21/08/2025
19-year-old Andrea Mulavo was like many other aspiring young people hoping to pursue a career in the corporate world—but everything changed in 2024 when she visited her village, Tumpada, in Central Bougainville and witnessed the struggles of her local community.
Andrea, a Grade 12 student at Kopkop College, says her trip home to bury her grandfather shifted her perspective. It was during that visit she decided to pursue studies in agriculture or environmental engineering, driven by the realization that she has a social obligation to her people. As an educated young Papua New Guinean, she felt a deep need to give back.
“Usually when I make those trips home, I’m there to sightsee and visit people—it’s for leisure,” Andrea said. “But during that visit, with the weight of all the responsibilities coming to light, I realized that despite my family’s and academic successes, I have a social responsibility to my people.”
She added, “My people live off the land and have so much available to them. And with all that they have, they are always giving—whether it’s land or produce sold at the market. Yet they don’t always receive much in return for their hard work.”
At 19, Andrea firmly believes that farming can transform lives in rural Papua New Guinea, where most of the population resides. “Papua New Guinea is deeply rooted in a subsistence lifestyle. Even after thousands of years as part of the global community and 50 years of independence, we still return to our roots—we still rely on the land,” she said. “By focusing on agriculture, I can help people in my community who depend heavily on growing produce and farming.”
Andrea draws inspiration from her mother, Molly Mulavo, who works as a Human Resource Manager at Port Moresby Nature Park. She says witnessing the park’s expeditions into local areas to retrieve plant and animal species—and educate communities on the importance of biodiversity—motivates her to give back.
“Seeing my mum inspired by the work she’s doing made me want to be the same. I want so much to help others and to be content with that.”
Pacifund CEO Des Yaninen, who attended Kopkop College’s Traditional Food Display and Preparation event, reminded young people to value and utilize their land. “In Papua New Guinea, only three percent of the land is owned by the government—97 percent is still owned by the people. That gives us a real opportunity for wealth creation,” he said. “There’s so much we can do, but unfortunately, when we look at the land, we don’t always see its value. I encourage young Papua New Guineans to take a closer look at what they have. There may be opportunities in farming, forestry, and much more.”
By: Leiao Gerega