewas, I have now been in the role for three years and am part of the support team for the PNG Barramundis.

During that time, I knew I had to work hard if I was to be selected again for the Kumul Petroleum PNG Barramundis.

So I spent much of that time training to prove myself worthy of a spot.

When I got the call confirming my re-selection for the team, I knew my hard work had paid off.

My family got me into the game.

My father played. My brother played. In fact, he used to play for the Barras, and so I look up to my big brother Vani. He was the opening batsman in a game against Kenya and scored 112 in that game.

It’s been helping me to stay disciplined. And I’ve grown.

Cricket has taught me how to be professional off the field as well.

Like my other teammates, family played a big part in the sport.

As a little boy growing up in Hula, Central Province, I always watched my uncle, Vavine Pala’s cricket games.

Pala, one of PNG’s pioneer cricketers, featured in the first ICC Trophy tournament in 1979.

It was a Twenty20 International match against Belfast.

All the real hard work was put in, in 2014, when PNG got its ODI status.

That was when I debuted in the Hongkong vs PNG match in November 8^th, 2014.

And after all these years, I still love cricket because of how much good it has done for him.

My love for the sport developed while watching my family play. I saw how much they enjoyed it and I wanted to enjoy it just as much as they did.

I have been a single mum for almost eight years now and I am loving the time spent with my nuclear family because I can fully focus on my parents, siblings and my children.

The father of my children and I have been wonderfully blessed with two beautiful, talented and intelligent kids, and they are the best things that happened to us.

Our oldest son is 15 years old and in grade nine, he is a very talented free style dancer, his little sister at 11 years old and in grade 4 is a singer, and as I like to say, she and singing – they go hand in hand.

My name is Edna Sida Perukamea, my husband’s name is Bobby Peruka Perukamea and he is from Tubusereia village. I am from Logea Island in Samarai, Milne Bay Province.

My husband and I got married in 1974 straight after graduating from Madang Teachers College. My husband and I went to the same college, that’s where we met and got married, through customary marriage.

That is where I developed my interest in teaching.

My name is Henry Oue, I am from Kairuku District in Central Province. I have been a teacher for 10 years and six of those years have been spent teaching at the Tubusereia Primary School. The three years before coming here, I spent in my village at the Inauabui Primary School and then I moved to a remote school where I was head teacher there before coming to teach here.

I do my best to encourage them to take up Science because through Science we can learn many things, because it is observing the nature around us.

My name is Mary Aisa Ono, I am 48 years old and I am married with five children, two boys and three girls. They have all grown up now. My first born is a teacher like me, my second born is doing his final year studying Business and Management at UPNG and my third daughter is studying at the University of Goroka, training to be a secondary school teacher, taking up education, specializing in accounting.