Paving the Future: How the Yawasoro-Niewanjie Road Rejuvenates Lives and Livelihoods in Rural Papua New Guinea

Wewak, Papua New Guinea –In Nienwanjie, a rural community near Wewak town in Papua New Guinea, life used to be tough. The villagers were struggling to get access to basic services like schools, markets, and healthcare due to a poor, almost impassable road located within a waterlogged area. For years, there was no reliable way to travel except by foot on a bush track. Mothers carried their children for hours to reach the nearest school or clinic, and farmers like Judith Auta could barely transport their agriculture produce to the market. Though not far from the main township, the road, overgrown and damaged by years of neglect, made daily tasks challenging.

But thanks to the EU-STREIT PNG Programme’s efforts through the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Yawasoro-Niewanjie Road has been rehabilitated. This 10.13-kilometre stretch of rehabilitated road has brought hopes and opportunities to the people, improving life for over 2,200 residents who once faced these hardships. The road in its new, durable shape can now withstand the area’s unfavourable conditions, allowing access to essential services year-round. It has changed the lives of mothers, children, and farmers, who now have easier and safer ways to reach markets, schools, and healthcare. 

A Lifeline for Mothers and Children 

For years, mothers like Judith endured long, laborious journeys just to reach basic services. “We used to wake up very early at 4 or 5 in the morning to walk the bush track to the main road,” Judith recalls. “It was also hard for our children, especially the girls, walking through the bush every day to get to school. It wasn’t safe.”

The lack of a reliable road was more than just an inconvenience—it was a matter of life and death. “I remember when my eldest daughter got sick. We had to carry her on a stretcher with torchlight through the bush. It was midnight when we reached the main road, and a vehicle helped us to the hospital; there the nurse said, you were very lucky to bring your daughter here. If you had delayed till this morning, your daughter would have died,” she explains. For the mothers in the community, this was an all-too-common occurrence. From giving birth to treating illnesses, they relied on handmade stretchers and risky foot journeys to seek medical care.

But with the rehabilitated road now in place, this is all in the past. “Now, PMV [Public Motor Vehicles] buses come right to the end of this road, our village. We pay PGK 3 bus fare to travel all the way to the town to sell our produce or do shopping. Children also get on PMV buses to go to school in town. They don’t have to get up very early in the morning like before,” Judith says, with a sense of relief. It’s now safer, and the villagers can get to town quickly for school, the market, or the clinic. 

New Hope for Farmers and Agripreneurs

Before the EU-STREIT PNG Programme stepped in, the road was just a forgotten timber track, neglected for long years . Farmers struggled to bring their produce to market, carrying only light loads like greens because heavier items, such as cocoa and sago, were simply too difficult to transport. Judith, who owns five cocoa blocks, had to let her crops grow wild. “We didn’t have access to a market, and no vehicles could come this far. I’d harvest just a few cocoa pods—whatever I could carry—and walk all the way to the main road to sell them.”

The new road has transformed Judith’s livelihood. “Now that trucks can reach us, I’m taking care of my cocoa blocks again. The price of cocoa is good, and last time, I sold some wet beans for PGK 400 right [per bag of 62.5 KG] here at the end of the road,” she says. “We’re all cleaning up our cocoa blocks because now it’s worth it. We can sell more, make more money, and it’s easier.”

For younger residents like 25-year-old youth male Maya Samalai, the road has opened doors to a brighter future. “I didn’t finish school, but now I’m focusing on cocoa farming. With the road, I’ve been able to sell 80 KG of beans, and I’m saving money to complete my year 12 studies,” Maya says. He and many other young men in the village are finding new purpose in nurturing their cocoa gardens, rather than falling into “illegal activities. This road gives us hope. It’s helping us to live a better life.”

Economic Growth and Opportunity

The impact of the rehabilitated road goes beyond individual families—it is revitalizing the local economy. With improved access to markets, farmers can now sell larger quantities of produce, while local businesses and agribusinesses are benefiting from a more robust supply chain. Cocoa farmers, in particular, are seeing a direct link between better roads and increased income, which aligns with the EU-STREIT PNG Programme’s mission to strengthen the Cocoa Value Chain in the Province.

Moreover, this road rehabilitation project created about 12,000 days of paid work during its construction phase, injecting financial input into the community and contributing to the local employment. This not only provided immediate economic relief but also fostered a sense of ownership among the local population, many of whom were women who worked on the road themselves.

A Future with Promise

Looking ahead, the people living along the Yawasoro-Niewanjie Road are filled with optimism. Judith, now working harder than ever to maintain her cocoa blocks, has big dreams for her children. “I want to see all my girls go to school, and I’m saving money for their uniforms and fees.” she says.

For Maya, the road represents a second chance. “Before, I didn’t know what my future would look like, but now I’m working towards something good,” adding “we need to take care of the road.”

The EU-STREIT PNG Programme’s investment in rural infrastructure has done more than rehabilitate a road—it has revived hope, created opportunity, and ensured that future generations have access to the tools they need to thrive. For mothers, farmers, and young people like Judith and Maya, the road has already made a world of difference, one step closer to building a more connected, prosperous community.

As Judith so eloquently put it, “This road is really good”, emphasizing “it must remain like this in the future” as it has changed their lives.

About the EU-STREIT PNG Programme

The EU-STREIT PNG, being implemented as a United Nations Joint Programme by FAO, ILO, ITU, UNCDF and UNDP, is the European Union's largest grant-funded initiative in the country. It focuses on boosting sustainable and inclusive economic development in rural areas. This is achieved by FAO’s support in enhancing economic returns and opportunities within cocoa, vanilla, and fisheries value chains. Additionally, the Programme strengthens and improves the efficiency of value chain enablers, including access to ICT by ITU and digital financial services by UNCDF. ILO also supports the development of sustainable, climate-resilient roads and other transport infrastructures while UNDP provides renewable energy solutions. The Programme benefits two provinces: East Sepik and West Sepik.