PNG FATHER GRIEVES FOR MURDERED SON

Teacher's Father, Albert Kuteve

“I brought this child up without any back ground, I don’t have a lot of money, I worked hard on my land to pay for his University tuition,” says Albert Kuteve.

18^th September 2014 seven days after Albert Gibson was tortured and stabbed multiple times along the Okuk highway from Kainantu to Lae and his people in Barola continued to mourn his death.

He was the son of a Pastor, who graduated at the University of Goroka two years ago, the father of a six month year old girl and a husband to a wife.

His family members still had the Barola Section of the Okuk highlands highway closed to all travellers, the feeling on the ground was of anger, sadness and revenge.

Men with bus knives

Barola Community block highway road.

They (Family members) came from all over Barola, food garden were neglected for a week as people from hamlets camped at the hilltop for answers.

The men armed with bush knives, their guns tucked away behind them, ready and waiting for the slightest spark to ignite a flame of rage.

The women were covered with soft maroon clay from the hillside, they cried and wept softly.

“The men don’t feel how we feel, we feel the pain of child birth and we lose the child through this inhuman way, he wasn’t an animal,” say the women weeping.

“He was a good boy, he tried, always, to walk a straight path. “

Barola Community leaders stood under the sun for six days, trying to contain the anger of the people. The section of the Okuk highway is renowned through out the Highlands as a place for serial car jacking and thieves who once terrorised travellers.

Burnt Highway Truck

The family of the teacher has claimed several highway trucks and another was torched on Saturday, when the news of the slain teacher reached home.

“The properties we have burnt, destroyed and claimed, we did it, because we were frustrated and angry,” says Community Leader, Allan Mosa.

“We are hurt, he didn’t die a good death, and he died like an animal.”

In the pain of losing a tribal leader, a son and a father they say it will take many more years for the community to produce someone like him.

The only thing stopping the thirst for retribution were the calm words of the teachers father, who is a pastor, he didn’t want violence, only that his son’s killers must be brought to justice.

The teacher’s father, Albert Kuteve, a pastor of the four square church, spoke for the first time about his lose.

“I brought this child up without any back ground, I didn’t have a lot of money, I worked hard on my land to pay for his University tuition,” says Albert Snr.

“For my efforts to get my son educated, I was stripped off my title as pastor for six years up until recently, when it was given back to me, my son was with me in the church.”

“My son was all I had, now I have nothing.”

On that Thursday evening I talked to an old man who invested so much time and effort into building his “living” insurance source.

The devastation of losing an asset that was groomed and moulded under the rain and sun, through sweat in the open fields.

I will never forget the sounds of pain, the agonising wailing of the Mother, Aunts and the Sisters of the late Albert Gibson.

HIGH RENTAL FORCING TAX PAYERS INTO LAE’S SETTLEMENTS

Recent ethnic clashes in Lae’s settlements have triggered a growing interest by the public.

Amidst the recent fights, Lae residents say the high cost of living in the city has caused more people into settlements.

Mus Property- Bundi camp

High costs in rental in the suburbs’ have forced taxpayers to settle into settlement to escape the sky rocketing prices of goods and services.

While Lae is also seeing economic boom, much of it hasn’t benefited the lower-middle income earners, who still struggle.

Last year, in a serious of stories I did on High rental costs in Lae City, I interviewed, Entrepreneur, Mus Palang who lives in Bundi Camp in the outskirts of Lae.

Palang has for the last several years provided affordable accommodation to a wide range of people working in Lae.

“I have even Managers living in the settlements,” he says.

Mus Palang is one of many that have gabbed the opportunity to make a significant amount of revenue through providing cheaper rental alternatives.

But while, most following the series of stories called for regulation of the real-estate market. Experts say it isn’t possible at this time.

Professionals Managing Director, Mike Quinn, operates the real estate giant says the housing market can’t be regulated.

Expensive Housing

He says because demand is high for houses, the rent will keep going up, with mining projects coming up in Bulolo.

More land has also got to be freed up by Morobean Landowners to build more housing.

But, many have suggested the Nation Housing Corporation build houses to dilute the market.

Mus Palang

Minister For Housing, Paul Izikiel says he will sell houses owned by NHC to generate income, for the corporation.

By far the NHC is the only hope Lae residents have.

Whilst, this may be good for only a hand full of people, the majority of middle-income earners, still live

on the fringes of settlements or within one.

These are taxpayers; the fact is they are productive people in the country’s economy. But, they live in these areas known as settlements.

These settlements’ are located, often on customary land, leased out in agreements between tenants and landowners, valid for a certain number of years.

These are groups who claim that they are legal settlers.

Now as these “taxpayers” live in these settlements, there are also those who came to Lae looking for opportunities, because of the growth of the city into a vibrant industrial hub.

The “opportunity seekers” are often unlucky with their prospects and end up living with relatives or floating in these settlements.

According to Lae Metropolitan Superintendent, Iven Lakatani, it’s these individuals that cause a lot of problems for communities, when they take alcohol or marijuana.

The spikes in Lae’s settlement clashes are attributed to the monotonous alcohol and drug problems and even domestic issues that escalate into full-blown fights.

Lae City is surrounded by settlements, from Papuan compound (Tais), Bumbu, Busurum, Busu, Back Road, Bumayong, East/West Taraka, Kamkumung, Naweab, Bundi Camp, the Miles areas’ and back to Papuan compound.

These settlement areas are filled with affordable accommodation at rates of 100 hundred kina to a thousand kina a month (K400-K1000), for those who can’t afford the houses in Lae suburbia, K3000- over 10,000 a month.

So while clashes and other social problems are a risk to those “taxpayers” who chose to live in settlements, so far, it’s the only choice due to the high cost Housing rental in Lae.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA GIRLS GIVE HOPE IN NOTORIOUS LAE SETTLEMENT

On a personal note I was brought up in Lae City,  Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea, and I have seen the transition at first hand, both positive and negative.

The development of roads and other infrastructure has happened before my eyes.  But this story had fascinated me, since I read their story on Social Media Facebook J

After dropping out of High School, three girls began a mission to help other teenage girls to coupe with life.

They have pulled together, women and girls’ in their community, to teach each other, how to read and write, make bilums’ and sew Meri (Women) blouse to sell. 

The girls say they hope to help other girls live a better life. 

The girls pulled together all of the women. They meet at a canvas tent, once a week to fellowship, teach each other to make bilums’ and sew blouses to sell. 

They’ve also made little money for their group, by selling what they’ve made.

This may seem insignificant to some, but within communities such as Bumayong, known for high crime rates, associated with drug problems, simple unity, has helped many women, deal with the challengers they face every day.

Miriam Kondi’s story is similar to many other girls, she dropped out from high school, but choose are more positive role within her community

“We will stand firm to change Lae and the rest of Papua New Guinea,” she says.

It’s rare to see women or even girls play pivotal roles, in a culture dominated by men. Women and girls often don’t get an equal chance.

The Internet has showed the treatment of Women in this country, often by those entrusted to keep them safe, husbands, Uncles, fathers and other men within their kin.

The problem has plagued us and will continue, if not addressed.

But, these girls, have become role models and, by doing it, they have attracted help. Lutheran Youth Coordinator, Ruben Mete, has been at the forefront of youth mission’s, he was approached by the girl’s last week.

“They will get administrative skills, so this is just something, we’d like to provide,” he says. 

 Women and Girls in Papua New Guinea are deprived and often marginalized from opportunity, for many reasons, often by men, but while the solution isn’t near, small steps have already been taken by the new generation.

MOROBE VILLAGE DOESN'T SELL BUT LEASES LAND TO CHINESE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

A Community 25 kilometers away from Lae City, along the Lae-Nadzab Highway in the Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea has made a move that will allow them to stay in control of their land during the 600 million kina upgrade to the Highway.

Yalu locals have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese Railway international to allow them to lease land for a base camp, while they build the six hundred million kina highway.

Yalu Village

The Mapong Business Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the company on Friday, 17^th January 2014 at a ceremony witnessed by the community.

“We aren’t selling the land, we are leasing the land,” says, Dominic Mark spokes person of the Business Group established to manage commercial land owned and leased by several Yalu clans to the Chinese company.

“This land will be their base camp, everything will be stationed here, while they build there base camp,” he said.

With this arrangement the people will be compensated through the Business Group-the land, hasn’t been sold to the company, it has been registered has commercial land owned by the Business group owned by the Yalu clans.

 The idea is to generate revenue for the people’s coffers and provide employment to youth’s and keep them out of trouble.

Mapong Business Group

The Business group has discussed working conditions for the locals, and it’s understood that two agreements were signed on the fifteenth of this month, that includes arrangements that should suit landowners.

“ The conditions are contained in two agreements signed on the 15^th of this month (January 2014),” he said.

Chinese railway international is the same company spear heading the  muti-million kina Lae Ports extension.

During the signing of the Lease agreement on Friday, the company’s management said they are perfecting their involvement to the satisfaction of the people. 

China Railway International

The government has pumped over 600 million kina into the four Lane Highway from Lae to the Nadzab airport, the first phase will start at Bugandi Secondary School and end at the Bulolo Highway junction.

This is something thaty the government has been trying to get across, that people should form groups, register their land under it and lease it out and not sell it. 

Trade and Commerce Minister, Richard Maru on his visit to the area last year for cocoa projects has also ensured that the people keep stake in their lands and as more people become aware of the value of their land, they now have the opportunity to safe guard what they’ve inherit- keep in control of  their birth right and not become spectators in developments happening right at their doorstep.

REMOTE ISLAND IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA PRODUCES BIO- DIESEL FUEL

A company based on a Remote Island off the Madang coast of Papua New Guinea has started producing Bio-Diesel fuel using coconuts growing on a Plantation on the Island. 




PNG Biofuels has invested into a pilot program to use the humble coconut to produce environmentally friendly bio-diesel fuel. 

It comes after copra prices plummeted forcing large plantations on the Island to trim their operation.

 
The concept of producing Bio-diesel fuel from coconut oil is something of the imagination, yet on the small Island of the Madang Province; a Company operating on a plantation on Karkar Island has succeeded in making its own fuel.

Local employee working the coconut machine


“World copra prices dropped, so for the last two years we tried to lift the value of copra” says Bret Middleton who belongs to an Agricultural family connected to the Island for almost 100 years.


The Middleton’s Kululili Plantation on Karkar Island is supplying Coconuts’ growing on hectares of land to develop an environmentally friendly fuel alternative. 


“It is hundred percent bio-diesel, it can be used purely as fuel, you can also mix it with normal diesel (fossil fuel).

“Its better then diesel because it doesn’t emit dirty smoke, its environmentally safe,” says Middleton.


PNG Bio-Fuels General Manager, Kevin Bolton and a small group of locally employed staff are producing the country’s first workable Bio-diesel fuel from the humble coconut. 


Coconut Oil extract

“We are not making a form of bio-fuel which is made from mixing coconut oil and normal diesel, but bio-diesel fuel from a process called transesterification 
that changes the molecular structure of coconut oil,” he said.

The alcohol reacts with the fatty acids to form the mono-alkyl ester (biodiesel) and crude glycerol. The reaction between the biolipid (fat or oil) and the alcohol is a reversible reaction so excess alcohol must be added to ensure complete conversion. 


The first known usage of this kind of fuel in Papua New Guinea was in Bougainville during the crisis, however, the oil wasn’t refrained to remove access water and salts containing fatty acids in the coconut oil, causing rusting in the engines. 
 


This product is powering generators for lights, plantation machinery and trucks on Karkar.

Bio-diesel

The Bio-diesel fuel is being used on all machinery that has diesel engines.


If the project becomes successful and help is given were needed the technology can be used to create an alternative fuel to compliment fossil fuel and make use of coconut lying idle since the copra prices dropped. 


Papua New Guinea’s rural areas that have hectares’ of land containing coconuts trees, grown during better days of high copra prices.

The prospect of the technology will be beneficial to over  60,000 people who will sell their copra to the larger planation and also be employed in the company.

Other rural area's in Papua New Guinea will also benefit in time, as the company expands from its humble beginnings on Karkar Island.

 View on EMTV News link

 From Coconuts to Biodiesel Fuel