Well done students

On behalf of students, parents, relatives and the communities in rural Gumine, Salt-Nomane and Segima areas of Chimbu I would like to thank the principal, Kutna Bepvic, and her deputy Philip Bomal, of Gumine Secondary School for enabling large groups of remote, isolated and village-raised children to be educated at tertiary institutions.
Examples are the 14 in 2018 and now 16 students straight from the bush to the University of PNG.
Many have entered the University of Technology and many to other institutions.
We take our hats off for the entire teaching staff of Gumine Secondary School.
In previous years, one would appreciate very much if a single student made it through to university.
It is commonly accepted in most rural-based secondary and high schools.
For Bepvic and her teaching staff at Gumine High, we salute you for your courageous stand working with the community in an area saturated by political differences, road blocks, continuous inter-tribal conflicts, rugged and mountainous landscape, difficult conditions and limited resources.
Your ability to raise awareness among our community to send children to school, bring forward the girls who are normally hidden away by parents, your disciplining our children and your ability to raise awareness to keep supplying garden food to the school have resulted in our children having a chance to become doctors, lawyers, pilots, engineers and more.
For girls, at least they will be educated enough to defend themselves against sanguma accusations.
To the community in Gumine, Omkolai, Moromaule, Wara Sua, Gunage and Salt-Nomane, it is in our best interest to allow the principal, her deputy and these group of teachers to remain at Gumine Secondary for as long as possible.

Gerard Yumane
Goroka