The trip has been one obstacle after another. Luckily for us, we are both very adaptable travelers and understand that when traveling, especially in developing countries, things are out of your control, and you have to surrender to the flow. Receiving the note that Cedric would pick us up and we could go to the Estate in the afternoon was a breath of fresh air.
The last few days have differed from what I expected. With the constant curveballs, news that we could get to the farms tomorrow has kept our hopes alive. I was excited to see Cedric. Something about him makes you feel like everything will be alright. Today is great. I am invigorated by Jacob’s coffee and breakfast, ready to take on anything.
Cedric is a legend in Papua New Guinea. A former professional Rugby player with an infectious smile and a huge heart, he works for the Estate as the community liaison. He is in charge of facilitating Benchmark’s social projects and its roasting partners’ contributions. Social projects are a big part of Benchmarks ethos, and it’s an excellent way for roasters who are interested in supporting on a social level to contribute. A core element of Benchmark’s mission is to use coffee as a medium to help people, and Cedric is the man on the ground that helps facilitate it all.
We traveled through smaller access roads in an attempt to stay away from crowds. Although we are in good hands with Cedric, there is an element of certainty that anything can happen at any moment. We made our way through the bumpy gravel roads until we came to a spot where a group of people were standing in the road. A part of me was curious: was this a good group, or did we make a wrong turn somewhere? Cedric rolled down his window and began to speak in Pidgin English. Laughter erupted amongst the people and I was relieved that we were in the right place, or at least I was hoping. Cedric, with a huge smile, said this is the place. He told us the community leaders had a special surprise for us in honor of our arrival.
The site was beautiful. In the backdrop we could see Mt. Wilhelm (PNG’s highest mountain) and the surrounding mountains, as the sun shined in the clear blue sky. A large group of people could be seen in two rows across from each other, forming an aisle leading to a stage. Again, I thought to myself, was this another campaign event? It was not a rally. It was a school community where Benchmark donated water tanks and they had prepared a special event.
As we exited the vehicle, the tribal elders and other prominent community leaders greeted us with open arms. They were excited to see Cedric but even more to see us. The tribal leader tells us that in honor of our support for the community that they would like to thank us with a traditional ceremony. The ceremony involves the local tribal community wearing their tribal garb, singing, and dancing as they gather to greet us.
Next, a group of women and children escorted us down the aisle, laying flower petals in our path. Everyone in the community greeted us along the way as we made our way up to a stage. It was an extraordinary experience. Seeing our impact on these communities overwhelmed me with emotion and was humbling. It was a wonderful experience to see Benchmark and its roasting partners’ impact on these communities. In Papua New Guinea, low literacy levels are a critical challenge for the country’s development. More than a third of the country’s seven million people are illiterate, with the majority living in rural areas. Seeing the impact we were having was a very moving moment.
As the surrounding crowd continued to greet us, we followed our guides up to the stage. On the stage, we sat prominently amongst the tribal elders in front of hundreds of people. The community leader gave a passionate and fiery speech. Although I did not understand what he said, it still sent chills down my spine. He is explaining to the crowd some of Benchmark’s contributions. After his speech, the tribal leader passed the microphone to Vikram for an opportunity to speak. Vikram graciously obliged and began to speak. He spoke from the heart as if he had said it before, but it was all off the cuff. It came naturally for him as he was happy to provide what we could to these rural communities. His passion came through as he spoke and the crowd responded with cheers and applause. After the speech, we left the stage. The children flocked to us as if we were celebrities touching us and laughing all along the way. The elders, not to be upstaged by the children, made their way to us to give thanks and praises. We shook many hands as we made our way to the school. We saw the simple restrooms they built for the school with one donation and the water tanks Benchmark and roasting partners provided.
We left the ceremonial grounds and visited all the places where Benchmark and our roasting partners have provided water tanks and checked in on some schools where we have donated books, uniforms, and other supplies. We visited several churches and community centers as well.
We visited a school while the class was in session. Again, the children flocked to us like we were celebrities. They wrote cute messages to thank us. Each one had its message. Some thanked us, and others took the opportunity to request their other needs. While touring the schools, we were impressed with their curriculum. One lesson on the wall touched on gender identity and equality. We played football with the kids, and they laughed at me for my exaggerated antics of catching the ball. We played until I could no longer raise my arm, said our goodbyes, and promised to visit again. After we toured all the social projects, we stopped to break bread with Cedric.
At lunch, we thanked Cedric for everything he did and discussed what else we could do for the communities, especially in the realm of women’s safety and empowerment. We put some ideas together with Cedric in areas where we can help. These ideas include church-run vocational programs for women along with a holistic curriculum that can help find work with the newly learned skills, develop an understanding of basic financial management, and provide mentorship. As we continue to expand on our social projects, these objectives will be pursued and, with Cedric’s network on the ground, a basic framework around potential implementation was established.
Cedric then received a call saying that it was safe to travel to the Estate and the team was awaiting our arrival. The news was music to the ears. We agreed to continue to build on our discussion and we headed to the truck. As we took the Highlands Highway to the Estates, I reflected on the day. Having visited 16 origins in my career, many multiple times, today’s tour of the social projects was one of the most fulfilling travel days in my nearly two decades in the coffee industry. Coffee has broken my heart and coffee has healed it…today was a healing day. I was pumped to get in the lab, get a spoon in my hand, and dig into this season’s harvest.