POC: 6 Weekers

The youngest 6 week POC participant

6 week POC participant, David, practising fire cooking

Fourteen weeks of POC is a long time to invest in a training course, but worthwhile for  those of us who plan on being long term in this region. For people who are here shorter term (and various other reasons) there is also a six week version of POC. For the first five weeks we all do the same things. In week six the short-term POCers go on a five day village stay and the rest of us start to focus more on preparing for our five week village stay.

On their return from the village the 6-weekers had all had a good experience of PNG life, as well as their share of challenges. They’d all been very well looked after, felt their Tok Pisin had improved and were glad for a hot shower and a familiar bed. Saying goodbye to them was sad, as they have very much been part of our community to this point. We feel their absence…particularly in the noise levels. The six weekers happened to include all the children aged under one, who are at a noisier age and stage.

Now that only the fourteen week POC participants remain, the focus has shifted to village preparations. We are dehydrating food to take with, planning and shopping for five weeks, and starting to wind down life at Nobnob. Just as we had settled into the POC routine, everything is set to change once again!