Taraka Primary School leads Momase region in GFI skel skul competition

Taraka Primary School has emerged as the frontrunner for the Momase Region in the Goodman Fielder International [GFI] 2026 Skel Skul Competition, securing wins in two separate tiers of the contest.

Launched in January, the Skel Skul Program encourages schools to collect empty 1kg packets of Skel Rice to exchange for educational resources and infrastructure funding.

According to GFI Trade Marketing and Insights Manager Benjamin Raepa, the competition is designed to address the critical shortage of school facilities and the burden of unpaid project fees across Papua New Guinea.

"The competition has three tiers," Raepa said. "For the third tier, 2500 entries wins K2,500 worth of food supplies. The second tier, at 5,000 entries, provides K250 scholarships for 150 students. Finally, the first prize for 10,000 entries is K25,000 towards a school infrastructure project of the school’s choice."

The initiative was born following a GFI assessment in the Highlands Region, where representatives discovered a high number of students withdrawing from classes due to financial constraints. GFI has invested a total of K300,000 into the program, distributed across the Highlands, Southern, Momase, and Islands regions.

Taraka Primary School has already claimed the third and second-tier prizes, securing K2,500 in food supplies and K250 towards the project fees of 150 selected students.

Deputy Head Mistress Stella Wiavi expressed the school’s urgent need for support as they transition into a Junior High School.

"Our Grade 7 and 8 classes have been reduced from six streams to five due to a lack of space," Wiavi said. "That reality drove us to enter this competition."

Wiavi credited the achievement to the combined efforts of teachers, students, and parents. The school is now focused on reaching the final 10,000-packet milestone to secure the K25,000 top prize for a new classroom.