Commonwealth Youth Award winner Thompson Auri
Softly-spoken and humble, Papua New Guinean Thompson Auri exudes a quiet confidence and an ease in village life. So the news of his selection as the Pacific’s Commonwealth Youth Award winner came as a pleasant surprise, which is shown in the wonder in his eyes and wide smile as he struggled to express his feelings.
“I was shocked. I mean, I couldn’t believe it. I was overwhelmed with emotions and speechless,” Auri said. “I was in a remote village doing some airstrip service. When I came back, I saw the notification in my email and logged into Facebook to see the announcement.”
The Commonwealth Youth Award recognises and rewards outstanding youth (aged 15–29) from different parts of the Commonwealth region. Regional winners receive £3,000 (US$3909 ) for their project.
Auri is an information specialist and airstrip surveyor for a non-profit organisation, the Rural Airstrip Agency, which works to restore abandoned airstrips. “There are over 600 airstrips throughout PNG and most are not serviceable or [are]abandoned,” Auri says. “For the last three years, there are more than 30 we have restored.”
Air access is critical in a country where the terrain, climate, size and distance between communities can make land access difficult.
For the East New Britain born-and-bred man, this project is close to his heart. “I went to school in a rural setting. We used to sit on the floor and write on blackboards. We didn’t have any textbooks or school materials,” Auri says.
“This is why I love helping people, especially those living in unfortunate conditions.”
He continues: “Back in the colonial days, those airstrips were the only contact to the outside world. People came in bringing medical supplies, educational materials, but after the colonial days, those airstrips were abandoned.
“After it was abandoned, those services did not reach the people, and so after we restored some of the airstrips, they were able to get access to educational materials, bring in doctors, teachers, and medical supplies,” he says.
The work of the RAA means communities again have access to aircraft that provide health services, education, commercial markets, community development, and other government services.
“One particular airstrip located in Enga province, Yalum village was closed for nearly 20 years, and it took me two days to walk to that village because there wasn’t any other way to get there,” Auri relates.
“Most of the villagers were really happy. They said that now the children can go to school because educational materials, schools, and teachers can be transported by plane. They don’t have to send the kids to the next village, which takes one or two days, to get educated.
“If they want to get medicine or go to the hospital, they have to walk for one or two days. Most of the pregnant women who die along the way because they had to walk the track, climb mountains, and cross the river to get to the nearest hospital,” he said.
The gravity of the situation shows the crucial role RAA plays in ensuring services start flowing back to the remote parts of PNG. Unfortunately, there are a few barriers that might hinder the progress of this project.
Auri says their work in airstrip clearance and maintenance, fuelling of planes and providing equipment, depends on the funds coming in from the government and partners. “If there is a lot of money, we go in by helicopter. If there isn’t any, we walk to remote areas.”
PNG’s national government funded RAA from 2014 to 2018, until the pandemic hit. Even then, local media quoted RAA’s acting CEO, Kimbi Perryman, as stating the organisation was struggling financially when COVID hit, and the K3.2 million (US912K) available was insufficient to cater for 200 airstrips and overheads.
Despite these challenges, Auri plans on helping in any way he can. “The prize money from my award, I have decided to help some airstrips, and I want to use those funds to help the villages buy some runway visual aids for the airstrips to ensure the pilots land safely,” he says.
“I used to work for an oil company, and most of the time we go to rural villages for medi-evacs, and I used to feel sorry for the villagers because they don’t have the resources, and you see young people roaming around like there is no future hope for them, and it makes me really sad,” Auri said.
“I’m always motivated by that, because I feel that if I help others, I will help them realise that there is a future for them.”
