Mr Greg Egan from the Australian Catholic University spent one month during June this year volunteering as a teacher in Efogi Primary School and Manari Community School. Greg spent time teaching in the classroom and running teacher in service workshops with the teachers at both schools. Gregwas so well received by both villages who have told the KTF that this is the first time they have experienced something like this! We are so grateful to Greg for his time and enthusiasm. Read his story here...

"My journey to the rural areas, to prac teach, of PNG started almost five years ago when I was approached by my father to walk the Kokoda Track.  For some reason the trip was more than just about challenging myself, but more something that I felt in my blood.  My grandfather fought and served in PNG during the Second World War where, aside from fighting, spent time assisting in the training of the local villagers.  Not known to me at the time, but this would be something that to a small degree I would later continue on with the legacy of my mother’s father.  When walking the track all those years ago I felt something that for years I would not be able to shake.  It was years later that my father, who now is involved in the Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF), suggested that sometime during my degree I might like to travel back to the hills of PNG to teach or at least prac teach.  This quickly became a reality with the amazing support from the KTF, in particular Dr Genevieve Nelson (as called by locals, Dr Gen), and my university, the Australian Catholic University.  Before long I was standing at Sydney airport after farewelling my family, preparing for what would prove to be one the most life altering experiences that to date.  Emotions included sadness for leaving family and friends for a month, fear of the unknown and yet excitement of what might turn into an opportunity that not many might have the chance to experience. 

The hardest part of my upcoming time in PNG was by far the walking into the villages.  Now despite popular belief that taking a short cut to walk into the village from Port Moresby, was cheating, I can assure you that what a Manari local might classify as a short cut, is by far not what most Australian’s would classify as a short cut.  Yet with the motivation of my team of fantastic porters and guides the walking was made enjoyable yet I suspect more for them, more enjoyable at the sight of the “mabeluga” (big boy in Motu) sliding down parts of the local track on my bum.  Upon arrival in the village of Efogi, I was greeted by cheers and a welcome that I would think would only be reserved for important people such as a politician.  From that point onwards I knew that my four weeks on the Kokoda Track would only be highlight after highlight with absolute no downs.

There are many memories that I will forever cherish from my time in the villages of both Efogi and Manari.  Some were memories that gave me new perspectives on life, some helped me build as a future teacher and others just gave me a good laugh, but through the four weeks in an area that was so serene there are a few stories that truly help to describe the time I spent there.  During my time within the classroom, there was a range of subject matter that I was forced to re-evaluate the way I may teach them.  There were many factors that contributed to this including the language gap, the resources and the difference between m teaching style and the teaching style the students were used to.  The hardest topic I did teach was in mathematics, looking at the topic matter of tangrams.  As a students studying teaching, I was taught that the easiest way to teach this subject was to use computer programs, yet for me in an area that has no electricity, let alone computers, this method was of little use.  After much deliberation my Associate Teacher and I decided to use larger shapes and diagrams on the chalk board.  Easy solution, until it came time to make a sail boat.  Now I am not sure how many students actually have seen a sail boat or if they even knew what the basic design as but my request to make out of smaller shapes was greeted with strange looks.  This just highlighted to me the vast differences between teaching in a city classroom in Australia and teaching in a rural Papuan classroom.

One memory that really contributed to the change in my perspectives was how much the children play such a vital role in the family.  In Australia currently there is so much discussion about child obesity, children’s mental health and the other problems with children that are now becoming so important.  Many children in Australia have privileges that only a kid in PNG could dream of, and in some cases could comprehend.  I am not saying that Australian kids are spoilt, yet the vast differences make you wonder.  When school finishes for a child in PNG, the day is far from over and considering that some attend school from 8am to 3pm the days are not short.  The children are expected to do so much where by contrast some kids in city areas in Australia have little once school finishes.  I know that if my mum asked me to go and fetch bananas down a steep hill when I was a kid I would have been most upset, yet in PNG this is what is expected.  It is the other things such as the fact some children will be kept out of school for a year in order to work due to the family not having enough money to send all the children to school. 

There are many stories that, for me, make the Kokoda Track area in PNG such a special place.  People asked why I decided to travel to such a remote area to conduct one of my practicum’s and I used to reply that I thought it would be a once in a lifetime experience, yet now I know that this will not just be a once in a lifetime experience yet an ongoing part of my life.  In my travels and time spent there, I was privileged enough to not only learn and experience but develop relationships with some of the most friendly people in the world.  Although at times it was tough, mainly in the commuting, overall it is a place that I will never forget.  I formed friendships that I hope will stand the test of time, I have been accepted as part of a family and I am now lucky enough to have a second home."

For more information about Greg's trip or the work of the Kokoda Track Foundation in PNG, please contact us via our website.