Seven years after leaving school and becoming a young mother, 25-year-old Doris Joe is celebrating a milestone that few small business owners achieve.

She has secured a retail partnership with City Pharmacy and placing her products on the shelves of one of Papua New Guinea’s largest retail networks.

As the founder of Doris’s Neem Products- an SME hair and skincare brand built from locally sourced neem and coconut, she has transformed what began as a personal hobby into a growing business now entering the mainstream retail market.

The official in-store launch on Friday, June 12, marks a major breakthrough for the young entrepreneur whose products have until now been sold primarily through social media, word of mouth and a network of independent agents.

For Doris, the business began with a simple observation, with a common question she keeps getting from her friends 

“My friends use to ask me what I use on my hair and skin in which I would normally answer them to buy hair, food and other products, but they always came back asking me how to use them.”

Then from those repeated questions, sparked an idea “So why not I create the products myself and show them how to use it and they can buy it from me.”

That is exactly how it started for Doris- a hobby that soon evolved into a business venture.

Today, Doris’s Neem Products manufactures a range of hair and skincare products using ingredients sourced within PNG, while also supporting local suppliers through the use of locally sourced production materials.

The journey, however, was far from straightforward. Born in Enga Province, Doris completed Grade 8 at Boreboa Primary school before attending Gerehu Secondary School. In 2019, she withdrew from Grade 11 after losing interest in her studies and struggling to stay focused on her education.

“I felt disappointed when they put me into that class, so I withdrew myself because I lost focus and started misbehaving.”

A year later, she became a mother. While many of her former peers were pursuing higher education, Doris found herself on a completely different path.

“While my classmates were being selected to colleges and university, I challenged myself to do something worthy that would give me money.”

Determined to improve her knowledge, she later enrolled in business courses through Pacifund using her own savings.

“That is where I improved my business management skills.”

On August 22, 2022, she formally registered Doris’s Neem Products and began laying the foundation for commercial production.

Since then, the business has steadily grown and now culminating in a partnership with City Pharmacy Retail, which has selected Doris's Neem Products as one of its local SME brands for retail distribution.

Speaking during the launch, Doris thanked CPL Group for supporting local entrepreneurs and creating opportunities for small businesses to grow.

She also encouraged young Papua New Guineans not to allow setbacks to define their future.

“You can have a lot of things going around, but you must focus on your hobby and give it more time.”

“I am a mother, but I never let that stop me from putting time into my hobby. Now look how it turned out.”

While many of her former classmates have gone on to higher education and employment, Doris says her next goal is to create opportunities for others.

“It is now my dream to employ about 100 educated youths into my company, hopefully next year and beyond.”

Despite her success in business, Doris says her own learning journey is far from over.

“We are learning every single day, and I want to go back to school and learn more. Education stops when we die!”

The partnership represents more than a product launch. It highlights the growing role of local SMEs in PNG’s economy and demonstrates how determination, self-investmentand persistence can create opportunities beyond the classroom.

Seven years after leaving school, Doris Joe is no longer wondering what will come next.

As her products move from home production to retail shelves across the country, she is already looking beyond her own success, dreaming of employing 100 young Papua New Guineans while continuing her own education journey.

For a young mother who once walked away from school uncertain of her future, the next chapter may be even bigger than the first.