Fabian The Aquaman: Transforming Lives, Livelihoods And Nutrition In Rural Papua New Guinea

Led by Fabian Homboku with support from the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, Huareheng village is being transformed through fish farming and vanilla cultivation, boosting income, improving nutrition, and empowering the community, inspiring neighbouring villages to follow their lead.

Wewak, Papua New Guinea

In the remote village of Huareheng, nestled at the end of a rugged road in Papua New Guinea's East Sepik Province, a quiet transformation is taking place. Fabian Homboku, a 30-year-old villager, is leading his community on a journey towards a brighter future, thanks to the support of the EU-STREIT PNG Programme.

Fabian Homboku's life in Huareheng has always been intertwined with the rhythms of traditional subsistence agriculture. Growing up, his family relied mainly on taro, banana, greens, and sago for their daily sustenance. Animal protein was rare, and opportunities for economic advancement were limited. But in 2021, things began to change.

The EU-STREIT PNG Programme extended its reach to Huareheng in the Yangoru-Saussia District, a village so remote that there are no human settlements beyond it. The Programme aimed to uplift rural communities’ livelihoods by providing comprehensive support, including training, inputs, tools, equipment, and resources to enhance agricultural operations, improve people’s nutritional status, and diversify income sources. Fabian, a visionary farmer, quickly leveraged this opportunity and became a pioneer in this transformative journey.

Empowering Change through Aquaculture

One of the most significant changes brought by the Programme was the introduction of inland fish farming. Before this intervention, fish was a rare addition to the villagers' diet. "We had taro, banana, greens, and sago on our plates. After these fishponds, we now add fish to our plates which we did not have before," Fabian recalls.

With the Programme's support, Fabian and his fellow villagers received the training and resources needed to establish and manage fishponds. Fabian attended an Aquaculture ToT training in Maprik in 2022, where he learned the details of fishpond management, water quality, and fish feed production. The impact emerged quickly.

"After the training, EU-STREIT gave me 250 fingerlings and I stocked them in my two ponds. Afterward, the fish increased, and we extended the number of fishponds and they are now loaded with fish. This fish training improved and extended my knowledge on fish farming," Fabian explains. Today, Huareheng boasts 17 fishponds, significantly contributing to the community's nutrition and income. Fabian proudly shares, "In my house, each member of the family has a fish each in two dinners per week."

Fabian and his fellow villagers not only improved their diet with the introduction of fish farming but also started selling fish in nearby markets. Fabian shares that they sell about 30 fish each month for PGK 5 each, earning PGK 150. This additional income has been instrumental in helping his family and others in the village to afford services, like public transport, enabling them to travel to larger towns. The revenue from fish sale has opened up more opportunities for healthcare, education, and better market connections, further uplifting the Fabian’s family’s standard of living.

Fabian has also taken his empowerment to the next level by sharing his knowledge with other interested villages in neighbouring districts. He conducted training sessions for four villages in Maprik and eight villages in Ambunti-Drekikier, reaching over 80 people in each village, totalling around 1,000 new fish farmers. His efforts have inspired other communities, spreading the benefits of fish farming and enhancing food security across the area. "For other farmers, what EU-STREIT has trained us, we taught them as well. I gave them some fish as well, like farmers in Maprik and Ambunti-Drekikier Districts. They are excited to receive training at their doorsteps," Fabian says with pride.

Venturing into Vanilla Cultivation

The Programme's impact didn't stop at aquaculture. The villagers, under Fabian's leadership, ventured into vanilla cultivation. With advanced training and essential inputs from the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, they learned the best practices for vanilla cultivation, husbandry, harvesting, and post-harvesting processes.

"EU-STREIT assisted us. We plan to export our vanilla in August 2024. Now we have 30 kg of vanilla. The Programme assisted us to find a market. We see that the EU-STREIT Programme is providing many things," Fabian says. This support extended to providing essential inputs, tools, and equipment, such as disease-free vanilla vines, cooler boxes, blankets, thermometers, pruning saws, and an innovative vanilla solar dryer. The new knowledge and resources enabled the villagers to improve the productivity and quality of their vanilla production.

Before this intervention, the villagers used to plant vanilla beans and store them improperly after harvest, resulting in mold and low-quality produce. "After the training, we adopted the right way to do vanilla processing," Fabian shares. The villagers learned the precise timing for pollination and the correct methods for curing vanilla, resulting in a significant improvement in quality.

Exploring Cocoa Cultivation

The villagers have also planned to rehabilitate their old, rundown cocoa blocks, as a new addition to their agricultural activities, with support from the EU-STREIT PNG Programme. They are set to receive training and essential inputs to implement the best practices in cocoa propagation, block management, bean drying and cocoa quality processing. "We have 780 farmers from 20 cluster groups. A group was given 15,000 poly bags. I just distributed 100 CPB-tolerant seedlings to each farmer in the community, thanks to the EU-STREIT PNG Programme," Fabian says.

This support will extend to providing essential tools and equipment, such as budding tapes, wheelbarrows, and shade cloths, innovative solar combination type dryer, storage shed, and support to establish market linkage. The villagers' newly acquired knowledge and resources will enable them to improve the productivity and quality of their cocoa, thereby increasing their income and enhancing livelihoods.

Building a Vision for the Future

The impact of the EU-STREIT PNG Programme extended beyond agricultural advancements. Fabian and his fellow villagers received transformative support from the Programme's Gender & Youth Inclusion Team. This included capacity building on gender in value chain development, youth leadership, group business management, farming as a family business and visioning using the GALS methodology (read more here on this concept).

Reflecting on ‘Farming as a Family Business,’ Fabian said: "These trainings help us to realize that the foundation of a country is built from households and communities. This knowledge helps me to work with family or friends in the house. I will also stop some unnecessary spending."

The villagers gained a new perspective on leadership, management, and financial literacy, empowering them to build a vision for their personal lives, family and community prospects, and business plans.

One of the most profound impacts of this training was the realization that leadership and management begin at home. Fabian and his community now understand the importance of visioning, budgeting and saving for the future, ensuring they are prepared for any challenges that may arise. The training also challenged customary beliefs and ways of thinking that had hitherto hindered progress, particularly the traditional views on the roles of women and youths and people with disabilities in decision-making and leadership roles.

A Brighter Future Signals

The villagers of Huareheng are now more determined and organized than ever before. After receiving capacity-building support from the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, Fabian and his community are practicing a more efficient division of labor. They appointed three leaders to oversee the three key value chains: cocoa, vanilla, and fish farming. "I now have a chairman of cocoa here, a chairman for vanilla, so I concentrate on fish farming," Fabian explained. This structured approach has allowed them to manage and handle each work stream more effectively, ensuring better productivity and collaboration within the village.

Thanks to this structure and knowledge, the villagers’ vision now extends beyond their boundaries, aiming to build a commercial fish market that supplies the entire Yangoru-Saussia District. "Today, we decided to dig 100 ponds to supply fish to the whole district. This is our future plan," Fabian declares with pride.

Fabian's success story is not just about personal achievement but also about uplifting an entire community. "When EU-STREIT ends, we are happy that you educated us to move forward. We already have the idea to move forward. Our joy is [that] you came to our village," Fabian expresses with gratitude.

As the villagers of Huareheng continue to build on the foundation laid by the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, their story serves as an example of hope and inspiration for other rural communities. Fabian Homboku and his community have transformed their lives, livelihoods, and prospects for the future. Their journey from subsistence dwellers at the end of a muddy rural road to empowered and visionary farmers and fisherfolks is a testament to the power of knowledge, support, and community spirit.

About the EU-STREIT PNG Programme

The EU-STREIT PNG, being implemented as a United Nations Joint Programme (FAO as leading agency and ILO, ITU, UNCDF and UNDP as implementing partners), is the European Union's largest grant-funded initiative in the country. It focuses on boosting sustainable and inclusive economic development in rural areas. This is achieved by enhancing economic returns and opportunities within cocoa, vanilla, and fisheries value chains. Additionally, the Programme strengthens and improves the efficiency of value chain enablers, including access to ICT and digital financial services. It also supports the development of sustainable, climate-resilient transport infrastructures and renewable energy solutions. The Programme benefits two provinces: East Sepik and West Sepik.

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