An Engan teacher's struggle to make a difference

“Noah Kason is my name. I have served the Education department as a teacher for 24 years and currently I am the Head Teacher of Malaumanda Community School. Malamaunda is located in the central mountain ranges which divide the two “wan wara” provinces – Enga to the south and East Sepik to the north. The school is located in the gold-rich district of Laigap.

I am assisted by two teachers in the school – Mr Simon Robert is the senior teacher and Mr Peter Kopem is the assistant teacher. We are all from Wapenamanda District, Enga. Our strong ambition is to educate less fortunate young people in this remote part of Papua New Guinea so that they can become teachers and community health workers and can go back and serve their own people”.

After days of travelling from his remote school to Wabag town in Enga, Noah caught a flight to Port Moresby to seek assistance from Nambawan Super to access funds from the Housing Advance product to purchase materials to build a house in his Kondomanada village.  Noah is retiring in five years and he plans to have a nice house when he stops teaching.  His application was approved and the funds were made available to a supplier in Mt Hagen for him to collect the building materials. 

Delighted with the assistance provided by Nambawan Super, Noah spent some time chatting with us about his school. As he raised concerns about the neglect of Malamaunda, it was obvious that Noah is passionate about his people. 

Malamaunda Community School was established in 1996 by the Enga provincial government but it has had numerous disruptions.  There are four classes – Grades 1 to 4 – and a student population of 160; 11 females & the rest are males. Teachers posted to the school usually abandoned their postings. Some of the issues contributing to the lack of interest in the school are:

1)      No housing for teachers. The current teachers are accommodated by villagers.

2)      There is only  one double-classroom and it is a thatched roof building which is deteriorating rapidly

3)      Food supply is scarce due to poor soil quality

4)      Isolation of school and lack of road access 

The only way to reach the school is by air. The nearest government stations, Mulitaka and Maramuni in Enga, can be reached after three days of trekking through jungle. Karawari and Mesca stations in East Sepik, also take three days of walking.

Noah said; “Malamaunda school serves over 1,500 people situated in six main villages. Ninety-nine per cent of the people are illiterate. Only five youths who have extended families in Wapenamanda and Laiagam Districts have been fortunate to receive formal education and are now in Grades 5, 6, 7, 10 & 11”.

Noah is planning to serve as Head teacher for five more years in order to establish elementary schools in the villages and to raise Malaumanda school’s level to a Primary school with Grade 7 and Grade 8 classes.

Teachers throughout the country make up 40 percent of the membership of Nambawan Super. Noah is a shining example of the commitment and dedication of many who, despite adversity, serve their people with pride. 

ANYONE WISHING TO ASSIST NOAH AT HIS SCHOOL CAN CONTACT HIM ON - PH 76218326. OR ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN MAKE A DONATION TO MALAUMANDA COMMUNITY SCHOOL ACCOUNT :-

NUMBER - 1001581005

ACCOUNT BANK - BANK SOUTH PACIFIC

LOCATED IN - WABAG