Middle Ramu youths find path to education after years of being forgotten

There is at least a glimmer of hope for 19-year-old Lydia Egamankon from Itutang Village in the Arabaka LLG, remote Middle Ramu District, who is doing her grade 11 this year, for access to quality education.

Lydia Egamankon is among a group of young children who have been brought out of their remote villages by the New Tribes Mission to attend the Ramu Valley Academy [RVA] on Madang's north coast.

In a very heart moving speech, young Egamankon spoke of the hardships faced back in their remote villages when it comes to education and the fact that most of their people back home are still illiterate and have little or no idea at all of what is happening in the outside world today.

“We don’t really have good teachers at home.

“And one of our thinking is that we will go home and we will be the ones that will help them.

"And as you said, it's not only you that's going to change Madang, but we work as a team, and we achieve it,” Egamankon said.

She added that coming out here and staying out here for a long time and looking back at home, it's very different.

"So what we learn here from our teachers, we want to bring back home and share with the other children and the people, and they must know what’s here and what’s happening in the country.

“And also help them to know what’s happening in the world and understand education and everything about it,” Egamankon said.

The young Egamankon also stressed the importance of learning in a Christian environment, which for them is something that would groom them to be disciplined and God-fearing as they pursue their career.

This was the sentiment shared by the students last Saturday whilst receiving Madang Governor Ramsey Pariwa to their school.

The gesture was more than financial assistance from the Madang Government – it was hope for Lydia and her fellow students from their remote village, who have faced the hardships and struggles of attaining quality education back home, even after 50 years of independence.

Pariwa was at the school to present a K50, 000 cheque from the Madang Provincial Government for infrastructure development.

In a small but very significant gathering at the New Tribes Mission area outside town, Governor Pariwa presented the cheque valued at K50,000 to support the faith-based academy build its school infrastructures.

RVA was recently established by New Tribes missionaries, who have been serving in the Middle Ramu, purposely to cater for the disadvantaged children from the district.

Govrernor Pariwa who last visited the school in May this year has had the privilege of seeing first-hand the learning environment and teaching structure told the management, staff and students that he was very impressed with how the school operates.

“My last visit was in May of this year, that was my first visit which I have come to know about RVA and went into your classrooms and had a firsthand look at what you’ve been learning and some of the projects you were involved in and I was inspired.

“One of the things I was impressed with is your accent, how you speak, I can hear American accent, and I am also inspired with the level of teaching.

“I am inspired, and I must admit that the standard of education and learning environment here is much better than schools in the province and around the country as well,” Governor Pariwa said.

Pariwa said he was grateful to see that the students are going to benefit from the kind of standard of education that they are receiving compared to those in the same age group who are in the public schools.

“You are privileged to be here in RVA. I want to thank the director for recognizing this school. I want to thank the education department for recognizing this school since June this year, and now it has become a private permitted secondary school," he said.

Governor Pariwa also thanked the school's Director, Bill Housely, and Principal, Kelly Housely, for their commitment and dedication in the education sector and in helping the students from the rural Middle Ramu District.

“Madang Provincial Government under my leadership is prioritizing education and seeing you coming here inspires me that I must support you. We will push education as a major priority moving forward in the next 50 years.

“My coming here is to recognize and support what any responsible government must support, this kind of effort that is put into the education sector. Thank you, Mr Billy and Mrs Kelley Housley.

“Thank you for your contribution in helping me develop my province, because for me to develop Madang, I need educated individuals. I cannot develop Madang alone. That’s the reason why I prioritized education as one of my development agendas", he said.

RVA Principal Kelly Housley, when thanking Governor Pariwa for honoring his commitment, said they were humbled by his presence and the funding, and his words of encouragement to the students.

“Learning is very important, for infrastructure it is but your words that can't be bought and you can’t buy encouragement and support that you’ve given us today,” she said.

Housley said it is not the money that made their hearts happy, but it’s your faith that has given us respect and hope for this government.

“As you know, many of these students come from very remote places which are two days walk to the nearest remote road access,” she said.

“We’ve lived two decades with them in their remote villages, and we’ve seen many promises given to them, and they’ve seen very little actually come true.

“They often feel that they have been forgotten by most of their countrymen, but not today because Governor you came back for them and that has had a significant impact on each of the students,” she said.

The small event was also graced with the presence of the Madang Provincial Education Director, Alphonse Igag, and the Teaching Service Commission Officer for Momase Region, Kenneth Kalai, who both pledged to support the school in their respective capacities and ensuring that the school is recognized according to government education standards.

The Ramu Valley Academy was previously under the Flexible Open Distance Education learning mode, but recently, it was moved into the mainstream education system and now recognized as a private permitted school in Madang.