In a classroom at Butuka Academy—built by CSCEC—students gathered around, watching reply videos recorded by their Chinese pen pals. In each video, the student held a letter originally written by Butuka Academy pupils just a month earlier.

On May 21, under the theme "To a Friend Far Away", students from Butuka Academy wrote 50 heartfelt letters to peers at various schools across China.

As the reply letters were opened one by one, the classroom buzzed with laughter and surprise.

"Even though we're far apart, we can still be friends," one said in the letter. Some students shared their favorite anime characters, hoping to spark common interests. Others offered warm encouragement:

"Let's both keep working hard—cheering each other on from afar."

Some even described local Chinese delicacies and invited their friends in Papua New Guinea to visit and try them someday.

Alice was thrilled to learn that her Chinese pen pal liked the same pop star as she did.

Sam discovered that Mo Li from China also enjoys playing the guitar, so he picked up his own and performed a traditional PNG folk song—bridging friendship through music.

Students exchanged letters and shared their excitement with one another. Many have already started writing their next round of replies, eager to continue this growing friendship.

Completed in 2017, Butuka Academy has provided education for more than 3,000 primary and secondary students and has become a vital bridge for cultural exchange between China and Papua New Guinea.

Butuka Academy