BAUKA SCHOOL

PROJECT AIYURA VALLEY, OBURA-WONENARA DISTRICT EASTERN HIGHLANDS PROVINCE

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Crowd of people, including children, gathered outdoors on a grassy area with some sitting on chairs and others standing, under umbrellas in a rural setting with trees and houses in the background.

Bauka International Christian Light Academy (Bauka ICLA)

The Bauka International Christian Light Academy School (Bauka ICLA) project provides a double elementary school classroom, water tank and sanitary facilities on the edge of the Bauka Plantation in the Obura-Wonenara District, Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea – approximately two hours east of Goroka in the Aiyura Valley.

In terms of education, the district was listed in an Australian National University research paper as number one on a list of the top ten least developed districts in all of PNG. The project provides a much needed expansion of the school.

The school is located in the heart of a coffee producing community and supports the education of children whose families are involved in growing coffee – small-holders, subsistence farmers and plantation workers.

Background and Growth

An Early Learning Centre was established in 2015 as a home school for the children on the farm (Bauka Micro Farm) of Marey and Jon Yogiyo.

The school was expanded in 2016 by the Bauka Women in Coffee Association (BWiC) as a community service. Upper grades were accommodated in a room under a residence, while lower grades used a church building. The first intake was 33 students aged between four and eight years old, Kindergarten to Year 3. At that point, some classes needed to run outdoors to make space for others.

In 2017, with the assistance of donations arranged by a district parliamentary member, a new semi-permanent classroom was built. It was completed in July and enrolments increased to 40.

In 2018, enrolments increased again to 52. In association with the Tom Aynsley Foundation, a new double classroom has now been constructed by a generous partner/donor on the ground in PNG. This supports an enrolment increase to 100 students in the 2019 year.

Project Scope

The Bauka ICLA project was delivered at a total cost of K190,000 (approximately A$80,000). The new building includes:

A double classroom with teachers’ office space between the rooms
Solar lighting
Student and teacher desks and chairs
Blackboards and whiteboards
A 9,000L water tank
Two ventilation improved pit toilets
A ramp providing access for students with disabilities

Official Inauguration

On 15 January, teachers, students and community members gathered at Bauka Farm for the official inauguration of the new double classroom project.

Jon Yogiyo expressed gratitude:

“For this new gift which is for our children. These children will be educated in this quality classroom to learn, grow, prosper and contribute to the development of Papua New Guinea.”

Mike and Belinda Aynsley attended to formally hand over the project to the school and dedicate the classroom to the memory of Tom.

Mike spoke about Tom’s background and the establishment of the Foundation, explaining that Tom had developed a strong interest in the coffee industry and the communities that produce coffee. Although he had begun his path in the industry, he passed away only weeks into it.

For that reason, the Foundation’s focus was established around supporting coffee producing communities.

Tom’s Foundation works through grants and projects to support people and their communities. The Bauka ICLA project reflects that purpose and was delivered with the support of a generous partner, Digicel, who donated the necessary on the ground project management time and the substantial funding.

Dedication

During the unveiling of a memorial plaque, Belinda Aynsley dedicated the classroom to Tom.

She spoke of his character and values, and of the Foundation’s hope that students who attend Bauka ICLA will learn honesty, integrity and fairness, and carry those values throughout their lives.

Long-Term Vision

The longer-term plan is to develop the school through to Grade 12 by 2026.

Memorial plaque with bear image and coffee beans, dedicated to Thomas David Aynsley, 1992-2017, with a message about honesty, integrity, and sustainability in the coffee industry, and a website link www.tomaynsley.com.

Group of indigenous men in traditional attire and western visitors talking in a forest clearing.

A group of indigenous people in traditional feathered headdresses and grass skirts participating in a cultural dance or ceremony outdoors, with spectators watching in the background.

A cultural scene featuring individuals in traditional tribal costumes with masks and body paint, performing a dance outdoors on green grass with trees and a blue sky in the background.

A group of indigenous people dressed in traditional attire, performing a dance or ceremony outdoors, with onlookers in the background and a forest in the distance.

A small house with a red roof and white walls, surrounded by colorful flowers and greenery, under a partly cloudy sky.

A large group of people, including children and adults, gathered outdoors on a grassy area with trees in the background, holding colorful umbrellas.

A group of people standing outside in a garden area with flowering plants, next to a building with red windows and a red roof.

Children and adults gathered outdoors, some holding umbrellas, watching a performance of children with sacks jumping on the ground.

Four people standing in front of a white wall with red decorations, including two red doors and a plaque, smiling for the camera.

A woman is taking a photo of two people standing behind a barrier decorated with balloons and greenery. The setting appears to be a festive outdoor event with colorful decorations and a crowd in the background.

A woman with blonde hair and glasses holding a notebook, standing behind a red decorated table with bananas, watermelon, carrots, and a bunch of green bananas, in a setting with tropical plants and balloons, with two men seated behind her.

People taking photos at a celebration or event inside a decorated room with a red wall, framed plaque, and red, white, and green decorations.

Traditional indigenous dancers in ceremonial attire performing on a dirt ground with onlookers and a platform decorated with lush plants in the background.

Traditional indigenous dance performance outdoors with dancers in colorful costumes and feathered headpieces, surrounded by lush green plants, spectators, and a small decorated stage in a rural setting.

Two women are standing at a table with books and papers, discussing and pointing at the materials. In the background, there are people seated and others standing, with colorful walls and educational posters.

Group of children and adults participating in a cultural procession outdoors, with children painted white and wearing traditional leaf clothing, some holding sticks and one wearing a tribal mask with the words 'NO FEAR' written on it, surrounded by o

A man in a plaid shirt and tie giving a speech to a group of people seated under a decorated shelter with red and white balloons and greenery background.

Group of diverse people sitting together in a decorated outdoor setting with red and white balloons, a red backdrop, and tropical plants.

Traditional indigenous people celebrating outdoors with cultural attire, face paint, and handmade masks, some sitting and others standing in front of a house with a red roof and lush greenery.

A man with glasses and a white shirt is speaking into a microphone on an outdoor stage decorated with lush green plants and red flowers. Several people are seated or standing behind him, and a woman is taking a photo or video with her phone. The stag

An older man with a beard, wearing a hat, plaid shirt, and trousers, speaking into a microphone at a stage decorated with green foliage and red flowers. Behind him, there are people seated, and a black and red flag with stars hangs in the background.

Group of people standing outdoors in a rural setting, with lush greenery and trees in the background. Some are dressed casually, while others are in more formal attire. There are potted plants and tropical decorations nearby.

Group of indigenous men in traditional attire standing outdoors, wearing feathered headdresses, body paint, and holding sticks, with some holding flowers.

Children and adults performing traditional dance outdoors with spectators and indigenous cultural attire in the background.

The following selection of photographs show the development of the Bauka ICLA School as it has evolved from a small Early Learning Centre into a substantial facility serving the needs of over 100 students in 2019.

A group of children and adults gathered outdoors in front of a simple building with a wooden door and wall. Some children are sitting on pink chairs, and others are standing behind them. The scene appears to be a community or school gathering, with s

Group of five young children, four girls and one boy, standing inside a room, smiling, with a girl holding a young child. The background has a wooden wall with decorations and a table covered with a cloth. Caption reads, 'Pioneer Students in the Chur

Group of children standing in a classroom, with a woman speaking or leading an activity at the front.

Children sitting at desks outdoors in a schoolyard, with a woman helping a girl.

Construction site with concrete slabs and construction tools in a rural area with houses and green vegetation in the background.

Construction site with a concrete slab foundation on dirt, supported by metal poles, in a rural area with trees and green vegetation.

Two people working on a construction project on a raised platform outdoors, with greenery and a small building in the background.

Construction workers assembling a metal frame structure outdoors on a platform with trees in the background.

Construction workers assembling a steel frame for a building outdoors during daytime.

Front porch of a house with red window frames, stairs with a handrail, and construction supplies on the porch.

A house under construction with metal framing on the ground in front of it.

A small, elevated house with a red roof, three red-trimmed windows, and a water tank nearby, under a partly cloudy sky.

A small house with a red metal roof and white walls, situated outdoors with trees in the background.

A small house with a red roof and white walls, elevated on stilts, surrounded by trees.

A rural scene with two small agricultural buildings, one with a white roof and the other with a red roof, surrounded by trees and open land, under overcast skies.

BAUKA MICRO FARM & THE WOMEN IN COFFEE

The Bauka Micro Farm is situated in the green rolling hills of the Aiyura Valley backed by beautiful mountains, 1,200 to 1,800 meters above sea level, in the Obura-Wonenara District of the Eastern Highlands Province of PNG.

The surrounding mountains are covered with tropical rainforest. It is home to more than 114 species of birds identified so far, out of 842 different types of birds found in Papua New Guinea. Of the 42 species of Birds of Paradise, 4 have been identified on the ridges around Aiyura.

Up to 50 different birds are frequent visitors to the shade trees, coffee gardens and the secondary forest along the waterways. This is a perfect environment for an environmentally friendly coffee farm.

Coffee production is the backbone of the rural economy in the Highlands and, across the nation, about one-third of PNG’s people depend on coffee production for cash. Coffee was introduced into the Highlands in the 1930s and incorporated into the subsistence farming efforts of the farming community.

Jon and Marey Yogiyo purchased the land that is the Bauka Micro Farm in 1985 and for the past 33 years they have focused almost exclusively on the farming of coffee. Jon has pursued the evolution of their coffee growing activities to a commercially viable and sustainable business and is keen to work with and help the local growers to improve their productivity and to also move towards longer term sustainability of the District’s coffee production.

In 2000, Marey established the Bauka Women in Coffee (BWiC) initiative, founding the Bauka Blue Koffii, to encourage women in the District to make coffee a way of life to support themselves and their families. Marey recognised that the women spend a lot of time making and producing quality coffee, however, when everything was done, the men take the coffee to the markets and get all the money. The BWiC group decided to do it themselves so they could better support their families, paying school fees and attending to health requirements.

As the Yogiyo’s plantation and involvement in the community grew, they saw the need to provide an education service to their staffs’ children. The children were walking up to 2 hours just to get to the nearest school. Jon and Marey allocated land on the edge of the farm for a school and in 2015 opened an early learning centre. This has now grown into a school that in 2019 will serve around 100 students from the surrounding coffee producing community.

The successful farm that Jon and Marey have built is a wonderful example of how the subsistence farming efforts of coffee producers in PNG can evolve to sustainable businesses.