The determination of a young girl turned community leader in Papua New Guinea
In the island nation of Papua New Guinea, Hallilah Nakumai’s family always put education first.
Hallilah mentors and supervises student trainees who have come to work in the community. Her vision is for her community to become a role model in the country.
©FAO
Bittersweet is how Hallilah Nakumai sums up life in Dandan village on the east coast of Papua New Guinea’s main island, where she grew up. It was a childhood spent canoeing, fishing, weaving grass skirts and colourful bags, gardening, clearing bushes and learning about the ceremonies of her culture.
But the realities of her remote, rural surroundings in the flood-prone hinterland of the mighty Sepik River were harsh. It is what motivated her to work to improve the livelihoods of people in her village.
Many rural communities in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), like Papua New Guinea, are increasingly impacted by extreme weather as a result of climate change. These island states also face geographic limitations in terms of access and trade of goods and food and generally overly rely on imports.
FAO and the European Union (EU) have a particular focus on supporting SIDS in the face of these complex challenges. Giving Hallilah and her community the backing she needed after she returned to her village is just one effective example of how that’s being done.
Hallilah’s journey toward leadership
Hallilah’s village is 6 kilometres away from the nearest road. Therefore, the cocoa, fish and vanilla produced in the village would only reach the market late after a long walk. “Families can only buy a few basic needs and find it hard to support their children's education,” tells Hallilah.