By DENNIS BADI
Lake Kutubu is not only PNG's eco - tourism hotspot but its surrounding regions and mild climate is ideal for growing coffee. Here the communities live an essentially sedentary lifestyle that has changed little in hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years.
Kutubu people and their local leaders namely Naomi Samuel and Sese Vege are eager to embrace any feasible development opportunity whilst at the same time preserve their unique environment and traditional practices.
Oil derived money was often mis-used and invested elsewhere by their past leaders. But that is about to change. The Kutubu people can now celebrate with the launching of MRDC funded Coffee Project, which until November 17 that kind of funding was denied to the communities.
"Mistakes done by our leaders are bygone and people's attitudes are changing. Let's grab this only opportunity" said Sese Vege, Director Petroleum Resource Kutubu, who endorsed the project.
The Mineral Resource Development Cooperation funding of K400, 000 comes in the form of 2 nursery sheds at Pimaga government station with 3000 coffee seedlings, 20 pulping machines and a 3 tonne truck to buy coffee, transport seedlings and coffee patchmnets to the nearest market.
The funding will greatly boost the efforts of a local NGO CDI Foundation, which has promoted agriculture awareness and small scale livelihood projects in Kutubu since 2001. The NGO will implement the project in partnership with the Southern Highlands DPI officers and MRDC.
Naomi Samuel, Foe Women's Association President assured MRDC of women's' support to the project. "This is the first of its kind and we will embrace it."
Imbi Tagune, MRDC Cooperate Affairs Manager who opened the project, was impressed, "If people can increase coffee production than MRDC will give more support. Ground work is already here, emphasis only in quality control and marketing."
Peter John CDI Foundation Agriculture Manager, who submitted the Coffee proposal, was a proud man on the occasion. His vision for farmers to go into production will see them have an association like other sister highlands provinces who make a living out of coffee. "The association will increase output and promote its organic coffee to the outside world."
"There are currently 106 farmers and 36,000 coffee trees. A tonne of coffee patchmnet was already sold to buyers at Mt Hagen." said Allan Kealaua, CDI Livelihood Programme Coordinator.
The launching took place at Pimaga government station where the people braved the heat of the scorching sun, with lucky ones taking cover under the shade of trees, and some under their umbrellas to witness this new development. It was a happy celebration with FIDA theatre group - a CDI initiative, and the Foe cultural group leading the carousing.
The FIDA theatre group made famous by Oil Search and WWF during Annual World Environment Day performed songs written by themselves, and made awareness on development showing incredible talent that informed the guests and over 3000 people who came from Faso, Foe and Hela regions near Lake Kutubu.
The Kutubu Coffee project is the first kind of project to emerge since the Kutubu oil project. It will not only provide an alternative income source to the people but greatly improve their living standards. This is a historic occasion that had brought together the Government, a NGO and company to share their aspirations and working together to bring sustainable development into rural communities.
The guests who officiated at the launching came from Oil Search Limited, Coffee Industry Cooperation and Southern Highlands Provincial government.





 

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