Determined to cultivate his future Issac Lubang joined the Productive Partnerships through Agriculture project Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP) in Tehobuin, Tinputz District Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB).

Issac is a cocoa farmer from Sipotavai in Tinputz District, AROB. He shared that he is thankful that that he made the right decision to join the former PPAP project.

Issac recalled, when the community received awareness about the project, he saw this as an opportunity to build a stable future as he had no formal education and was just at home. He volunteered to be part of the project and registered under a cooperative in their area known as the Travel Mart Cooperative. This cooperative consists of 750 members in two wards Namato and Tehobuin that partnered with the PPAP project the former PACD project.

Issac was optimistic that this PNG Government initiative supported by the World Bank would transform not only his life but also the lives of his parents, siblings and community.

“PPAP project distributed 300 cocoa seedlings which I planted, it took 12 months for the cloned cocoa trees to flower and bear fruit. In 2020 I made my first harvest,” Issac recalled. Like other farmers under the PPAP project Issac received cocoa tool kits under the program he got a knap sac, pole pruner and other tools to sustain his cocoa block.

As part of the PPAP project Issac also gained vital skills in financial management and other trainings such as cocoa management method, financial inclusion, nutrition and gender. “Through this project I learned how to save for other assets from the income. I started saving to build my small family home and help in other household needs,” said Issac.

With other farmers in their community, they are using one of the cocoa solar dryers that was rehabilitated under the project as well. “I say thank you to the project that they build a cocoa combination dryer which enable them the farmer to go freely and used to process their cocoa dry beans’’.

For Issac the project is more than just economic benefit, it’s about appreciating the land, collaborating with family and community and foreseeing what the cocoa blocks can do for the people of the Tehobuin community in the long run. With the generous support from the PPAP project though the government and World Bank Issac’s journey in the project shines as a symbol of home and progress proving that meaningful changes possible with the right tools, knowledge, skills sets and opportunities.

Issac said in a spend of 2 weeks he usually gets two dry bags and in one month he gets 4 to 5 dry bean bags. He said the money got from the cocoa sales really help him to sustain his family.

These farmers are now reaping the benefit of their labour as now with the current PACD project as a bonus with the increasing cocoa production in their area the Tehobuin was eligible for a 5.8km feeder road rehabilitation under the second phase of the project which is now the PACD Cocoa component.

The road is a big relief to them for easy access to the market to sell cocoa and also provide them other services such as health and education and other spin off in their community.