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| Bunum-Wo may not be familiar to you by name, but this estate, located in the Western Highlands of the island of Papua New Guinea, has supplied coffee to Peet's for many years. In recognition and thanks for the outstanding coffee that we buy from them year after year, we worked with the estate to identify a project that would support the community. We agreed that the greatest need was for a primary school for the young children who live on the grounds. |
 | Why the need? The Highlands of New Guinea are notoriously inaccessible, and Bunum-Wo is an isolated estate with extremely limited access to the nearest townships and public transport, making it very difficult for the children to attend school. A facility located on the estate would provide a safe place for children during the day while their parents work as well as employment opportunities to trained teachers from the surrounding area. For the community, the school building could serve as a centralized facility where families access health care and education services. |
| We knew that this was a wonderful opportunity for us to help families whose lives we impact through the coffee they farm. So, in early 2006 we funded the construction of the school and by fall, the Butterfly School officially opened.
The school is named for the iridescent blue Ulysses butterfly that brightens the coffee fields as it flits between shade trees - a fitting tribute to the young "butterflies" in the classroom who now have a safe learning environment.
We continue to support the Bunum-Wo community in its ongoing efforts to build a sustainable future for its children. We have underwritten the costs of the school, including teachers’ salaries, for the next three years, and plan on a continuing relationship to support this wonderful initiative.
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