74 pioneer grade 10 students of Dr. John Davis High School in Dusin, Middle Ramu district, graduated in a small but significant ceremony attended by community members, school staff and a few invited guests.
Dr. John Davis Highschool is located in Minyak village in the Kovon LLG of rural Middle Ramu district; A small hamlet located just behind the mountains of Jimi District of Jiwaka Province where much of basic government services such as road is hardly seen.
This little school is the pride of their community, a much-needed service which was established as a community school in the 1980’s by a missionary from Southern Highlands, James Yakip and was recently accredited a high school status by Madang Education Division.
School staff and villagers celebrated the day with much enthusiasm because after 34 years, their children would not have to travel to other neighbouring provinces to receive higher education.
This small ceremony was made even special when the country’s opposition leader and member for Vanimo Green, Beldan Namah, attended the graduation upon invitation from former Madang Governor, Jim Kas. Mr Namah on the occasion paid his respects to the late Middle Ramu MP, Johhny Annanias Alonk who passed away recently. He conveyed his sincere condolences to his people and described the late MP as very humble leader.
Mr Namah committed a total of K200,000 to the Dusin Community school and Dr. John Davis Highschool. Namah encouraged the graduates to look at other ways of furthering their education instead of focusing on the formal education system process.
Principle Legal Officer at Department of Justice and Attorney General, John Laule, and a former student of Dusin Community School stressed to the students to not consume Marijuana and homebrew and gave them an insight of the consequences under the recent law passed.
During the ceremony, a moment of silence was given to the late member
Upon leaving the ceremony, Mr Namah gave a K10,000 cash to the Minyak community to celebrate their Christmas and new year.
Although the school faces a lot of challenges, with no proper teaching materials, no funding and little facility built mostly from bush materials, there are three faithful teachers who teach seven subjects interchangeably.
The community’s hope is to be connected by road someday so that changes can be brought in to the area.