28/04/2026
FROM THE STREETS OF TOP TOWN LAE TO UNIVERSITY DREAMS
Jacob Tupana’s story begins on the streets of Lae.
He was born on 3rd August 1999, not in a hospital, but on the street, at the back of the Morobe Provincial Administration building and Telikom office. His mother had no home she lived in the streets of Lae. She was part Chimbu and part Morobe, doing everything she could just to survive. From the very first breath he took, life had already placed him in hardship.
Jacob grew up in streets of Top Town, Lae, with no place to truly call home. Some nights he slept in front of Leans Bakery. Other nights outside Mondo Clothing at town bus stop or in front of SVS. Wherever there was a small space, that was where he rested his head. Food was never certain. Each day was about survival. He walked the streets collecting empty cans and bottles, selling them just to have something to eat.
At around three years old, he moved to live with his aunty at Asu Block near Butibam village. It was just a small makeshift shelter, but even that life was not easy. By the time he turned five, Jacob drifted back to the streets. That was the only life he understood. Back to the shopfronts. Back to picking cans and bottles. Back to surviving one day at a time.
Street life slowly hardened him. To survive, he got caught up in petty crime, targeting night club goers and robbing them just to get money for food. It was a dangerous path for such a young boy, and his life could have easily gone in the wrong direction.
But in 2004, everything changed.
A woman named Mrs Kelina Kauke from East New Britain saw Jacob and other street kids sleeping outside. She lived along 6th Street in Top Town, and she could not ignore what she saw. She opened her home and allowed them to sleep in her garage because she knew the streets were no place for children.
For the first time in his life, Jacob experienced something he had never known before. Care. Kindness. Love.
That one act of compassion changed everything. Slowly, he began letting go of the life he knew on the streets. Mrs Kauke did more than give them shelter. She saw Jacob and his friends were making money from street sales and collecting cans and bottles, so she guided them to open bank account and create savings to improve their lives. She encouraged them to open bank accounts with Nationwide Microbank so they could start saving money.
But when they tried, she discovered something heartbreaking. None of them could read or write.
Determined to change that, and guided by her faith, she reached out to a German priest, Father Arnold Schmitt from St Mary’s Catholic Church in Lae. Together, they organized a three month literacy program right there at her home. That was where Jacob first learned to read and write. That was where his future quietly began.
In 2007, Father Arnold took a bold step and enrolled Jacob straight into Grade 3 at Butibam Primary School, skipping the early years. It was a risk, but Jacob embraced it.
And he did more than just cope. He excelled.
From Grade 3 to Grade 8, Jacob topped his class every single year and received dux awards. He went on to Busu Secondary School for Grades 9 to 12, continuing to push forward with determination.
Throughout those years, Father Arnold paid for his school fees, while Mrs Kauke and a neighbour, Mr Joe Tupana, provided him with shelter and food. Jacob never knew his biological father, so when he was registered in school, he took on the surname Tupana from Mr Joe, the man who stepped in and became a father figure in his life.
After completing Grade 12 in 2017, Jacob was offered a place to study Metal Fabrication at Don Bosco Technical College in Simbu. But his heart was set on something else. He dreamed of studying Political Science at the University of Papua New Guinea.
So he stayed focused.
In 2018, he enrolled at the Morobe Uni Centre under UPNG. From there, he applied for external studies at UPNG and was accepted into Political Science and Social Work.
In 2019, Father Arnold bought him a plane ticket, and Jacob travelled to Port Moresby for the first time.
But life there was not easy.
He had no family, very few friends, and no stable place to stay. He moved from one place to another, depending on friends just to have somewhere to sleep. As an open campus student, he had no proper boarding and no guaranteed meals.
To survive, Jacob went back to what he knew best. He sold betel nut and ci******es along the Waigani traffic lights just to earn a few kina for food and school. During the day, he attended classes. In between, he hustled on the streets just to make it through.
The pressure was heavy. Trying to balance survival and studies broke him at times. There were moments he lost focus and failed courses, stretching what should have been a four year journey into seven long years.
Then things became even harder.
In 2019, due to a misunderstanding, Father Arnold’s sponsorship stopped. Suddenly, Jacob was completely on his own. No school fees. No support. No safety net.
But he refused to give up.
From 2021 to 2024, the Morobe Provincial Government stepped in and sponsored him, allowing him to continue his studies. When that support ended, Jacob went back again to selling on the streets, raising his own fees for 2025.
Seven years of struggle. Seven years of sacrifice. Seven years of refusing to quit.
And now, in 2026, Jacob finally graduated during the 71st UPNG Graduation at the John Guise Indoor Complex, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.
From a child born on the streets… to a graduate.
Jacob looks back with a full heart. His life is living proof that even the hardest beginnings do not define the end. His journey is built on faith, and the kindness of people who chose to care.
As he steps into this new chapter, Jacob is humbly asking for an opportunity. Any good hearted organization, institution, or individual who can support him with employment or career opportunities is encouraged to come forward. He is ready to work, ready to serve, and ready to give back to the community that helped raise him.
Jacob carries deep gratitude for everyone who stood by him when he had nothing.
He acknowledges with all his heart:
• The late Mr and Mrs Kauke for taking him off the streets and giving him a chance at life
• The late Joe Tupana for being a father figure and providing shelter and food
• Father Arnold Schmitt for sponsoring his education from Grade 3 to his first year at university
• Mrs Cecilia Boku for supporting his Grade 12 graduation
• The Akis family for accommodation
• The Sahin family for financial and moral support
• Thomas Olong for shelter and food during university
• The late Bobby Kagua for providing shelter
• Rebecca Seka and her in laws for their care and support
• The Vaitak family in Lae for financial help and guidance
• Pastor Timothy Kising from Balob Teachers College
• Mr Pouru Augustine for moral support, food, and his UPNG graduation attire
And to the many good hearted Papua New Guineans who contributed towards his tuition in 2024 when he reached out for help on social, thank you.
To everyone else he may not have mentioned, your kindness is not forgotten.
This is not just Jacob’s story.
It is a story of hope.
Credit: Paul Pouru
