Boss Dokta, a final-year Bachelor of Arts in Communication for Development (BACD) student at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUoT), is gaining hands-on industry experience through the Mineral Resources Development Company’s (MRDC) Imbi Tagune Scholarship.
From Dei in Western Highlands Province, he describes the opportunity as a game changer, equipping him with practical skills and helping him shape his future in development communication.
Currently undertaking his placement with MRDC, he has rotated through the External Affairs Division and the Community Investment Trust Fund (CITF), gaining insight into both organisational processes and field-based development work.
MRDC External Affairs General Manager Bartholomew Yacop, added that the program is designed to prepare future leaders in development communication.
“This initiative is investing in young Papua New Guineans and equipping them with the skills and experience to contribute meaningfully to their communities,” he said.
As part of his field attachment, Boss travelled from Kikori station in Gulf Province, into surrounding communities, beginning with Omati village, a cocoa initiative led by MRDC subsidiary Gas Resources Pipeline.
He met with cocoa farmers and observed how seedlings raised in nursery conditions are gradually transformed into productive cocoa plots across the Kikori delta that will support long-term livelihoods for local families.
“It was my first time seeing how an agriculture project is set up to support communities after the life of resource projects,” he said.
Dokta also travelled by dinghy and on foot to neighbouring communities including Bisi, Kitomave, Veiru, Keiyu and Baina, where MRDC is implementing education facilities.
In these locations, he visited newly constructed classrooms, teachers’ houses, and e-libraries delivered through MRDC’s community investment initiatives, learning how modern infrastructure projects are implemented in remote settings.
Over the course of his placement, Dokta travelled an estimated 120 to 150 kilometres, through river systems, swampy terrain and bush tracks. Journeys between villages often took several hours, demonstrating the effort required to deliver services and opportunities in remote parts of the country.
MRDC Assets and Infrastructure General Manager, Reginald Ope, said the field component is central to the scholarship’s impact.
“It allows students to understand what development looks like on the ground, the challenges, the coordination required and the importance of working closely with communities,” he said.
Reflecting on his experience, Dokta said the placement helped him see how different aspects of development come together.
“You can see how development connects. It’s not just one project, it’s agriculture, education, and the whole community working together,” he said.
Since its establishment in 2023, the Imbi Tagune Scholarship has supported six students with tuition assistance, stipends, and structured work placements.
