As part of a vision to transform his home province – Madang, youth and community leader Kurere Matanzana, once again took to the grassroots level, initiating another project in April. This time, a cocoa farming project called the ‘Madang Solar Cocoa Farmers’ with the support of Mr. Seth Mal, who was elected as the chairman of the association, upon establishment of the project, given his vast background in the agriculture sector. Matanzana stated that more than 250 cocoa farmers and their families from Ambenob and Transgogol LLGs are involved in the project. “The concept used in the project is known as the family cocoa concept – in this concept we have a goal for every family to plant at least 300 cocoa seedlings, which in turn encourages SME (Small Medium Enterprise). Despite it being a noble task, he explained the complicated process involved in starting and maintaining this initiative. “We created an association, opened up a bank account, and obtained an export license, which was a huge milestone for us, although challenging.” “Our organization was registered with PNG IPA (Investment Promotion Authority) under the name ‘Madang Solar Cocoa Cooperative Society’; hence, it became a legal entity recognized by the PNG Cocoa Board.” Matanzana stated that the Madang Solar Cocoa Cooperative Society can be a trusted body in assisting cocoa farmers in and around Madang Province to find potential buyers. “We are acting as the middleman for Madang cocoa farmers, connecting them to overseas markets, facilitating a channel to export their produce and also help the farmers gain more financially that reflects the value of their time, energy and effort invested in growing cocoa.” He further stated that they are working on collecting data and getting other cocoa farmers who are not connected, that is, individuals in rural locations and farmers who are unaware of Madang Solar Cocoa Cooperative Society. Additionally, he and the farmers reached a verbal agreement, which will see Mr. Matanzana conduct certain training sessions, equipping them with financial knowledge and information, and build their capacity. " “The cocoa farmers must recognize the importance of land and cocoa seedlings and how to maximize both the human and natural resources they possess.” Matanzana’s ultimate goal is to connect at least 5, 000 – 6, 000 cocoa farmers from selected LLGs and as well as diversify and include vanilla farmers. Meanwhile, the Madang Provincial Government has pledged to support Mr. Matanzana and Madang Solar Cocoa Cooperative Society, which will be launched at Yelso village between May – July 2024.