TISA (The Teachers Savings and Loans Society) was originally created for teachers and employees of the Department of Education to have access to financial facilities and support. It has since grown to become the largest savings and loan society in Papua New Guinea and the largest credit union in the Pacific. The society was started in 1972, and for their 50th anniversary wanted to do something special that not only celebrated this milestone, but also their close ties to the country’s journey to independence.
TISA had literally grown up with Papua New Guinea – their paths are intertwined as teachers and the society played a significant role in the independence movement. This is a huge source of pride for them and a story that needed to be told. So much so, that the story itself became the solution. A highly regarded local reporter and author was commissioned to write the TISA story. It took the form of a large format ‘coffee table’ book, an object that reflected the gravitas of the information contained inside. To reflect the interwoven narrative of the country and the society, the book was designed to incorporate a bilum bag. The bilum bag is a national institution within Papua New Guinea and is a recognised symbol of the country. A local weaving group was commissioned to produce bags to contain each book. The thread used for the bag was directly incorporated into the book as part of the binding process. TISA’s brand colour (yellow) was changed for the golden anniversary – the gold thread representing TISA integrally woven into the fabric of Papua New Guinean society.
The book received rave reviews, with the board of directors enthusiastically volunteering their time to be part of the project. Subsequently, an event of considerable size gaining national media coverage was held to celebrate the launch of the book.
