Today is the last day of 2016 and my daughter and I travelled back to Port Moresby after a wonderful two weeks of vacation.
Thank you all for being part of an amazing journey with my daughter and I over the last two weeks from Port Moresby to Lae, across the Huon Gulf to beautiful Salamaua, over the plains of the great Markham Valley to the cold, misty mountains of Goroka.
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| It's been a wonderful journey. Thank you God for keeping us safe and taking us safely back to Port Moresby. Thank you for all the wonderful family and friends in Lae, Salamaua, Markham Valley, Goroka and all over Papua New Guinea. We pray for your blessings on this country in 2017. |
I have rekindled family ties and old friendships.
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| My daughter with her grand aunt, Elizabeth Nagong, who turned 91 on December 26 at Butibam Village. She is the wife of the great Lutheran evangelist Gejambec Nagong. |
I have come to realise what a beautiful country this is, despite all the negativity.
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| Bloom at our Butibam home in Lae this morning. |
I have seen the massive potential for agriculture, fisheries and tourism.
I have seen the role the church can play in curbing many of our social ills.
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| The Lutheran Church building at the beautiful seaside village of Laukanu, Salamaua, which was opened on December 18. |
I have seen the damage done to our young people by alcohol and drugs.
I have seen the neglect of the Highlands Highway - the lifeline of this country.
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| Dangerous. Highlands Highway near Yonki, Eastern Highlands, on Boxing Day. |
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| Roads are a far cry from what they were on Kassam Pass. |
I have seen how we in the mainstream media have failed to report on many critical issues affecting this country.
I have seen how Digicel (despite all the criticism) has brought telephone and Internet access to our rural people.
I hear the call of this great country.
Let us all arise, sons and daughters of this great land, and save our country.
Never has the need been greater.
A Happy New Year 2017 to one and all.
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| Just in time for 2017... |
Thank you Malum for posting your vacation to Lae and Goroka with your daughter. And all credit to you for your honesty in your final comments about PNG's many problems. Having lived and worked in PNG for over 20 years my heart goes out to the plight of the ordinary villager, whose conditions of existence have barely improved since 1975, despite the billions of dollars and kinas wasted by misgovernment. I am starting to wonder if western democratic style government is really appropriate for emerging nations such as PNG - a bounteous land and dynamic people that with strong leadership had the potential (and the means to achieve it)to be at least a second world, if not first world, nation by 2017.
ReplyDeleteThank you Malum for posting your vacation to Lae and Goroka with your daughter. And all credit to you for your honesty in your final comments about PNG's many problems. Having lived and worked in PNG for over 20 years my heart goes out to the plight of the ordinary villager, whose conditions of existence have barely improved since 1975, despite the billions of dollars and kinas wasted by misgovernment. I am starting to wonder if western democratic style government is really appropriate for emerging nations such as PNG - a bounteous land and dynamic people that with strong leadership had the potential (and the means to achieve it)to be at least a second world, if not first world, nation by 2017.
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