By Taboi Awi Yoto

The pioneer Grade 12 students of Mougulu Secondary School in Nomad LLG, Middle Fly District of Western Province’s visit to Port Moresby for their excursions before they sit for their National Exams, later this year will be a life experience they will treasure for a long time and a motivational one too.

Mougulu Secondary School is located in Nomad LLG, one of the many remote LLGs in Western Province. I also happen to come from this part of the Province and meeting them in POM has been an emotional moment for me as well..As I recalled my days as a student passing out and the treacherous walk I had do every year to attend High/Secondary School in Kiunga, which would be a thing of the past for this kids now and onwards.

The challenges of going to attend High/Secondary School miles away from your village is an experience many students from such remote communities would relate, the long treacherous walk, crossing rivers, walking days through thick juncles, the leeches, climbing mountains, taking a canoe/dinghy ride, walking through rain , thunder storms and sun etc to eventually arrive at the nearest High/Secondary School.


Whilst I was attending community school, sending students to High/Secondary School to a place nearby was only a dream. I was told that I wouldn’t have  to take the treacherous walk to  Kiunga anymore to attend High School but it was still a dream when it was  time for me to go to High School.

Many of us from this part of the world like those from Morehead, Olsopip and Bamu would  walk 4-8 days to the nearest schools to and back every year to get an opportunity to attend High/Secondary School in Kiunga, Awaba or Daru as this places were the only place with Secondary Schools then.

With this experience of being a student from a remote community, I embarked on building High Schools in some of our most remote LLGs in the Province especially the Kibuli, Olsopip, Emeti and the now Morehead and Mougulu High School. I allocated fair share of funds from the Provincial Government. However due to lack of local leadership, community support and administrative challenges, only Mougulu and Morehead got of the ground and now Mougulu has progressed well to the next stage (a SecondarySchool).

At this juncture, I’d like to give Sally Lloyd, all the credits for the success story of Mougulu Secondary School. Her family is a God sent for the people of Mougulu, my Bedamuni tribe. We had her dad who arrived during the colonial era as a missionary and lived with us through independence to his old age and now his angel Sally, who continue to live with us and support all development initiatives in the area including building the Mougulu Secondary School. If it wasn’t for her passion, drive and local leadership at the project site, the establishment of this Secondary School would will still be like the rest, the ones where we have allocated funds but is yet to get off the ground.

Every year, Sally ensures that the Mougulu Secondary School funds we budgeted for in the Provincial Government Budgets are accessed and maximize the expenditures with outcomes beyond what the allocated funds could even fund. She also raised funds offshore, organized/seeked donations from philanthropic organizations and fund the earning infrastructure/materials for the school. And she never stops to do many wonders for the school like, raising the funds for the pioneer Grad.12 students to visit Port Moresby for their excursion.

I’d like to also sincerely acknowledged my tribesmen, the Bedamuni people of Nomad LLG, (Bedamuni LLG) who supported Sally Lloyd to build the Secondary School. Their willingness to see their dream of us having a Secondary School saw my people provide free labor, free local materials and free food during the construction periods and whenever there was any school related work.

I’d like to also acknowledge the support of the local MP Hon. James Donald, member for North Fly, who also supported the school in his capacity as the local MP for my people then and still continues to do so.

Lastly to the Provincial Administration for the technical support, to the PEB and NEB for all the approvals to finally give the kids from my area an opportunity to attend Secondary School right near their doorsteps.

However and one more time, I still think, it would have been only a dream to date, if it wasn’t for your passion, Sally Lloyd and your drive to see our father’s dream materialize. Also a word of appreciation to your very supportive husband, na bai’e Mr. Ian Lloyd.

Aba Sally dima nodoi bagade. Gode ya dima fidisu hau bagade imunu. Ti’ma apolesata, dia diota ninia amone kagui dialumu ama, diata amai amone.