A tribute to my late wife Hula

Hula...the apple of my eye

At our house in Goroka in 1999

Hula and kids enjoying the tranquility of the Port Moresby botanical gardens

A year ago, on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008, my dear wife Hula passed away in Daru, Western province, leaving me and our four young children all alone. This is my tribute to Hula, which was first published last year. I miss her so much...

In life, my wife, Hula, often talked about the natural Eden-like beauty of her remote Iruupi village in the Western province, just across the Torres Strait from Australia.
We had talked many times about visiting Iruupi during our 10 years together, however, this was not to be.
My dear wife told me many-a-time of the natural beauty of Iruupi – a virtual Garden of Eden - with its waterways, barramundi, prawns, deer, wild pig, wallaby, cassowaries, taro, bananas, greens, melons, pineapple and other fruits.
She implored me to go and write a feature article of the place and take pictures of its breathtaking scenery.
Sadly, this would never be, as my beloved wife passed away so suddenly and tragically at Daru hospital on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008, so far away from me and our four young children Malum Jr (7), Gedi (6), Moasing (3), and baby Keith (9 months) in Port Moresby.
Hula had been suffering from suspected post-natal complications following the birth of Keith last June.
She visited Iruupi to be with family, however, in the process, fell ill and was admitted to Daru hospital on Easter Saturday, but died the next day, leaving behind a broken-hearted husband and four young children.
Memories of another day came swirling in my mind as I struggled to come to terms with the reality that Hula, who was only 31 years of age, would never grow old with me and watch our four wonderful young children grow up.
My thoughts went back to 1998 in Lae, when I met the most-beautiful woman I had ever seen, and fell head-over-heels in love with her.
Hula, who was then living in Australia with her uncle and auntie, was in Lae for holiday when I first courted her and would not take ‘no’ for an answer.
We started dating, and our love blossomed, to the point that she left for Australia with the promise that she would be back to live with me as my wife.
Towards the end of 1998, I secured a job with the Coffee Industry Corporation in Goroka, and Hula joined me in early 1999.
We had a big three-bedroom house at the Rotary Park in West Goroka, with a big backyard and garden, and life was a dream to a young couple like us.
We’d roll on the grass like children, grow our own vegetables, take long walks along the streets of Goroka, go to market, have long lunches at the Bird of Paradise Hotel followed by a dip in the pool, lie in the park at the airport watching planes land, and catch a PMV or take a long drive to Lae as I pointed out places of interest to Hula.
Yes, indeed, life was a wonderful, carefree dream for us star-crossed lovers.
We were active members of the St John’s Lutheran Church at West Goroka, with Hula being a member of the church choir, and I have so many fond memories of watching her practice and then walking back home with our hands around each other on those cold Goroka nights.
Hula’s radiant personality and friendliness won us so many friends among the people of Goroka.
In early 2000, she became pregnant, and on Saturday, November 4, 2000, I held her at the Goroka Base Hospital and cried after she gave birth to our first son Malum Jr.
We regaled in the joy of becoming parents and enjoyed every minute of Jr growing up at our new home at North Goroka.
Our second son, Gedi, was also born in Goroka on February 13, 2002.
The laid-back lifestyle of Goroka, however, was to end later in 2002 when the CIC underwent a major retrenchment exercise in which about 75% of its staff, including me, was laid off.
We moved to the big smoke of Port Moresby, and although life was good, we never quite got to enjoy the privacy and happiness we once had in Goroka.
Hula, being the good wife that she was, stuck with me through thick and thin.
We were blessed with a third child, a girl named Moasing after my mother, in August 2004 and she brought so much joy to our hearts.
Keith came along in June 2007 to complete our hat-trick of boys and complete our basketball team.
At the end of 2007, when my three-year contract was up, I decided – after consultation with Hula – to move on to The National where we both believed I could contribute more to the country.
To mark the occasion, we family celebrated by booking a room at the Holiday Inn, where we ate and drank as much as we wanted to.
At the beginning of this year, Hula started complaining of burning sensations in her body, which doctors said was heartburn brought about by child birth.
She was put on medication, however, the sensations continued, by which time Hula insisted that she go home to her village in Iruupi.
I tried to stop her, as she was due for an internal scan and x-ray, however, she would not be moved and flew to Daru, with a relative of hers as babysitter to take care of our children in Port Moresby.
I would never see her alive again.
On Easter Monday, my daughter Moasing and I traveled to Daru with Hula’s coffin, helped to dress her up, I kissed her for the last time, and it was homeward bound on the dinghy hearse for Iruupi.
I held Moasing and cried all the way from Daru Island to Iruupi on the mainland, as all those charming places Hula had told me so many times about, came into view.
We buried her the next morning, next to her beloved father, amidst a throng of mourners.
Before I very reluctantly let her off to Daru, Hula held me, and told me: “Darling, I love you very much.
“ If I do not come back, I want you to take the children to Church every Sunday, and to make sure that they all go to university, because I never went to university.”
I know Hula is in God’s arms, away from all the evil of this earth, and will do everything I can to honour her memory.
Minji, Mamne, Ato!

Fuel flows to Mount Hagen

Fuel is again flowing into Mount Hagen.

InterOil announced the resumption of deliveries into the region following the re-opening the Highlands Highway near Mindina.

For almost a fortnight, a section of the Highway was closed to heavy vehicles because of damage caused by a landslip.

InterOil Products Limited General Manager Peter Diezmann said the company’s regional fuel depot had run dry of both gasoline (ULP) and diesel.

“Supplies into Mount Hagen have been disrupted since late February and there have been no deliveries at all for the past 12 days.

“The region was in dire straits and for more than a week the entire community was without fuel.

“It’s a situation that no one in Mount Hagen would ever want repeated”.

“The people of the Highlands were left stranded by a combination of weather and the perilous state of repair of the roadway.”

Mr. Diezmann said a convoy of three fuel tankers arrived at InterOil’s Mount Hagen Depot early yesterday (Thursday).

Two of them each carried a load of 40,000 litres of much-needed diesel fuel.

The third tanker was laden with Jet A-1 bound for the Kagamuga aviation facility.

Four more tankers are currently en route to Mount Hagen.

Three are carrying diesel and the other ULP.  These tankers will begin discharging their loads today (Friday)

InterOil and its major haulage contractor have put together a recovery plan to restore normal stocks to the regional depot.

“Hopefully we’ll be carrying our full inventory within the next fortnight”, Mr. Diezmann said.

“However this is dependent on there being no future road closures of this major highway.

“Hopefully the recent repairs will ensure the Highway remains in a safe and sound condition, regardless of the weather:”

 

For further information

 

Susuve Laumaea

Senior Manager Media Relations - InterOil Corporation

Ph: (675)321 7040

Mobile: (675) 684 5168

Email: susuve.laumaea@interoil.com  

 

 

Papua New Guinea MPs out of touch with reality

By IAN TAUKURO

 

What was your reaction to the news in both dailies today that our MP's have voted themselves a hefty increase for housing and vehicle allowances? Was it shock? Exasperation? Or, all of this and more?

Well, I'm just as outraged as you my brother's and sisters!

For one thing, don't you think it is an appalling act in light of the flooding disaster in the highlands which has affected many people there? (As I understand it relief supplies and assistance in general for the affected people is quite slow in getting to the affected areas.)

I mean, how can the king eat cake when his people are starving? (Imagine the MP's in the Australian parliament voting themselves a pay rise while the Victorian bushfires raged!) 

Yes, once again, our MP's have demonstrated that they are truly out of touch with the rest of us who do hard time day in, day out.

In the rarefied air of that plush Haus Tambaran, they are snugly cocooned, isolated even and, as a result, rendered oblivious to the real life situation in PNG. Just take a look around the place ... our children's schools are falling apart, the roads in our country remain in a perpetual state of disrepair and our nurses, who only want a few more kina for their efforts, keep getting the run-around from the government.

Add to this the low morale of the entire public service as a result of ineffectual management, low pay, no housing, etc, and you have the makings of a civil service on the verge of collapse.

While this deplorable state of affairs goes on and on and on, billions of kina that could be used to improve the situation lie unused and, hopefully untouched too, in trust accounts.

What really gets me about what the MP's have done is that they have the power to regulate the housing industry/market through legislation so that prices and rentals are made more affordable for everyone but, no, they choose the easy and convenient way out: more pay in their wallets so they can afford an apartment in Touaguba and perhaps a Humvee too!

I was going to end my email here and send it off into cyberspace for you all to read and digest but I happened across the item in The Drum of the Post-Courier about an MP seen playing computer games on his laptop while parliament was in session ... Enough words! Somebody please take a flamethrower to that building ... NOW!!!!!

 

Ian

 

 

Papua New Guinea MPs' perks up

Housing, car allowances to increase by 42-50%

 

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

MEMBERS of Parliament are set to give themselves a 42% rise in accommodation allowances and a further 50% increase in vehicle allowances, The National reports.

The 35th Report of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) presented to Parliament on Wednesday afternoon by SRC member and Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill, on behalf of the Speaker, recommended the increase to Parliament.

The Speaker is chairman of the SRC.

Members will vote on the measure soon.

Mr O’Neill, on behalf of the SRC, said the report related to the accommodation allowance which, from complaints that had been received, was far below the amount charged by real estate companies and, as a result, many MPs end up staying with wantoks in the settlements whenever they come to Port Moresby. Mr O’Neill said the SRC, through its contacts, had established that the recent increase on charges for rental accommodation imposed by real estate companies was around 42%.

“The commission does not always increase the accommodation allowance whenever there is an increase in rental charges, however, in this instance because of the difficulties being experienced by leaders in securing reasonable accommodation in Port Moresby, the commission had decided to recommend an increase along the same level as imposed by the real estate companies,” Mr O’Neill said.

The second matter that the report dealt with related to vehicle allowance.

Mr O’Neill said the SRC was aware that the type of vehicle (a Mazda 929), upon which the vehicle allowance was originally determined, was no longer sold in Papua New Guinea.

“This meant that another vehicle type will need to be determined in order to update the allowance base. This will be done in due course.

“In the meantime, Mr Speaker, the commission has decided to recommend an increase of 50% on all vehicle allowances.

“I recommend the report to the honourable Members of the House.”

According to figures taken from the SRC determination of 2007, released on July 1, the Prime Minister, Speaker, Deputy Prime Minister and Opposition leader and ministers enjoy a vehicle allowance of K49, 500 and drivers get K7, 150 annually.

This will now be increased to about K75, 000 and drivers’ pay to increase to about K12, 000 per annum.

Vice-ministers, chairmen of parliamentary committees and the deputy Speaker are now receiving an official vehicle allowance of K42, 075, which will increase to about K63, 000.

MPs receive a vehicle allowance of K24, 750 each and that will increase to K40, 000.

For accommodation, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Speaker and leader of Opposition currently receive K1, 400 a week, which is likely to increase to around K2, 100 a week.

Ministers and chairmen of parliamentary committees get K1,200 a week, deputy Speaker, vice-ministers, deputy chairmen of committees get around K900 a week while Opposition and Government whips get K800 a week.

Ordinary MPs receive around K700 a week and will see an increase of 42% with the recommended increase in accommodation allowances.

 

Eastern Highlands vegetable farmers get a new depot, thanks to New Zealand

Captions: 1. The Nomari Fresh Food Marketing Depot after the opening. 2.  FPDA general manager Ambassador Aiwa Olmi, New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner Alistair  Crozier and other invited guests at the opening. 3. New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner Alistair Crozier cutting the ribbon to officially open the Nomari Fresh Food Marketing Depot.

By GARY FAGAN of Fresh Produce Development Agency

RURAL vegetable farmers in the Mando area of Eastern Highlands province no longer have to worry about the difficulties of getting their fresh produce to market.
They now have a new fresh food marketing depot in the village at which they can easily sell their produce.
 Nomari fresh food marketing depot came about with the assistance of the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA).
 FPDA is a government-funded agency responsible for developing a commercially-orientated supply chain of fresh food, and mandated to improve the performance of the fruit and vegetable industry by providing expert assistance in the area of training, research and information.
 “It’s a dream come true and something that we have waited for a long time,” said farmer Veronica Wasari.
“My problems are now over.
“I don’t have to worry anymore about the hardships I face in finding transport to take my fresh produce into Goroka town markets.
“I can sell them right here in my village.”
The depot was officially opened by the New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner Alistair Crozier.
He was accompanied by Therron McIvor, a representative from the Foreign Affairs Pacific Division of the New Zealand (NZ) High Commission.
Mr Crozier his government over the last few years had been assisting PNG in terms of funding such projects to develop its fresh produce industry.
He said so far New Zealand has supported about 200 PNG students to undertake studies in various disciplines in different educational institutions.
“We want to help the people of Papua New Guinea, however, you have to be committed in what you are doing before we can be able to assist you,” Mr Crozier said.
 “The New Zealand aid is like a seed planted in the ground and it is up to you to look after it and make it grow and bear fruit.”
 Outgoing FPDA general manager Ambassador Aiwa Olmi challenged the people to allocate land if they wanted to see development in their province.
He said FPDA had been trying to set up a permanent headquarter in Goroka but was unable to do so because there was no available land.
In 2007, the Nomari fresh food marketing depot started with a handful of youths, led by now chairman of the depot Rocky Aimo, with the idea of keeping the youths away from illegal activities and get them in living meaningful lives.
With support from FPDA, in terms of providing training on farming techniques, helping them to source markets and later guiding them to secure a funding of K47, 000 from NZ Aid, the group was able to construct the depot.
Mr Aimo first started off as a village extension worker attached to FPDA.
He said the depot would serve as a fresh produce chilling and storage facility.
Mr Aimo said so far the depot had shipped over 200 tonnes of fresh vegetables. 
From the money raised, the depot was able to buy a new truck to transport fresh produce to Lae to be shipped to South Seas Tuna in Wewak.

Pineapple processing in South Fly

Captions: 1. Participants of the pineapple training workshop at Daru High School. 2. A participant from Dimiri village (left) and South Fly agricutltural officer Ginoi Waina trying out the grating and filtering stages of making pineapple juice. 3. Dimiri participants and trainers posing for a group photo after the pineapple processing training at Daru High School. 4. Isidora Ramita of NARI showing the formation of pineapple jam jelly during one of the demonstrations on fruit processing.

By JOSEPHINE YAGA      

Fruit farmers in Western province can now produce their own juice and jams from pineapple, thanks to National Agriculture Research Institute for training on food processing which was conducted recently in Daru.
Thirty fruit farmers in the Dimiri area of Moreheard LLG, South Fly district, attended the two-day training conducted by NARI food technologist Isidora Ramita.
It was facilitated by James Ernest of NARI Laloki and Ginoi Waina of division of agriculture, South Fly.
It was part of the Morehead Food Security Support Project funded by PNG Sustainable Development Programme and NARI in 2008.
Mr Ernest said commercial production of fruits and vegetables was increasing in some parts of PNG.
 However, during post-harvest and delivery to markets, there is substantial lose of produce due to over ripening or rotting and careless handling.  
He said fruit producers generally lacked the skills and techniques in proper processing, preservation and adding value to their produce.
Mr Ernest, who is also the coordinator of this technology transfer project, noted in the training report that pineapple farmers in the Dimiri community planted some 26,000 pineapples as an income generating project initiated by the villagers themselves.
The pineapples were harvested and sold at the local market in Daru town for K 2 to K4 a fruit but the villagers could not sell all the harvests, resulting in a huge lose due to over ripening.
After identifying the problem, NARI organised the raining workshop last December.
Mr Ernest said the project provided an alternative by training the producers the simple food processing technologies on making pineapple juice and jams.
 It was also aimed at reducing transportation cost and adding value to the produce which can be sold to earn higher income or extended storage for later use.
He said one of the key components of the project was to provide appropriate farmer trainings to enhance skills and knowledge of the rural people both in farming practices and simple food processing technologies.
The participants stated that the training was the first of its kind to be conducted in Daru, particularly in the South Fly, and asked for more.
 According to Mr Ernest, the participants also raised concern about the importance of the training and the need for the trainers and facilitators to have ample time doing awareness of such training to attract more number of potential participants. 

Landmark decision on old Lae airport

Caption: Jubilant Butibam leaders Jonathan Benjamin, Jonathan Saing, Sam Abel, Ali Isaac, Garett Kissinh, Barry Way, Thomas Peleli and lawyer Frankford Dagina.

The Supreme Court today handed down a landmark decision on the controversial old Lae airport land by rejecting an application to stay order taken out by Ahi landowners from Butibam and Kamukumung villages against the Morobe provincial government and the State.
The court noted that the landowners had not been adequately compensated for all anguish and turmoil they had gone through over the years,
It has long been a sore thumb in Lae as Morobe Governor Luther Wenge and his administrator Patilias Gamato fought a war of words both within and out of court against the villagers.
Just a couple of week ago, things came to a head at the old Lae airport, as old Butibam women were manhandled and beaten by Lae police.
Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika, in a short one-page decision, refused the application of the Morobe government and its illegal LEC/LEH Joint Venture Ltd.
Village elders from Butibam and Kamkumung, flanked by their lawyer Frankford Dagina, hailed the Supreme Court decision as a huge victory for their people, who they said had been robbed of their birthright.
They included outspoken Butibam leader Garett Kissing, Ahi Landowners’ Association president Jonathan Saing, general secretary Ali Isaac, Butibam village chairman Jonathan Benjamin and Apo clan leader Sam Abel.
In the National Court, the provincial government was claiming the whole old Lae airport land, under a five-year urban development lease (UDL), which expired on Feb 26, 2009.
The landowners successfully fought in court to dismiss that case, and from which, the provincial government provincial government appealed to the Supreme Court.
“The Morobe provincial government was seeking to stay that order of Feb 13, 2009, on the basis that Morobe provincial government and LEC/LEH Joint Venture have a contract for construction of an access road within the old Lae airport for K3 million,” Mr Dagina said.
“On Monday, March 16, the matter was heard and it was adjourned to today for a decision.
“The Supreme Court had refused the application to stay on this basis:
•       LEC/LEH Joint Venture Ltd is not registered with the Investment Promotion Authority;
•       The five-year UDL had expired on Feb 26, 2009; and
•       The Morobe Provincial Government was in continuous breach of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the State and the landowners signed in 1999.
“In making the decision, the court noted that the landowners are yet to be adequately compensated for the land, pursuant to the Constitution and relevant Acts for the whole of Lae land.”
Emotional Butibam leaders said: “This land issue goes back a very long time.
“It has been through God’s grace that this matter has finally been sorted out, and we are seeking an end to all of this, as after all, we are the legitimate landowners of the old Lae airport and the whole of Lae City.
“We are seeking that the government address our current situation.
“The people of Butibam and Kamkumung really appreciate the decision of the Deputy Chief Justice and the Supreme Court today over the old Lae airport land.
“It is a victory for the oppressed and it’s a victory that gives the people the value of ownership, which has been deprived of us for several decades up to now.
“The people of Butibam and Kamkumung today acknowledge that there is justice, there is fairness, and there is a process that has never been shown in such a way until today.
“Amidst all the legitimised corruption of the Morobe provincial government, we invite the Somare/Temu government to come in and develop Lae City with the direct involvement of the landowners.”

Asia-Pacific agricultural researchers awarded Australian Fellowships

Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan, today presented the John Dillon Memorial Fellowship award to nine talented agricultural scientists and economists – including three from Papua New Guinea -  from the across the Asia-Pacific region

The Fellowship recipients are visiting Australia at the invitation of the Australian Government for leadership training and to make making valuable connections with Australians working in similar fields during their six-week visit.

“Each member of the group has shown potential to lead research institutes and agencies in our partner countries and will be important contributors to the global effort to fight poverty and secure world food security,”Mr McMullan said.

 “They have each won a John Dillon Fellowship, provided by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, ACIAR, for short-term leadership development opportunities in the area of agricultural research management, agricultural policy and extension technologies to people who are participating in ACIAR-funded programs.” McMullan said. 

The scheme is named in recognition of the late Professor John Dillon who made an outstanding contribution to international agricultural research and research collaboration.  

“This year we are once again hosting an impressive group of people who are doing important work on agricultural development in their countries in collaboration with ACIAR,” said ACIAR CEO, Peter Core.

“They are involved in a range of industries, such as the coffee industry in Papua New Guinea, cattle production in Eastern Indonesia, and in Pakistan’s horticultural industries.”

The group of John Dillon Fellows are in Canberra from 10-20 March, visiting ACIAR, the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and eWater CRC at the University of Canberra. 

The remainder of the program has been specially tailored to their individual management training needs. 

“The Fellows’ six week visit in Australia commenced with management training at Mt Eliza Business School, and includes training in Canberra and Brisbane.  In addition the Fellows have had placements with Australian R&D organisations in Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, Wagga Wagga and Sydney, to experience how they manage research in a changing environment,” Mr Core said.

“The John Dillon Fellowship scheme is just one aspect of the valuable capacity building work ACIAR does,” Mr McMullan said.

The 2009 ACIAR John Dillon Fellows include: 

·        Ms Wahida, Coordinator, Collaborative Research Division, Indonesian Center for Agricultural Socio Economic and Policy Studies, Bogor, INDONESIA

·        Dr Marsetyo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Animal Science, University of Tadulako, Palu, INDONESIA

·        Mr Handoko Widagdo, Acting Country Director, World Education Indonesia, Jakarta, INDONESIA

·        Mr Nelson Simbiken, Senior Research Scientist, Papua New Guinea Coffee Industry Corporation, Goroka, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

·        Mr William Kerua, Lecturer, Papua New Guinea University of Technology, Lae, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

·        Mr Don Yakuma, Program Coordinator Forestry, OK Tedi Development Foundation, Tabubil, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

·        Mr Chea Sareth, Deputy Head of Socio-economics and Science Division, Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA 

·        Dr Babar Ehsan Bajwa, Manager (Technical), Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board, Lahore, PAKISTAN

·        Mr Oupakone Alounsavath, Director, Planning and Cooperation, Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Vientiane, LAO PDR

 

Jungle Child movie seeks Papua New Guinea actors and actresses

Captions: 1. Sabine Kuegler with Fayu warrior. 2. Sabine Kuegler as a child (above) and later a young woman with Fayu friends. 3. Sabine Kuegler with Fayu children. 4. Sabine Kuegler…torn between two races. 5. Cover of Dschunglkind (Jungle Child) by Sabine Kuegler

German film production company UFA Cinema Germany will shortly be conductiong an audition to scout Papua New Guinea actors and actresses for a film called Dschunglkind (Jungle Child) which will be shot in Malaysia in 2010.
The auditioning, which has the full support of the National Cultural Commission, will be held on March 31 at the Raun Raun Theatre in Goroka, April 1 and 2 at the Ulli Beier Theatre at the University of PNG in Port Moresby, April 4 at the Vanimo Sports Oval, April 6 at the Prince Charles Oval in Wewak and April 8 at the Madang Visitors and Cultural Bureau.
The film, based on a bestselling German book of the same name, tells the story of Sabine Kuegler and her missionary parents and how they go to live in a remote jungle area of West Papua, Indonesia, among the recently-discovered Fayu, a tribe untouched by modern civilisation.
It is her remarkable true story of a childhood lived out in the jungle, and the struggle to conform to European society that followed.
David Taim, senior festival officer with the NCC, said the German company visited PNG last year, and after having a look in our jungles, opted for Malaysia for logistical reasons, however, the bulk of actors would come from PNG.
“They are seeking to recruit more than 50 actors and actress,” he said.
“The audition is open to any interested public Theatre groups and individuals.
“All wishing to come for audition must be in traditional costume.”
Mr Taim added: “One casting will be done by me and the Australia casting director called Angela Heesom, and the second one will be done by the Germans.
“Then the cast will be finalised and we will work the logistics of how to move the actors over to Malaysia.
“By February next year, they should be flying over.
“The German director travelled to PNG with his technical people last year, scouting locations for this film.
“They went to Lae and Goroka, however, the forests were not to their liking, and they chose Malaysia.
“It was also a matter of logistics.”
Mr Taim stressed that such opportunities for PNG only came once in a blue moon; hence, he would be working closely with the German company to ensure that it gets nothing less than the best from us.
Dschunglkin, first published in 2005, is the story of how an exotic, touching, and unique childhood leads into the drama of a woman who longs to revisit her homeland.
It is highly-emotional, exciting, full of humor, in parts even poetic
“It must have been October. I’m 17 years old, standing at the train station in Hamburg,” Sabine Kuegler writes.
“An icy wind sweeps across the platform.
“I’m terribly cold; nobody explained to me how to dress in winter.
“I’m nervous, all of my senses are on edge.
“I observe the people around me with mistrust and I’m ready to hit anyone who should attack me.
“How can I defend myself?
“I have neither a bow and arrow nor a knife on me.
“I start to shiver, tears roll down my cold cheeks, I long for the humid heat of my homeland.
“I’m a child of the jungle.”
Sabine Kuegler’s story begins as she arrives in West Papua at age five, daughter of German linguists who are missionaries.
She arrives to find a tribe which even today lives as if it were the Stone Age.
She had already spent her earliest years far from civilisation, but now her parents build a house for themselves and their three children in the middle of the jungle, only reachable by air or by sea.
The little blonde girl falls in love with the jungle at first sight – it’s a fantasy world, a playground.
She learns to hunt, to climb, to swim in the raging river which is teeming with crocodiles.
She knows how to shoot arrows at poisonous spiders and how to start a fire without matches.
Instead of French fries she eats roasted insects, instead of gum she chews bat wings.
She learns how brutal nature can be – but also what war and hatred among people can mean.
The once-cannibal Fayu people penalises every infraction with death.
And yet the children of this tribe are like brothers and sisters to Sabine.
At age 17 Sabine is sent to a Swiss boarding school to get her diploma – a disastrous turn of events for her, since she feels and acts like a Fayu.
“Fear is something I didn’t learn until I got here,” she says, but also, “Deep inside me is a fighter.
“I survived in the jungle, why not here?”
And so Sabine learns everything for the first time – how to shop, how to greet people, how to cross the street.
Today, after 14 years in civilisation, she blends in with everyone else, and she has a family and a job.
But homesickness and longing constantly burn inside her.
She is going to return to the jungle to find out for herself: Where do I belong? Who am I really, a Fayu or a European?
Sabine Kuegler writes: “I want to tell a story, a story about a girl who grew up in another age.
“A story of love, hate, forgiveness, brutality, and the beauty of life.
“It’s a true story. It is my story...”
“I had an indescribably beautiful, but also danger-filled childhood.
“I walked barefoot through the jungle and I was one with nature.
“And here, in the only recently-discovered Fayu tribe, which stood for cannibalism and unimaginable brutality, a tribe that still lived in the Stone Age, that was just learning to love instead of hate, to forgive instead of kill, a tribe that became a part of me as I became a part of it, this is where my life changed.
“I wasn’t a German girl anymore, not a white girl from Europe anymore – I became a native, a Fayu girl from the Iyareke tribe.
“In the jungle, when you’ve found food for yourself and your family, then you have done your duty.
“There’s nothing else to do or to worry about.”
“It was only later that I came to understand that my childhood was unique.
“That I don’t have to be ashamed of being from the jungle.
“Beauty, danger, adventure, simplicity and miracle are words that can only describe part of the life I left behind. I want my book to show that there is more to life than money, technology, and progress.”
David Taim can be contacted on telephone (675) 3235114, mobile (675) 71107651 or email ncc@culturetok.org.pg

Antonia Singut is Miss Papua New Guinea 2009

Caption: Antonia fulfils quest . . . Miss University of Papua New Guinea Antonia Singut (left) is ecstatic on being crowned the Red Cross Miss PNG 2009 by former Miss PNG Genevieve Roberts at the crowning ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Saturday. The event was a huge success, according to the organisers.  – Nationalpic by AURI EVA

 

By CHRISSILLA KABE TALIS in The National

 

ANTONIA Singut, the 21-year-old Sepik beauty, is Miss PNG 2009.

She entered the quest as Miss University of Papua New Guinea

(UPNG), and performed extremely well during the quest to be adorned with the crown on Saturday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Port Moresby.

Ms Singut is of mixed East Sepik and East New Britain parentage.

She is the eldest granddaughter of veteran journalist, the late Ian Boden, and she dedicated her win to him.

Ms Singut said her late grandfather, who passed away last November, had a great influence on her life and so she had decided to follow in his footsteps.

She is a third-year journalism student at UPNG and is also pursuing environmental science studies at the university.

The confident, charming, intelligent young lady has a way of lighting up the room when she enters, qualities that helped her win another major title – Miss Charity Runner-Up.

She also won other minor titles of Miss Friendship (voted by her fellow contestants), and Miss Photogenic

(chosen by the quest photographer).

As Miss PNG, Ms Singut said she would endeavour to commit and dedicate her whole life to the work of the Red Cross – disaster relief and humanitarian work.

Later this year, Ms Singut will go on to represent PNG in the Miss South Pacific Pageant in Fiji, and has promised to make the country proud when she participates in this pageant.

The Miss Charity Queen title went to Brigitte Wase, who entered the quest as Miss Ox & Palm, sponsored by Hugo Canning Company Limited.

She made her sponsor very proud as the company’s undying support and dedication in assisting her in all her fundraising activities and preparations for the quest paid off in the end.

Not only is she the Charity Queen, Ms Wase also won another major

title – Miss PNG Runner-Up.

This 22-year-old of mixed Oro and Central parentage walked away with a Toyota Camry Vista last weekend, a prize from Ela Motors to the Charity Queen to acknowledge her efforts in raising funds for a worthy cause.

Altogether, the contestants raised about K90,000 for the Red Cross.

The other minor award of Miss

Patron’s Choice went to Miss Milne Bay, Julie Wapi.

The other contestants were Miss Oro Filma Gadebo, Miss Goroka Jacqueline Saleu, Miss Granville Motel Christine Kenwai and Miss Simbu Isabella Nopro.

The crowning was a historic event for the quest, according to Sue Darby, a judge during the evening and a pioneer member of the quest committee who has always been involved in its activities over the years.

Ms Darby said this was so because apart from former Miss PNG Genevieve Roberts (2006-2008), and the 2009 Miss PNG Ms Singut, there were five other former queens who were present that evening.

They are: Miss PNG 1993 Sharon Onsa Pople (Mistress of Ceremony); Miss PNG 1997 Lisa Linibi (quest judge), and three members of the quest organising committee – Miss PNG 1994 Tania Doyle, Miss PNG 1995 Imanakone Sioa and Miss PNG 2005 Michelle Pala.

 

Papua New Guinea students in China contribute K1,000 towards education of Divine Word University student

By MATHEW YAKAI in China.

 

PAPUA New Guinea students currently studying in mainland China have contributed a total of K1, 000 towards the tuition fee of a Divine Word University final year student in Madang.

The students, who are scattered all over China,  gave what  little they got from the Chinese Scholarship Council as part of their scholarship allowance towards Michael D. Kapus’ (pictured) tuition fee.

Michael is a fourth-year health management student at DWU.

 He is from Southern Highlands province.

In an e-mail dated Feb 19, Michael shared his sad financial situation with students in China that he would not be able to complete his studies.

“It is already week four of the schooling year but I am still hanging around the school to fill my withdrawal form,” he said.

“I need only K4300 but nobody is able to help me and my parents could not afford as they are very poor and exhausted.”

DWU refused to allow Michael to register due to insufficient funds.

The students quickly responded with an e-mail to DWU administration to allow Michael’s registration while funds were collected.

A total of K1, 000 was collected and sent through Madang Westpac last Thursday.

Students who contributed included Jeffers Teargun Hepol, Gene Drekeke Iyovo, Albert B Tobby, Livingstone Hosea, Mathew Yakai and Malcome Philip Taureka

Liza Gabina, Third Secretary with the PNG Embassy in Beijing, also contributed.

The PNG students studying in China are predominantly Christian.

 

Youth views on Millenium Dedvelopment Goalss important, says Dame Carol Kidu

Captions: 1. Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu and Acting British High Commissioner Colin Glass explain how a video conference facility will work to POM Grammar and St Josephs International College students at the British High Commission. 2. Acting British High Commissioner to PNG Colin Glass presents Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu with her travel documents as POM Grammar and St Josephs International College students, who will participate in a video conference as part of a side event of the same MDGs conference, look on.

 

 The views of Papua New Guinea’s youth on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are important, Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu said today.

Speaking to students from the Port Moresby Grammar School and St Josephs International College, the Minister said they would be part of an important meeting when they discussed MDG issues with peers from six schools in Wellington, New Zealand via a video conference linkup.

“It is a very high level meeting that you are going to be speaking to so you should be very proud of that. And the voice of young people is very important so what you are saying and doing will be very important,” the Minister added, when meeting the students at the British High Commission.

This Friday’s video conference between the PNG and New Zealand students is a side programme of a two-day MDG symposium at the Victoria University, Wellington in which Dame Carol will participate in as well as present a paper titled ‘Maternal Health in PNG: Reality, Challenges and Possible Solutions’.

The British High Commission is funding Dame Carol’s travel to New Zealand with the Acting High Commissioner Colin Glass, upon presenting the Minister with her travel documents, saying he hoped the symposium and its outcomes will be beneficial for PNG.

The video conference between the PNG and New Zealand students would not be possible without the assistance of the World Bank, added Mr Glass as he expressed his appreciation to the bank’s PNG office for making available their facilities.

The discussions between the 12 participating PNG students and their New Zealand colleagues will focus on MDG 2 which is ‘achieve universal primary education’.

The MDGs symposium is being organised by the New Zealand Institute of Policy Studies in partnership with Oxfam New Zealand, the Council for International Development and the British High Commission, Wellington.

 

Divine Word University/UNESCO Communication and Development Award

Journalists, media and other organisations are invited to submit nominations for the Divine Word University/UNESCO Communication and Development Award.

This award will be presented as part of World Media Freedom Day celebrations on May 1 at Divine Word University, Madang.

The DWU Award was formerly presented annually in recognition of good journalism practices.

 In recent years the emphasis has shifted to the wider area of communication and development and how journalists, media and civil society organisations report issues of development.

 The award is open to individuals and organistions, whether they are, or were at the time of publication, working in the print media, radio, television or some other medium, at the judges’ discretion.

The competition is also open to organisations and individuals involved in information-related activities such as NGOs and community groups.

This year, the judges will be looking for a meticulously written news report, feature, or other writing (special publications, series of articles), or a well-reduced audio/visual program that focuses on development issues and has had a significant impact on a community or the country.

The judges will acknowledge quality reporting and writing, attention to detail, accuracy, variety of sources, originality of coverage, creativity, new information and insights into development issues in PNG.

Individuals and organisations are invited to submit applications for the awards, consisting of either a portfolio of their work on a single topic or a single article by April 25, 2009.

Nominations, addressed to Br Michael McManus, can be faxed to (675) 852 2812, emailed to mmcmanus@dwu.ac.pg  or mailed to the Communication Arts Department, P.O. Box 483, Madang.

 

For further information please contact:

Br Michael McManus

Divine Word University

PO Box 483, Madang, Papua New Guinea, Tel:  (675) 852 3033, Fax:  852 2812

Email: mmcmanus@dwu.ac.pg  Website: www.dwu.ac.pg

 

The Audacity of Hope

By IAN TAUKURO

 

I recently bought a copy of Barack Obama's 'Audacity of Hope' while in Brisbane last month.

Why am I reading it?

Well, apart from the obvious answer that it's a book by the current US president, who also happens to be the first African American to occupy the Oval Office; I am reading the book to gain an insight into the thoughts of the man who advocated change throughout his election campaign. How much change is he really looking to achieve for the US and the free world?

It is well known that decisions made by the President of the United States (whoever he or she may be) affect everyone in the world in one way or another. Obama's actions, while in office, will similarly affect us all today and into the immediate future.

The enactment of the economic stimulus package is a good example of how the decision of the president can affect the whole world.

So far what I have gleaned from the elegantly written 'Audacity of Hope' is that Obama believes, indeed yearns, for politicians in America to be more practical about dealing with the issues and concerns affecting the American people. He appears to be of the view that the American government is too far removed from the people it is supposed to serve. The comments he puts forward in the book about how government should operate seem leftist and maybe even socialist but that is no surprise considering Obama is a member of the Democratic party but bringing his ideas to fruition might have a chance to succeed if, perhaps, both Republicans and Democrats worked together to achieve them - a difficult notion when you have one party holding the majority of seats in Congress.

The most interesting chapter that I have read so far is the one entitled 'Opportunity'. In it, Obama notes that, in the US, opportunities available to some are not necessarily available to everyone else because of race and he goes on to provide interesting statistics about the differences between blacks, latinos and white Americans in education, lifestyle habits and crime. For instance, there are a lot more white Americans than blacks and other minorities in the important fields of maths and science, which, as Obama opines, is because minority students do not seem motivated enough by the current education system to pursue interests in these fields. I kind of understand that when I see that a lot more blacks prefer to pursue a career in some professional sport! Despite the historical event of the presidential election, minorities in the US will still have a hard time trying to get by, which shows that the US is still very much a nation divided by race.

Still, it is pleasing to note that Obama is very concerned about the fate of his people and, in the position he now is, stands ready to act on the ideas that he has proposed in his book to make life a bit better for all American citizens regardless of race or creed. This is perhaps because Obama comes from a middle class background and understands the issues facing the mothers and fathers of this social bracket. His recent decision to reform Health Care for Americans appears in order with the theme of his book, which, to some commentators in America, is audacious.

Obama has only been president for about 50 days but, to this writer, he does appear to be practicing what he has preached in his book and, I guess, you need to be seen to be doing that if you are a politician in the US, especially if you are the president.

On the issue of foreign affairs, it remains to be seen though if Obama will change the hawkish image of the US that the rest of the world has had to contend with for eight years under George W. Bush. Obama does not have much experience with dealing with foreign affairs but he has a capable team around him in the likes of Mrs Hilary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden who, as Obama's recent emissaries to Europe, Asia and the Middle East, may have reassured some that the Obama Administration is going to be a lot more friendlier. Still, hanging over the White House like a dark cloud on a beautiful clear day are Osama Bin Laden, Iraq, Afghanistan and the ever belligerent North Korea. It will be very interesting indeed to see how President Obama, the advocate of change, handles them all.

 

Ian Taukuro