A PLACE BUILT OF UNITY…

Aseki Market, Menyamaya, Morobe Province

Rusted Bed in Aseki on which women give birth

The thing that I learnt from my travel to Menyamya is… “The power of unity saves a community from ruins”.

In a small community like the stations, you would need to believe in each other and lean on each other’s shoulder.

Many will say that this isn’t new for a small community. But what’s unique about Menyamya is, its people have been maintaining a standard of living through struggles.

They had been struggling with poor roads for over ten years until quite recently.   

The people have been survivors through out their existence; they had once survived droughts and feminine.  

They were once fierce warriors’ and very generous people. To this date they still are both generous and critical. Peace is their virtue.

They have lived in their ragged and beautiful terrain for many years… It’s the type of place to wake up to in the morning with a cup of coffee and then read a good book all day.

The station itself used to be a well-organized government station in Morobe Province.

It was where most graduates out from Public Administration School aimed to work.  A lot has changed since than and the station is in vast contrast to before.

“Back than it had the flamboyance and appeal,” says Sam William (Not his real name) who is now around 30 years old and spent his young life in Menyamya.

“A few things have happened for Menyamya and some things have not happened for it- I know because I have seen it with my own eyes”.

The things that haven’t been happening are the Menyamya Health Center at the station and the Health Center in Aseki.

I went to visit the Menyamya health Center on a Monday and what I saw was a concern to me. It wasn’t open- maybe there was no patient, but when I asked the locals, they say it hardly opened.

They said that patients chose not to come to the center because the Officer in Charges wife collapsed and died inside one of the wards.

I guess Papua New Guinean superstition plays a big role… we shouldn’t go to the hospital for treatment because there are spirits.

But the sad thing is… while some are superstitious and don’t want to come go for treatment others still do.

Often there is no Health Worker at work to attend to their illness.

The ward councilor Susan Mai has raised concerns about the center having its own specialist doctor and more staff because it the on center that services four parts of Menyamya.

“ We have to have a doctor here because we go looking for treatment in Lae and many have died at the outpatient, so we have to bring them back and bury them,” she said.

In Aseki several kilometers from Menyamya station, the story there is even worse. The health center really showed signs of neglect.

Beds were just rusted metal. A bed on which women give birth to their baby is so rusted the Health workers had to support it with rocks and repair it themselves.

They say that women actually fall off the beds when in the process of giving birth. The bed had been there since the hospital was built in the colonial era.

The Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip admitted that he hadn’t put enough money aside to fix the Health Center because he had made roads the priority.

But he has made it known to the people that districts funds will be allocated to fix the poor health care facilities in Menyamya.

The fixed 24-kilometer stretch of the worst roads will help.

Menyamya like many other rural stations must be maintained to a level that it should be. For better service delivery for tens of thousands of people in the area.

THE TOP TOWN BOY…

Please read this... it’s a true story, it happened in Lae-top town.

PROLOGUE

Some one very close to me once said… We are all leaders in work and family, make decisions based on what makes you happy, but always remember the consequence to people with you.

If a decision affects the ones around you in a negative way then you need to clearly adjust yourself and think about what needs to be done.

People that are directly involve in your life, especially your children need to be considered… parents and family including friends comes last.

 Desires and interests including personal gain and pressure from friends and family to make radical decisions will leave people directly around you to suffer.

BASED ON A TRUE STORY…

I was walking home, one evening after work, it was raining, while I covered in an umbrella and waited for my boss to buy flex from a tucker shop.

A small boy, not more than 10 years old walked up to me, he was very gentle but also understanding, he looked hesitant, but he was brave.

" Can you please give me one kina? I am hungry and I want to buy a biscuit, please just one kina only, nothing else," he said.

The boy wasn't looking for sympathy. He had already understood and accepted his plight. Because when I asked him about his mother...

 "She has gone to the village". He said this with a straight face... he wasn't lying to me.

Then I asked him where his father was...

"His married to a new woman and I can't live with him anymore, so I am out here."

My heart tore right up the center. Not because he wanted me to feel sorry for him... but in his eyes, he had already accepted that this is his life now.

I knew from that second that this boy, not more then ten years old had lived three times his life time.

He had gone through a life changing experience and it wasn't his fault but he accepted it.

I gave him my coke and my boss gave him ten kina... I didn't have cash in my wallet at that time. Other times I did but at that time I didn't.

After I walked away... his face was still glued in my mind and sometimes my face is where his face should be...

The next day I had 100 bucks for him in my wallet, I went out looking for him but he wasn't there.

I didn't take his picture.

SEE THINGS IN A MORE POSITIVE APPROACH.

Think of it this way... every reaction that we have toward something or someone comes from what we perceive of ourself within our mind and soul.

Positive thoughts give rise to good actions, that bring favourable conditions that will elevate you to unimaginable heights in your relationships in life.

Any environment which you find yourself in, will always involve your interaction with other people, relating to the correct people is the key to individual success, because in our universe we deal with people.

Being around people is also something that comes from within you. The people that you are associated with what you show to the world. Your actions come from how you think and operate.

If you hate so much then expect to receive the same from all around you. Your most likely going to associate with the wrong bunch, and to the contrary if you love then expect to be loved back, from the right bunch of people.

If people like you they will work with you, if he or she loves you they will stay with you, so its important that within yourself, you must become love.

How much you give of something you will receive more of that which you give and its important to give the right sort of vibe.

When someone comes into contact with you, certain events has happened to put them directly in your path.

You could say for that instant you share a common onest with that person for them to be attracted to you.

Whether it be... sharing a beer or going to church, you have become one with that person through an aspect of our universe. "We were all made in the image of God"

But, we are also all one because we have the same feelings of love and hate.

You had predetermined the route that you had taken in that time to get you in that exact moment, were your paths collided.

Whether you meet sickness and death, or riches and wisdom its up to how you consciously organise your priorities to get you favourable priorities which are Health, Love and Wealth.

LAND BELONGS TO ITS PEOPLE AND NO ONE ELSE

The O’Neil- Dion Government wants to ensure that the people have a stake in any development that will happen on their land.

But remember… your land is wealth and it is where you will fall back too after your retirement.  Please, don’t give away your birthright.

The Physical Planning Department says they are aware that some land board members have been doing illegal deals with developers.

Land is one of our most valuable assets, without it we can’t survive.  Our culture and the very essence of our origins begin with land.

Our ancestors began their collection of wealth by first acquiring land; they fought and spilled blood just to gain territory and dominance.

They married according to land mass… a man was allowed to have wives because he had more land, it was all wealth.

Our history and heritage revolves around yarns of spirits that live in Mountains, Caves and rivers that are so sacred… that only few go and it all remains virgin.

These places and the spirits where once worshipped by our ancestors before Christianity and all other faiths ever reached our shores.

We have pride richly blessed with land mass so big that comes with natural beauty… so rare and resources that only few places on Earth have.

And it will stay that way…

The Government on Land

The National Physical Planning department revealed during the Swearing in of a New Morobe Provincial Physical Planning Board that the government owns 3% of Papua New Guinean landmass.

This simply means that 97% of Papua New Guinea’s land still belongs to people that own them by birth right, this is customary land.

The goal of the Government is to obtain this land from customary landowners by developing policies that will ensure that customary landowners will go into partnership with any developer.

The O’Neil- Dion government wants to ensure that the people have a stake in any development that will happen on their land.

But remember… your land is wealth and it is where you will fall back too after your retirement.  Please, don’t give away your birthright.

With all respect to the policies that the Government is creating, this all serves the interests of development, which are developers.

Who are here to take land to expend businesses that give to the community but squeeze millions out from the Seven million in this country, 80% of whom are still underdeveloped.

This is the underdeveloped that live our rural areas that don’t get much in government services.

But, the question is how can the government protect landowners from phony investors that can bribe “the people that matter” to get land titles on alienated ground.

This is where a fully functional and transparent land board including physical planning board comes in.

But, the Morobe Lands board was dismantled in recent years due to allegations of mismanagement and corruption that has resulted in huge backlog of land problems- that hopefully will be dealt with.

The Physical Planning Department says they are aware that some land board members have been doing illegal deals with developers.

They have also admitted that their lawyers have a tough time defending officers that are really guilty.

HIV ON THE RISE IN MOROBE PROVINCE

HIV cases are on the rise in Lae City. The rise is due to cash flow and the movement of people form all the Regions. Lae based Family Planning Experts say attitudes of men must change.


HIV in Morobe Province

According to the Morobe Provincial Aids Council 250 people contract HIV per week however they say those statistics are based on people that go through voluntary testing.

Lae city has seen a spike in the number of people being contracted by HIV, the city has the highest in Morobe because of the Economic boom and cash flow.

The National Aid Council says most people infected are people between the ages of 15 and 25 years old.

“ Statistics show that between the age group of 14 and 25 have the highest numbers,” said National Aids Council Deputy Director, Philip Tapo.

The Council says they have identified high-risk segments that includes sex workers and the under privilege population of PNG that are without government services.

People that take part in risky behaviours in these segments put their family and entire life at risk.

1.Family Planning: Mens Attitudes must change

Sexual health experts say Papua New Guinea's male population can do a lot more in terms of controlling sexually transmitted infections and population growth.

A Lae based reproductive health worker, Jennifer John, says if attitudes are encouraged to change, a lot more can be achieved.

Papua New Guinea’s towns and cities are getting crowed at a very fast rate because of the country’s economic boom.

PNG Family Health Association Program Officer, Jennifer John says family planning and reproductive health awareness will help control population.

“What the association tries to do is educate the man to change their attitudes,” said John.

And with the increased population and economic boom chances of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases have also risen.

She says People in the country need to be aware of the importance of family planning and sexual reproductive health; to avoid deaths related HIV and STI’s.

Risks have increased due to the movement of people into towns and cities looking for employment.

The problems associated with reproductive health and family planning touch many hot issues such as the increase in HIV cases and domestic violence including teenage pregnancy.

Lae City, the industrial hub of Papua New Guinea is one example of these problems. The city’s increased population is at risk if attitudes don’t change.

2. Papua New Guinea Economy: Lae City is the Industrial  hub of Papua New Guinea

The heart of the problem is the movement of people looking for opportunities in Lae City. Money is flowing within the population and the trend of people engaging in risky behaviour has increased.

The city makes around K60 million in GDP per year, which means, for those who have the conveniences there is enough money to go around.

Being central to the seven provinces of the highlands and the New Guinea Islands, Lae has been classified as an high risk area, following the NCD including several provinces of the Highlands.

VILLAGE GETS NEW ROAD AFTER 37 YEARS OF ISOLATION

Monokam Village is located several kilometers away from Wabag town, in a remote valley in Kompiam- Ambum District in Enga Province.

The village has an estimated population of about 10,000 people most of them subsistant farmers who cultivate their own land to plant and sell vegetables.

For many years people from Monokam have been without vital government services until quite recently.

A new road built will bring services and development back to a rural and isolated area of Enga Province.

The road link will bring further development to the area especially in Health and Education after over 30 years including self- sustaining projects.

Plans to build a hydro-station to supply electricity and water to the village including  an ongoing partnership between Coffee Industry Cooperation and Villages to create a coffee corporative.

Similar to the Neknazi Coffee Corporation in Morobe Province, made up of 400 farmers. Monokam will have a corporative made up of 300 members. 

The Chairman of the Group Joanis Yola says that the group will receive assistance from the Wabag based Coffee Industries Corporation to start the protect.

"We have gotten help from CIC to help start this project... we have farmers totalling to three hundred who will benefit from this project," he said.