A Return Trip To PNG
A couple of years ago I celebrated my golden jubilee of profession for which I was offered an overseas trip. At the time I was not ready to go anywhere but, in my heart, I knew that one day I would like to return to PNG.
In the middle of last year I felt that I better go while I still had the chance and so I decided to go at the beginning of December and be there to celebrate Christmas as well as catch up with all my friends over the holiday period.
Everyone said that PNG would not be the same as when I was there and that I would be saddened with all the changes. I knew that but I was going so as I could catch up with all my friends in the villages and had made up my mind not to get involved in anything else.
Little did I know just how drastic the changes were and my resolve, not to get involved, left me on the very first day.
I had lived and worked in PNG for 43 years and most of the adults, in the Vanimo diocese, were just little nippers who I saw grow up into adulthood and parents and many of them I knew very well and were great friends and, as I found out, that friendship is still very strong. There were many people from various villages there to meet me at the airport. Also present were the children and volunteers from the Senta Bilong Helpim. It was indeed a very lovely and a very emotional time, not only for me but for the people also. There were hugs, kisses and tears as well as many flowers draped around my neck. Those emotions were experienced every day I was there as not a day went past when I met and was warmly welcomed by the people from those early years. The joy and happiness I felt was unbelievable and I felt very much at home as soon as I stepped off the plane.
I was privileged to be there to celebrate Christmas as it is celebrated in the true spirit without the commercialism and materialism. It is hard to describe the experience but Christmas Mass was just so beautiful. It was joyous, spiritual and very moving. The singing I could only describe as heavenly or angelic and I really did have goose bumps from listening. That is the experience at all the liturgies; I think that we could learn a lot from the people there.
Much of my time there was spent doing maintenance at the Senta Bilong Helpim. I was able to fix the pump on the pool as well as getting the generator working, both of which had been out of action for nearly 2 years. I also repaired tanks and guttering as well as any other maintenance that needed doing. I certainly had enough to do but still had plenty of time to visit with friends and to catch up on all the happenings since I was last there and this is what broke down my resolve, not to get involved. I could not ignore the pleas of the people who are hurting badly from the corruption and bribery that is going on around them. When I was last there I was concerned about the logging that was going on but I never could have imagined the immensity and the devastation of the vandalism, to the magnificent rainforest, that is taking place today. Logs are being shipped out in tens of thousands. Acres of forest are being pillaged and plundered. Local authorities are becoming very rich and in some cases, even millionaires because of the bribes. The grassroots people (the landowners) get virtually nothing. I could not see any improvement in the lifestyle of the village people since logging started about 40 years ago. If anything it has gone backwards as education and health is virtually nonexistent in the rural areas and even in the Vanimo town hospital there is no medication.
I visited the hospital almost every day I was there and between Christmas Day and the time I left, I watched 5 people die because of the lack of medication. They all died of diarrhoea. The youngest was 11 and the eldest 40. These people are the landowners and yet there is not even enough money to provide their basic needs and rights. Most do not have sufficient money for school fees even if schools were functioning.
The jungle that provided their hunting is no longer there. The harbor which was a great fishing ground is now so polluted that there are very few fish. The once pristine beaches are now littered with logs and other debris. Then of course there are all the other consequences apart from bribery and corruption. There is also smuggling, prostitution, aids, drugs and alcohol abuse.
People ask me what is the answer? What should we be doing? I can honestly say that I don’t think there is an answer. I cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel and as long as people, especially politicians, are getting handouts, no one has the will to stop the logging. Kevin Rudd has signed agreements with his counterpart in PNG and is sending money to stop the deforestation but I don’t think that he has any idea of the enormity problem.
When people ask me what we should be doing, all I can say is to write to your members of parliament and tell them of the concerns that you have heard of. It should be a real concern for each and every one of us as it must surely have a detrimental effect on our climate also.
Bro. Jim