Our Journey
This is me, far left, my dad Tom, and Lary Hull arriving at Mt Hagen airport in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Having been swiftly whisked off to a side room of the airport, we were given traditional hand-woven Belgium hats as a welcome gift. I asked why we had been rushed past security and put into a separate room. For our safety, two weeks before our arrival, a pilot had been killed at the ATM over the equivalent of $20 US dollars. The actual reality of our situation became even more palpable as we walked out of the airport and met our armed security, made up of off-duty police officers, who would be our escorts for the week. For me, this would be the beginning of a surreal adventure that would change my life.
The first stop on our trip was the Madan plantation—my introduction to the world of coffee. Madan was a fully functioning coffee plantation with a wet mill, drying tarps, dry mill, and farm. The process was laid out from tree to cup in an excellent self-contained ecosystem. Our tour guide walked us through the process and introduced us to some workers. The thing that stuck with me the most was how happy people were. People living in abject poverty, working 10hr days, making $2 a day sorting the defects out of green coffee beans, had a joy that I, to this day, have a hard time understanding. The fearful anxiety I felt upon landing had subsided into curiosity and excitement. It was like being in a documentary. The only thing missing was David Attenborough’s voice narrating from the ethier. I am hooked!
This was our trip to visit the Kinjibi tribe. It’s the most impactful part of the trio for me. The reason for visiting this tribe was to document the progress of a direct trade relationship between the Kinjibi and Portland Coffee Roasters. They had partnered to build a school and pay a teacher to teach the children how to read and write. This is a luxury that most tribes in the region don’t have, as they are a hundred or more miles from the nearest school. The entire tribe came out to celebrate. At this point I decided that the coffee industry was for me. The idea that I could have a career that worked toward the benefit of the less fortunate and bring a little joy to the lives of the end consumer was too enticing not to pursue.
Here we are at the hospital for the Mt Hagen region—the only place to get medical care or medicine for hundreds of miles. Pregnant women may walk several days through the jungle to get to this hospital to give birth. People who have broken bones or need surgery may wait several months for a western surgeon to fix them up. This has led to massive overcrowding and strain on medical resources. With the rise in cases of AIDS, the future is bleak for these communities. Side note there is one toilet per dorm.
Our time in Papua New Guinea would quickly come to an end, and I would be flying home to an uncertain future. My experiences with the people and culture had changed me, and I could no longer narrowly think about the world. Coffee is a global community, and we are responsible for doing what we can to leave it better than we found it. Coffee allowed me to create products that bring a little joy to a person’s day while also helping to support people in places like PNG, giving them hope for a better future. Thank you for taking the time to read how I happened in the world of coffee. If you have a story that you would like to share, send us an email at info@riversbendcoffeeroasters.com We are always interested to hear what brought you to coffee or what coffee means to you.