ELIJAH SARIGARI

Honorary member of the Rotary Club of Warrnambool
Popondetta
Northern Province
Papua New Guinea

 

• 1978 to 1983 ‐ Primary School Education at Bariji
Baruga Primary school.
• 1984 to 1987 ‐ Secondary Education at Martyrs Memorial School.
School captain in 1987 (at year 10)
• 1988 ‐ Tertiary Education (Cabinet Making and Joinery PETT) at Mt Hagen Technical College.
• 1989 to 1993 ‐ Five years apprentice training at Craftsman Furniture Company in Port Moresby.
• 1994 ‐ Provisional teaching post at Mt Hagen Technical College.
Taught cabinet making trade course for a year.
• Upskilled trade qualifications; Product Development and Wood Finishing.
• 1995 ‐ Apprentice Trainer and a Manager of the business arm of the Governing Council of the Mt Hagen
Technical College.
• 1996 ‐ Provisional teaching post at Mt Hagen Technical College.
• 1997 ‐ Diploma of Technical Education Teaching; University of Goroka.
• 1998 ‐ Taught Cabinet Making extension courses at Mt Hagen Technical College.
• 1999 ‐ Transferred to Madang Technical College when the Cabinet Making and Joinery programs were
transferred from Mt Hagen to Madang; Senior Subject Master and taught 3 blocks of extension courses.
While in Madang attended a Technical College Management workshop conducted by Aus. Aid Program
for Technical Support.
• 2000 ‐ Requested release from the TVET Division and transfered to the Northern Province to teach
Practical Skills at Martyrs Memorial Secondary School.
• 2001 to 2005 ‐ Became Head of Department for personal development.
• Allocated additional responsibility by the School as teacher in charge for overseas volunteers and Rotary
teams who came to help the school in various projects.
Appointed to the National Anglican Church Education Committee.
• 2005 to 2012 ‐ Seconded to Anglican Mission Education Secretary for the Popondetta Diocese. Became
Head of Department for Personal Development.
Achievements included:
o Visited 52 agency schools throughout the province
o Attended workshops and church agencies education conferences in Port Moresby, MT Hagen, Lae and
Madang.
o Conducted school management training workshops for Head teachers and Board of Management for
schools in the Sohe district in 2005.
o Conducted HIV and AIDS curriculum training for Anglican school teachers at the Popondetta Diocesan
Centre in 2005.
o Recruited new graduates for agency schools.
o Attended PEB meetings and representing the Anglican Church Education in many development
matters in the province.
o In June 2006, as part of Education professional development program, travelled to Sydney (Australia)
and visited Anglican Church partner schools. Visited the Sydney Church of England Grammar School,
also known as the Shore School, and William Clark College. Spoke at the school assemblies to
promote awareness of Oro Province school’s needs. As a result of this an NGO group (Oro Community
Development Project (OCDP)) was formed. This group is now supporting Hohorita Primary School and
the Popondetta General Hospital.
o 2009 ‐ In May was sponsored by Rotary to go to Victoria (Australia) for three weeks. In this trip
attended 5 Rotary Club meetings in Geelong and Melbourne and visited Anglican schools to share
ideas on school administration and resources. Also visited vegetable and dairy farms to investigate
simple irrigation techniques. As a result of my contact and work with Rotary International the Rotary
Club of Geelong purchased a Lucas Bush Mill for the Sariri community to mill their own timber to
build houses in their new settlement
One of the Anglican Church’s response team assisting with the Cyclone Guba flash flooding disaster
in 2007. Directly involved with the ADF relief coordinating team. Delivered relief supplies with ADF
Black Hawk helicopters to affected communities across the province.
o 2011 – Successfully proposed to the Anglican Education Division, the Provincial Education Board and
the National Education Board that a Southern Region Primary School Teachers College be established.
Also successfully proposed that Tufi, Kokoda and Afore High Schools be established.
• 2007:
o Participated in the Anglican response to the Cyclone Guba Flush Flood disaster as a logistic officer
o Member of the ADF relief planning and coordinating committee
o Chairman of the NGOs group for relief supplies during and after the state of emergency
o Chairman of the NGOs and Churches coordination group for the early recovery plan. (The early
recovery plan was coordinated by the UNDP)
o Took a lead in the Oro Anglican Education Assessment and contributed most of the documentation
of the Oro Education Recovery Plan during the state of emergency.

Northern Province Food Restoration Program
Initiated the proposal for the Northern Province Food Restoration Program aftermath of the cyclone
Guba disaster in corroboration with PDAL, NARI, OPIC Company, AROD, ORO Disaster Committee and
University of Natural Resources.
This program was aimed at restoring food security of the province after the Cyclone Guba flood
devastation across the entire province. The project program concentrated on propagating high yield
food crops in identified locations and distributing the plants to the communities who lost their food
gardens.
The estimated cost of the program was K300, 000 funded by The Kokoda Track Foundation.
The project was forecast on 4 mother nurseries or resources centres and they were Ilimo, Martyrs,
Dobuduru and Sariri.
• 2011 ‐ Resource Centre’s Coordinator for the Northern Province Food Restoration Program.
Ilimo Resource Centre
Ilimo Resource centre was established to propagate and supply plant materials to the people of
Kokoda. The resource centre was visited by delegates from the Provincial Food Security, UNDP,
Provincial DAL, NGOs, Churches and Women in Agriculture.
Martyrs Resource Centre
Food produced from the garden was supplied to the students mess while seeds and plant materials
distributed to the surrounding communities and the people of the Central Orokaiva. Students were
also encouraged to take home some of the plant materials.
Dobuduru Resource Centre
The Dobuduru Resource Centre was established to supply plant materials to people of Oro Bay LLG.
Later it was taken over by the Dobuduru Primary School as the school project. The students learnt
agriculture through a Making a Living subject and the produce was sold at markets to raise funds
for the school while the seeds were distributed to the communities by the NPFRP.
Sariri village development project.
This project was initiated after Cyclone Guba in 2007 by the seven clan chiefs. A piece of land
25metres x 300metres was allocated to each of 225 household along the 1.5 kilometres x 20 metre
road. At their request I took the leading role to appeal for help from Geelong Rotary Club. The club
responded to our appeal and many other clubs supported with humanitarian aid materials and
technical assistance to build a school, a storage shed, a guest house, solar power supply for the
school, water mains for the entire village, a tractor for the community farming and a solar powered
water pump for community farm irrigation. Sariri is aimed at being the model village for the rest of
the disaster affected villages in the province
Sariri Resource Centre
The Sariri resource centre supplied the satellite nurseries throughout the province. This is a
community and a farmer based resource centre garden.
• 2012 ‐ Awarded the prestigious Royce and Jean Abby Agricultural and Vocational scholarship through
the Rotary Club of Geelong. The scholarship provided training and agricultural experiences in Australia
for three months from April to July 2012. This offer was the result of my continuous support and the
working relationship with the community, churches, NGOs both local and International charity
organizations.
Participated in the following skills courses:
From FPI50105 – DIPLOMA OF FOREST AND FOREST PRODUCTS
o BSBFL M501 B – Manage personal work priorities and professional development
o BSBOHS504A – Apply principles of OHS risk management
o BSBFLM509B – Facilitate continuous improvement
o BSBFLM 512A – Ensure team effectiveness
o BSNFLM513A – Manage budgets and business plans within the work team
o FPIFGM5201A – Plan and manage and inventory program
o FPIFGM5202A – Manage tending operations in native forest
o FPI120305 – Certificate II in Saw‐milling & Processing
FPI30305 – Certificate III in Saw‐milling & processing
o FPICOR3202A – Conduct quality and product care procedures
o 2209A – Dismantle, transport and assemble sawmill
o 3229A – Operate a portable sawmill
FPI120305 – Certificate II in Saw‐milling & Processing
o FPICOT221A – Visually stress grade hardwood
o FPICOT2216A – Visually stress grade softwood

Visited seven different farms including cattle, crops, silviculture forest plantations and native forest. Also
attended 12 different Rotary clubs and spoke about the community resettlement in the province.

Joined Kokoda Track Foundation as a Project Officer delivering materials for schools and Aid Posts in the
catchment areas. Worked for 3 years. Coordinated a significant project; the Kokoda College Elementary
Teachers and CHW Training.

• 2017 ‐ Elected chairman of the Inonda Adventist High School P & C. and member of the School Board

Formed the Oro Community Service Foundation (OCSF). This is local Charity group formed to partner
with both local and international organisations to deliver health, education, economic and social services.
Currently Chairman of the OCSF.

• 2018 ‐ Appointed by the Anglican Bishop of Popondota Diocese to be the Chairman of the Resurrection
Cathedral Trust.
Appointed Chairman of the Martyrs Secondary School Old Boys association.

• 2016 to 2018 ‐ Actively involved with The Rotary Club of Warrnambool’s PNG Projects Group’s work in
Oro Province.

 

Elijah Sarigari