Coco Loco Smoothies

A group of cocoa farmers from Milne Bay Province left Alotau over the weekend to attend the Greater Sepik Cocoa of Excellence & Trade Expo 2026 in Wewak next week.
They are going to defend their title and also learn new ideas and skills to take back home.
The Alotau District is supporting 25 cocoa farmers to attend the expo. The event will take place at Sir Michael Somare Stadium from April 21 to 23.
District Administrator Wilson Hilary said this group includes farmers as well as past winners from Kiriwina-Goodenough.
Alotau MP Ricky Morris said he hopes to join the team. He explained that the trip is part of the district’s plan to support and grow cocoa farming. He also said 15 cocoa samples from Milne Bay qualified for the expo out of 59 submitted.
He added that learning from the Sepik region is a valuable opportunity that farmers should not miss.
The event will bring together international buyers and chocolatiers, making it an important national gathering to showcase Papua New Guinea’s high-quality cocoa and connect farmers with global markets.
The group also includes local entrepreneurs who make cocoa products, such as Gwen Jerome from Maramatana LLG.
The Cocoa of Excellence competition is held every two years. It started in 2017 to promote cocoa in PNG, and Alotau last hosted the event in 2024.

FINAL DAY – EAST SEPIK!
Come along and enjoy your very own coffee, grown right here in Sepik.
Taste it. Experience it. Don’t miss out!

Congratulations

NANGU CHEF CATERING RECEIVES AWARD FOR EXPANDING

The owner of Nangu Chef Catering Chef Nicky Pohonhelan has received an award for successfully expanding from a solo operator to a team of five, including three dedicated kitchen hands.

Read more:https://emtv.com.pg/?p=241872

As Chairman of the Board of the Credit Guarantee Corporation, I'm excited about the programs we will be rolling out in 2026 to improve access to finance for amm MSMEs. This year we've helped over a hundred small businesses who would have had their loan applications declined without our support. Today, after getting funded, they are succeeding and growing.

How does it work? When you apply for a loan, banks ask you for security. If you can't provide it, we will provide it for you. This way you don't get turned away. You get your SME loan funding and you can start and grow your business.

We have offered over K10 million in collateral support via banks, micro banks and savings and loans societies. Next year will be bigger and better. Credit Guarantee Corporation PNG 🇵🇬

Wellness is community.

When I was designing this brand, I wanted it to represent values that deeply represented what it meant to be Papua New Guinean.

We are a village of 1000 tribes and not easy to govern using tried political systems, does this mean we have failed?

It means we are a democracy.

Kirapim kommuniti was the tagline that represented all the lessons I had encountered in the early stages of testing and building Coco Loco.

Initially my objectives were two-fold when I conceptualised the brand whilst travelling in Indonesia:

1) Be a solution to move stock fast for farmers and;
2) Enjoy what would be a lifestyle as a remote business owner and meet other like-minded individuals in Vanimo during my relocation. Listen to their stories.

Consulting for a global alcoholic brand prior to moving to Vanimo in 2023, I wanted the next phase of my life in the social impact space to resemble human contact and more rural-based work, meeting direct beneficiaries and empathising for our people's lived experiences and identifying gaps in my and others own personal biases which usually informs and in some cases misinforms direct interventions.

The fastest way for me was to sell. Sell Papua New Guinean coffee. Sell plants from Sabina from my community. It is not always profitable but it is always an easy decision.

As we prepared for the PNG 50th anniversary, the acts of friends and strangers made me realise what it means to show up as a Papua New Guinean long kirapim kommuniti. And live these values. Or resemble them at least.

From Mark and Mervyn in Port Moresby storing my event gear for two and a half years as I put family responsibilities first, to Mark and Samuel Merenge two high-level executives delivering tents, one for me and for a client from a Wutung based business for the Deputy Provincial Administrator for Sandaun.

Trying to honour supply chains so each member is fairly compensated transparently and fairly and running a business with empathy whilst also respecting human lives and dignity is what I try and sometimes fail but willing to learn and improve. Hesty, Kata, Braynon delivering an order on an out of schedule order for a PNG-Indo Express client, placing rental clients in Port Moresby whilst serving iced coffee at the stall for SR Curio Asset Management makes me feel incompetent but this is the lifestyle I dreamed when I was dreaming what my future life would look like as a 25 year old from my bedroom. Having my sister, Gabriella here from Australia witness what everyday life looks like in Vanimo and meeting people offline at these physical events is important.

As I was analysing and critiqing the long-planned 50th activities, I had a conversation with the security guards at the Provincial government offices on a late Friday simmering afternoon in Vanimo, I said, "Our forefathers didn't wait to a financial handout or money to be given to them when they were dreaming and envisioning what Papua New Guinea would be. There were no million kina event budgets, it distracts from honouring their legacy and pure intention to help us live their wildest dreams."

As my dear friend, former colleague and mentor Mr. Lazarus Kenni, former IFC Lighting PNG Lead and now GM for Solar Solutions Limited a Coco Loco supplier travelled to Angoram to honour and bury his late mother, I offered my words of encouragement, "She was proud to witness you live her wildest dreams". This is what 50 years of independence of celebration means to me.

As I struggled to find an open back to fit the stall table loaned by my cousin Joyce, built by my brother in law Lucas onto the Shamrock bus operated by Mr. Andrew Kinaram, our community truck driver, Ludwig was stopped roadside and asked to deliver the table I left on the roadside to the stall at the Pope Francis Oval. When they arrived at the oval with the table and about 20 community members I realised this is what Papua New Guinean ways means.

As we drove to Waramo village on Saturday night, my niece Beatrics and her partner, Donovan organised a stall and I was overwhelmed because I was grateful of orders by the village. As Donovan announced we were there selling Papua New Guinean coffee and Highlands honey on the stage, it dawned on my I was protected by this community. Luksave that visitors from outside their village had come to sell at their village. Honour. Luksave. It was not transactional but to say I see you. Tenk yu lo kam lo ples. As uncle Neles and uncle Andrew enjoyed their beers from the bus whilst waiting for us to sell our stock, I knew their presence meant support. Mr. Kinaram later advised Gabriella that we did not have to pay for the hire. I later found out later that upon our arrival, a Waramo villager had come to them and given these papas and elders K200 lo luksave. Honour. Their prescence was kommuniti.

Lately Dame Meg Taylor, one of the first Papua New Guinean females in the office of the first Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea's, coffee exporter and Harvard graduate, a woman who inspired me to work for the World Bank, after she was stationed in the Washington office discussed "Papua New Guinean ways". I struggled to really identify what this means in 2025.

Blurred by the commercialisation and crippling systems and corruption, it is difficult and a challenge for Papua New Guineans to identify "Papua New Guinean ways".

For me to personally identify that and try to help with supply chains, Coco Loco is my brand for civic duty.

I am not a public servant but kirapim kommuniti is my civic duty as a Papua New Guinean.

We must not lose hope and realise the dreams and intent of our forefathers and foremothers. That is what it means to be Papua New Guinean. Honour. Luksave. Not the fireworks.

If you are looking for a loose fitting blouse, please check out Monica's stall at Vanimo Town Market. The one I am wearing is K80.

Message the Vanimo Town Market page and they can help you virtually shop or deliver.

You can pair it with these Papua XL Tote Bags, 1 left in stock K50 (excluding.delivery).

Budget binder K75 from Eve of Harvest

I fit my life in these bags.

Seperate laptop bags are available as well.

Reminder 🇵🇬😘💰

"Iron sharpens iron". Surround yourself with people who speak life, purpose, and power into your journey. Grateful for brothers who motivates to level you up. One message I always remind myself is life is one, and every day is a chance to show up sharp, bold, and unapologetically to myself. No time to blend in when you’re born to stand out. We step up, dress up, show up mo matter what and find and take our rightful place in society. 👑💥🙏🏻👍🏼�