MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO OUR CLOSEST NEIGHBOUR

Let’s start with some trivia...

WHO AM I…?

• I am one of the world’s largest island countries and am located in the Southern Hemisphere.
• I have over 600 smaller islands and my most southern island is just 3.6km away from Australia, making me Australia’s closest neighbouring country.
• Over the years, I have been controlled/occupied by The Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and Australia.
• My people played an extremely pivotal role in assisting the US and Australia fight off the advancing Japanese during World War II.
• Today I have a population of 8.48 million (that's more than NSW and QLD combined).
• Only 23% of my population is connected to the electricity grid, which means when the sun goes down, the other 77% have to rely on kerosene/battery/wood/candle lighting.
• My currency is the Kina.
• My highness point is Mt Wihelm at 4,509m above sea level.
• Portuguese explorer, Jorge de Menezes, was the first European to arrive on my mainland in 1526 and named me “Ilhas dos Papuas” (Island of the Fuzzy-Hairs).
• In 1545 Spanish explorer Ortis de Retez likened me to Africa’s Guinea and named me “New Guinea”
• I gained full independence in 1975 and was renamed…? 
…PAPUA NEW GUINEA!

WHAT’S THE DEAL?
At the end on 2018, some work buddies and I decided to team up and take on the gruelling Kokoda Trek in PNG. However, our plan/priorities evolved and our focus was no longer to just tick off a challenging, world-famous multi-day hike off our bucket lists in honour of our grandfathers who served there... something was missing. We wanted to do more than just a hike; we wanted to leave a positive mark that would last longer than our shoe prints. It wasn’t until we started looking into the social and economic disparity between Australia and PNG that we quickly knew what we wanted to do.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE…
In July 2019, myself and a team of five others went to PNG to cross the Kokoda Track, as well as volunteer in Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF) (ktf.ngo) and SolarBuddy’s (solarbuddy.org) collaborative project “Light Up PNG”. Despite it now being almost two year since we visited PNG and Sam’s incredible volunteer efforts there, we are still determined to reach our goal of at least $10,900 for the Light Up PNG project. The importance of this fundraising goal is much bigger than us and every dollar helps. 

BACK TO THE FACTS…
Just less than 13% of the Papua New Guineans live in urban areas, which mean the majority of PNG inhabitants live in isolated and rural areas. That’s more than 77% of the nation existing without access to the country’s high priced and unpredictable electricity grid.

WHAT’S THE GO WITH KTF AND SOLARBUDDY?
Combined, these charities are about:
• Eliminating energy-poverty throughout the world (which will help cut down on carbon emissions, and in turn help create a cleaner and happier Earth)
• Educating the next generation on the impact of energy consumption in marginalised countries 

• Assist in quality of life for people in such regions
• Creating better livelihoods for the people of PNG through a number of extremely effective and sustainable projects in leadership, education, and healthcare. 

WHAT’S THE GO WITH LIGHT UP PNG?
Light Up PNG is about providing sustainable light to communities in PNG that aren't connected to the country's electricity grid. An absence of a reliable light energy supply not only affects basic daily chores, study and recreation, but it also reflects in criminal safety concerns pertaining to increases in law-breaking occurrences after dark, as well as increased risks to health and environmental safety. 

The purpose of this project is to minimise safety and security risks, to empower women in business, to promote quality family time, to help reduce carbon emissions, and to provide children with a greater opportunity to study, for the children of today are the future of tomorrow.

The Light Up PNG project is also about establishing:
• Safer handling through the elimination of medical concerns such as smoke inhalation, chemical and heat burn incidences associated with diesel, kerosene, candles, battery and wood-fuelled light sources.
• Increasing children’s education standards by offering them with the ability to read or study after dark.
• Establishing and educating women’s groups to manage the sustainable business aspects of the solar installations providing an affordable income stream. 

OUR TEAM’S EXPEDITION AND INVOLVEMENT:
In July 2019, during our time in Papua New Guinea, we assisted KTF and SolarBuddy to better the livelihoods of those living in off-grid communities by partaking in the following activities: 

• The distributions of solar lights to schoolchildren to help improve after dark study time
• The installation of multiple solar systems 
• Assisting Papua New Guinean woman in the trade of solar lights for KTF’s modified micro-business initiative.

The more money we raise = more projects that can be achieved. Although at the time we didn't reach our desired target, I am still committed to making this happen and will continue until $10,900.00 is reached.

WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY:
100% of donation proceeds will go directly to these projects to better improve the livelihoods of those in off-grid communities in PNG. Plus you will receive an official tax receipt to claim as a deduction on your tax statement.  

WHAT’S IN IT FOR… EVERYONE?
1. You get to feel good for helping out a good cause, and you can claim your donation as a tax deduction
2. We (myself, my team, the charities, you, everyone else who donates, and those who help draw awareness to this cause) will raise enough money and awareness to support KTF and SolarBuddy in making these projects happen.
 3. The locals who benefit will have greater security with sustainable light sources to minimise after dark criminal activity, as well as see a reduction in medical injuries related to smoke and chemical inhalation and burns. As well as a reduction in accidental fires. 

PAY IT FORWARD:
The Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels, as they were affectionately known, were the New Guinean stretcher-bearers who carried wounded Australian diggers along the Kokoda Track. They were there for us when our men stood ground to defend New Guinea and Australia against the advancing Japanese in World War II, so let us be there for PNG through it’s darkest hours in modern culture. 

FINAL WORDS: 
If you can donate, it would mean so much to the PNG locals who’ll benefit first hand!
ME: I’ll get a warm and fuzzy feeling in my heart knowing that my own time, money and efforts will help shed light on other peoples’ lives.
YOU: You’ll know that your efforts through monetary donation and awareness helped make this possible. It’s a cliché but teamwork makes a dream work, and even the smallest of pebbles can make the largest of ripples. 

Life’s not just about doing the bare minimum, but sometime doing just the bare minimum is all it takes to get a ball rolling and to make things happen. So together, LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!