Hong Kong: A feast for my senses!

Three days in Asia's World City while in transit home for the holidays.  This multicultural gateway is a complete 180 from PNG, a sophisticated metropolis where culture is respected and cutting edge technology embraced.  Its vibrant, bustling, developed, everything that PNG is not.  It has superb infrastructure with efficent transport.  The leather seats and wood grain interior on the airport shuttle were a far cry from  Madang's PMV buses where the doors fall off!

Close to midnight I arrived at my 4 Star hotel  (less than US 100), but unlike Madang's empty dark streets, this city never sleeps!  The lights, the 360 degree harbor skyline, trendy night spots, night markets and street hustlers selling "genuine copy watches"  and "real copy handbags"...and windows without bars!  For the first time in months, I could walk around without feeling marred down with tension and fear. 

The first night I endulged in luxuries by taking a long, leisurely shower.  I stood there letting the water wash PNG from my body and mind.  Then I turned on the flatscreen and ordered room service from my fluffy bed!

The next morning I strolled the streets and popped into a coffee shop for an espresso and bagel..savoring each bite as I people watched from the cafe window front.  Appearances are evidently important, no tatty second hand clothes here.  These trendy, multicultural people hop in and out oft the subway and shops wearing the latest high end fashion.  Gucci suits, Coach bags, and knee high boots.  

Kowloon is a shoppers paradise.  From shopping centers boasting names such as Vivian Westwood, Prada, Tiffany to bargain markets selling packaged plastic bangles, chopsticks and silk bags.  Each shop I entered, I walked out wearing the new leaving behind the old for the trash! Every other store flashed neon lights with the latest high tech inovation. Nikon, Canon, Sony...my eyes were bulging from my head!  And obviously the hustlers could see "easy target" written clearly across my face.  Long story short, after hours of what I thought was bargaining, I found out that I was ripped completely off.  When I finally found my way back to the one of  hundreds of shops along Nathan Road, they would only refund 70% of my money! I left without my bargain Hong Kong electronics, but with a very expensive lesson learned.

The next day, in an attempt to avoid the endless choices of products and brands, I ventured out to Hong Kong Island.  Subway and tram to The Peak, Hong Kong's largest tourist attraction overlooking the entire city and Victoria Harbor.  The city was particularly buzzing with people and events for the 2009 Asian Games.  Museums, cultural dances, martial arts.  After a ferry across the harbor, I walked along the waterfront waiting for the worlds largest permanent light and sound show.  Each night at 8:00 over 40 buildings along the 360 degrees of harbor skyline is illuminated by a laser light show.  It was incredible!

Boasting the title of "Culinary capital of Asia" Hong Kong has thousands of resturants.  Chinese traditional dishes, Japanese sushi bars, Balinese and Indian cuisines.  (And of course a McDonalds and Starbucks on every corner) I particularly enjoyed the fresh sashimi and sushi...and Japanese beers and sake! 

Hong Kong has now become one of my favorite cities, a real feast for my senses!

Pondering a Goodbye to PNG (edited from my personal journal)

It's hard to know if I am saying goodbye.  In my mind I am already gone.  It is even possible to say that there have been moments over the last 19 months when I felt like I was never really here.
So for now, I am focusing on facing the world's opportunities directly in the eye.  There are many uncertainties ahead and I welcome the feelings this brings.  All I know is this, I will be in Hong Kong tonight--and the next 3 nights.  Then I will be in the States surrounded by my family and friends for the holidays.  But then there is January.  When January  comes there is a chance I could be in Cambodia or on a plane to Singapore with an open ticket to Indonesia before making my way across the Indo-PNG border back to Madang. Each of these possibilities have their own appeal.  I often times catch myself smiling in complete amazement of my life.  I am happy with my choices to live life in the unknown, where each day is wonderfully adventurous.  I feel I am in a good place, I don't feel anxious or lost. Instead, I feel that life is moving me in a forward direction.

 It's a wonderful feeling.  It's like looking beyond the horizon knowing there is a great big world out there just waiting for me.  I am enjoying every moment, every possibility, the excitement of knowing the world is my oyster! My thinking is circular at the moment.  Not a dizzy, mind boggling type of chaos of thoughts, but more of like circular dancing in my head.  I feel lucky that I have so many choices in life.  In some ways I am saying goodbye to Madang, to PNG and to my life here.  I would be lying to myself if  I tried to say that throughout the last few days I didn't crave to hold on to every last moment.  The last time to swim the pristine sea, my last time to gaze out to the "Land you can sometimes see", the last time for Jolanda, Marleen and I to be crammed inside the Nissan.  Through all these nostalgic moments, my mind holds tightly to the possibility of returning.  I dream of all the teacher trainings, of gaining the courage and confidence to take a PADI diving course,  to kiss his lips again. to sit on the veranda drinking kulau smoothies and Highlands coffee.  However, as my thoughts circle I feel excitement growing inside of me at the mere idea of starting a new life.  Of surrounding my senses with new experiences.  A life in Southeast Asia is appealing.  It is safe, city life is buzzing, good food is easy to find and once again I will have the freedom to walk the streets day and night.

I am leaving for holiday tomorrow without knowing if I have the job with Handicap International. So, I  have decided to pack as if I am not returning.  Once again I have put my material belongings into 2 checked pieces of luggage.  I first started to pack my artifacts and bilums. Reaching into the bilums I found an odd mix of randoms items that would only be found in the bottom of your purse in PNG.  I found discarded flex cards, Chicken Snax, sunscreen, rotten bananas, shells, a piece of blue coral and ants among other things! Packing personal items was more cut throat.  I began to make piles of things I definitely wanted to take, things I would give to Roselyn, schools, the Country Women's Association, Marleen and other VSO vols and a pile of things that didn't make the 'take' pile but I just couldn't bare to let go just that moment.  In my mind, it was easier to think of the possibility of seeing them again if I were to return.  So I set them aside and they remained in a neat pile just for peace of mind.  However, I knew it was more likely than not that I would never see them again.  This process of detachment is healthy, but hard.  It reminded me of the time I left Folly Beach, SC for the Peace Corps.  However then I sold my car, furniture,... well everything!  Packing like this with only a few days notice forced me to put into practice my beliefs for not valuing things more than experiences.  To follow Buddha's teachings that attachment is the source of all suffering.  It helps me to live life more spontaneously.    It was surprisingly easy to leave what didn't fit in my 2 bags all behind.  Easy because I know that my heart is  overflowing with memories and experiences.  And regardless of my journey, I know I will always carry them with me.  

Today I am free..for a new start, whether that be in Cambodia or PNG.

Go Pinis-Pondering a goodbye to PNG

People frequently come and go from PNG.  Short term volunteers, long term volutneers, consultants, anthropology students, researchers, and the occasional, adventurous tourist.  With the holidays approaching and contracts ending, go pinis parties have booked the Madang social calendar.  Dinner at Edens and The Lodge, sports themed parties, and karaoke parties helped to bring normalacy to the disturbing events plaguing the town.  We shared our adventurous travel stories of various destinations across the globe.  And highly emotional stories of escaping Madang's crime and danger. After the attacks last week highlighted the unpredicable dangers of PNG, several ngos in Madang decided to pull out and even VSO is evacuating all Asian volunteers. The town is on curfew and all alcohol sales have been banned. 

The combination of the increased security risks and a recent shortlisting for a job in Cambodia leaves me pondering if my time here in PNG is finished.  Several months ago I submitted a general application to Handicap International, a ngo targeting persons with disabilities and eliminating extreme poverty.  Last week, I received an email stating I had been shortlisted for an Inclusive Education position, the same work I am doing here in PNG.  After two international phone interviews, things are looking positive for a job beginning January 2010. 

Things were moving quickly as I had my flight booked home for the holidays.  It hit me that there was a possibility I may get the job in Cambodia after I leave PNG and I may not return.  I only had a few days to wrap my head around this idea.  Packing. Goodbyes. 

This was not the first time I have had to pack my life into a bag with a few days notice.  In true 'Charlye fashion' I didn't give it much thought, and enjoyed my days, my friends and the beauty of the moment. 

My potentially 'last' day in Madang was one I will never forget.  Morning coffee on the veranda with Marleen and Jolanda overlooking the sea.  An afternoon boat ride to the beach house for food and cheers with the expat community of Madang.  That evening on the ride back to the mainland, we stopped for skinny dipping in phosphorescence.  This was one of the most amazing natural experiences of my life.  Swimming under the stars above the reefs surrounded by the emission of lights produced by the bioluminescent plankton was spectacular.  We took turns diving off the boat and watching with our snorkels as our bodies plunged through the water like a rocket in the sky.  We looked like comets shooting through a star filled sky.  Then we transformed into the most beautiful underwater, sparkling angels as we spread our arms and kicked our legs to the surface.  A fanstactic natural phenomenom!

My next adventure, Hong Kong.  Living in the moment, I am not thinking too much about the possibility of a real goodbye to PNG, a future in Cambodia or even hoildays in the States.  To the unknown again!

Is PNG meeting the Millennium Development Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education?

The 2007 school census reported 674,169 school-aged children are out of school in PNG. But why? PNG faces challenges beyond that of other poorer countries of Asia and Africa. 85% of the population lives in rural areas where the road to school for children is extraordinary: they climb mountains, cross rivers, and paddle canoes. PNG children come from diverse communities with over 800 cultures and languages.

Education Department officials, in collaboration with partners and donors, have developed a Plan to realize its international commitments such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Education for All and Millennium Development Goals. This Plan is titled ‘Achieving Universal Education for a Better Future.’

Within the PNG context, the Plan has three goals for achieving Universal Basic Education as outlined in Papua New Guinea Universal Basic Education Plan 2010-2019 (National Executive Council, July 2009).

1) Access: All children should enter school at a specific age- they should enter elementary prep at the age of 6 years.

2) Retention: All children should complete the elementary and primary cycles of education that constitute basic education- this is nine years of basic education.

3) Quality: All children should reach a required standard of literacy and numeracy at the end of their years of education.

PNG is seeking a breakthrough in universal basic education by abolishing school fees for elementary in 2010. But ending school fees is no magic wand. The surge in enrolment after eliminating school fees brings immense challenges to the entire learning infrastructure, from the physical building, to the class size, to the teachers.

It is expected the Plan will address issues such as expansion of school infrastructure, pre and in-service teacher training, advocacy and awareness raising, water and sanitation facilities in all schools and provisions for remote and overcrowded schools.

But abolishing school fees and building classrooms is not enough. We must build inclusive schools that respect diversity and encourage the participation of all children including street children, girls, children with disabilities, those from remote areas, and children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Much remains to be done in order for PNG to deliver on the global promise to get all children quality primary education by 2015. The success of this Plan will depend on the support and commitment of communities, parents, schools, teachers, churches, ngos, and all levels of government. We all have an important role to play to ensure a happy and healthy future for PNG children.

Rapes and Attacks Grip Madang!

In the 18 months I have been in Madang, I have witnessed many disturbing and violent acts.  PNG is known for its tribal fighting, domestic violence, compensation, gender based violence, gang rapes, and armed robberies. I have myself been a victim as well as many of my friends, both National and Expatriates.  Yes, violence occurs across the globe, but violence in PNG in more prevalent and certainly more volatile. Being a volunteer in development, an optimist, and a public blogger, I have tried my best to describe PNG, its culture and people, in a positive and diplomatic manner. 

Today, however, I cannot. I can only tell the truth.  A truth that I have been holding back as not to worry my friends and family at home.  A truth that is so disturbing that all readers should be warned of the content, which may only be suitable for....well, actually no one, regardless of age, sex or mental stability, should ever have to read of a truth so unsettling.

Last night five men broke into a house of an elderly expat who has spent most of her life in PNG.  They must have known her husband was out of the Country and took this opportunity to hold her hostage in her own house.  The gang tied her up, bashed her and raped her.  The neighbors notified the police, however, when they finally arrived, the men had fled. 

A pure act of animal violence!

My heart pours out to this strong and committed woman, who has dedicated her life to the people of Papua New Guinea.  She is known by most as 'the mother of Madang' for her community service with womens groups, the Red Cross and the centre for persons with disabilities.

Her attack was one of the 8 reported rapes here in Madang in the last 4 days!  This week alone there have been armed hold ups along the roads going in and out of town, a young boy was shot when his family could not give the man K1 (less than 33 cents), and two women were hacked to death while walking to the market to sell thier vegetables. 

The Madang community is in an uproar!  Myself included.  What response will the government provide? Obviously there is complete chaos with the law and order situation in Madang town. 

A Buzz in the Air

For nearly 40 minutes my mouth hung open in awe. I didn’t know whether to hold on to my seat or jump from the window with the over whelming since of vertigo. Either way, my recent helicopter ride from the mountainous terrains of the PNG Highlands, through the vast Ramu Valley and rivers to Madang’s pristine coastline, was incredible.

Making friends with the pilots who live two doors down from our house on Coronation Drive has its advantages. I was in Kundiawa for an education conference and Jolanda had taken advantage of the VSO vehicle driving through Goroka to climb Mt. Oto before the end of her placement. Neither of us was looking forward to the 6 hour, body-jarring drive back to Madang. Lucky for us, one of the pilots was on a flight from Lae to Madang and felt sorry for us poor volunteers and decided to “scoop us up.” Just like that, like it was no big deal. Jolanda and I couldn’t believe this was happening. What were we going to tell the other volunteers? “Oh sorry we aren’t going to be riding back with you guys. We have another ride with a friend who is picking us up in his helicopter.” That’s exactly what we said before their eyes turned green with envy.

The pilot's phone call to discuss the details was short. How was the weather and cloud coverage? Where was the airport in relation to the town? He had never flown to Goroka. I told him the airport was in the center of town and we agreed to meet in an hour. I finished my hotel breakfast of salmon and eggs (I know, hard volunteer life) and headed to the art market to buy a beautiful helicopter painting I had my eye on as a thank you gift. The VSO Land Cruiser dropped us off at the Air Nuigini airport. But after fighting the crowds of passengers and speaking to the armed guard through a partially opened door, we were told that we needed to go to Pacific Helicopter for heli landings. Great. Where was Pacific? How long would it take us to walk? Is it a safe area? The guard pointed us in the direction of Pacific but we remained uncertain of where the helicopter was going to land. We started walking and a woman pulled up beside us offering us a ride because she said it was an unsafe area to be walking. We jumped in her car and she drove us to Pacific.

The ladies in the Pacific reception gave us a warm welcome leading us into an air-conditioned lounge with fluffy couches. This impromptu “scoop up” was getting a bit formal…visitor tags, signing a log book, call names. Lucky I heard the buzz of the helicopter and we were off before we knew it!

The pilot quickly pointed out a few buttons and helped to fasten our belts and adjust our headsets. It was hard to hear him over the blades, but I later learned that the button wasn’t to eject the seat but to talk through the radio!

Watching the terrain change so quickly from the “broccoli” covered mountains, to the rivers and valleys, to the coconut lined coast was incredible. The highlands were very remote with the occasional cluster of villages with round huts and patchwork gardens. It was amazing to feel the cool breeze through the windows and when we flew through bits of cloud coverage I remember thinking…I am literally in the clouds! When we came to the Ramu Valley, the pilot knew we would be in for an adventure.  We decided to get a bit lower and follow the river. It was amazing to observe life from this perspective. The children were jumping and splashing full of excitement of seeing the helicopter. Men were fishing and women washing clothes and dishes, but all looked up to wave.  Soon the air in the cabin was warmer and the coast came into view. 

Before we knew it, we were back in Madang!  A big thanks to our pilot friends for an amazing view of PNG!

Tip about Buai

Never chew buai after a few beers, coctails, and/or wine!

I am assuming this experienced buai chewer already knew this!

Because I am not feeling particularly well today...I'll do a cut and paste about my first buai experience in PNG....today I can hardly look at or even smell buai.  Last night may have been my last buai experience!

Buai is a huge part of PNG culture and I have wanted to try it since my arrival. Every few feet along the roads there are stands selling buai and tobacco rolled in yesterday’s copy of the National Courier. Just outside my apartment complex, my neighbors have a buai stand and have offered me buai on many occasions.  Due to fear of my teeth being permanently stained red I have politely declined. Eventually, I caved to curiosity and had a go at this PNG tradition. Once I chewed through the outer shell, the betel nut (buai) was jaw clenching, eye watering bitter. My mouth began to salivate and the spitting began. Some people choose to chew buai without the mustard plant (daka) and lime which provides the “buzz” and the blood red color. I wanted the full experience. Once I chewed the buai into a ball I dipped the mustard stem in the lime, which is taken from coral. Once I began to chew the 3 ingredients together, my teeth, lips and tongue turned scarlet. My mouth tingled and grew hot. Although my entire mouth was filled with saliva, it felt very dry. I didn't feel the notorius buzz that buai chewers seek; however I was quite the entertainment for those walking past. They laughed at me spitting and trying to see my crimson tongue. 

Buai is the green nut you see, daka is the mustard stem, and that's the lime in the plastic bag..not to be confused with anything else!

Karkar Volcano Erupted!

An eruption occurred at Karkar volcano at 6:39 pm on 25th November 2009. The eruption plume reached a height of 45,000 ft. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit 90 km SSE of Karkar volcano 7.5 hours before the eruption.

Some of you may remeber that I climbed this volcano earlier this year ( I even wrote a nice little blog about it).  I was sitting on my couch reading the glossy magazines Marleen brought back from Hanoi when I felt the earthquake, but I thought it was just one of the many that I feel here in PNG.

Opportunities.

When they arise, you take them. Some happen once in a lifetime. Some are just around the corner. For persons in poverty, opportunities, unfortunately, tend to be few and far between.

I am not much of a believer in luck or chance and most certainly not destiny. But I have to say that I have been fortunate to have had many incredible, life changing opportunities in my lifetime. And I would have to say that I have had these opportunities because I was privileged enough to live in a Country that offers free basic education and grants for higher education; to be a part of a culture that teaches its youth to pursue their dreams; and to have parents that encouraged me to be the best I could be and supported me to do so.

Beginning in 2010, the educational opportunities for Papua New Guinean children will drastically increase. In an effort to reach the Millennium Development Goal of Universal Basic Education by 2015, PNG is for the first time offering free education for elementary students. Free education will provide opportunities for PNG to become a literate nation. It is intended for all children to begin elementary prep (kindergarten in the US) at the age of 6 and continue to elementary 1 and 2. Although enrollment will not have any age restrictions, the government is aware of the challenges the educational divisions may face with an increase in access without plans to ensure quality. Entire families will have the opportunity to enter elementary together; mothers, fathers and children. PNG plans to offer further educational opportunities in 2012 with free primary education for grades 3-8.

Last week while attending an education conference in PNG’s highlands at Kundiawa, I learned of the shocking numbers of out of school children in PNG. According to a recent document released by the National Executive Council, Madang’s children are the most marginalized, with an estimated 58,791 school aged children out of school. This number is compared to the 51,025 who are currently enrolled. Less than half of children in Madang have educational opportunities. Girls and children with disabilities are the vulnerable groups who are most likely to be excluded. And when I go out to communities to see half of Madang’s children who are fortunate to have these educational opportunities, I find schools with no books, children sitting on dirt floors or under trees, and even more dramatically, eager children without teachers.

Taking this giant leap to provide free elementary education to PNG children is incredible; however, there are many questions that provinces, districts and school communities are asking. Infrastructure: are there enough schools and classrooms? Teachers: how do we cope with the existing elementary teacher shortage in addition to recruiting and training new teachers? Currently elementary teachers undergo a 6-week training course. Now with the introduction of free elementary education, elementary teacher training will be introduced at three of the country’s teacher colleges.

A world of opportunities is just around the corner for the children of Papua New Guinea!

More on PMIZ

If you are interested in following the controversial Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ), check out the very insightful blog of fellow American and Anthropologist Nancy Sullivan, who as been living in PNG for over 19 years.

http://www.nancysullivan.typepad.com

Halloween PNG Style

We celebrated Halloween by hosting a great party with people from 13 different countries coming together to show off their costumes!

I think Marleen, Jolanda and I had the most fun going to the second hand shops and buying all the costumes for our neighbors (and those who dared to come without a costume). 

Of course we had a good time trying them all on ourselves first!

We had fun carving watermelons

 Stephanie and Dunston were proud of their watermelons!

And the neighbor kids loved bobbing for passion fruit! 

My favorite costumes of the night were Ben and Federica's...Madang's famous flying foxes!

The Beach House

VSO's Country Director and her partner invited us out to their beach house.

We left from the Madang Fishing Club with our reels ready.

It's not a hard life at the beach house.  You float right up to the deck bar for a cold SP!

You soak up the sun after a swim around the lagoon.

And there is plenty of food and cheers to go around!

Alexishafen and the Ramu Valley

My work with Inclusive education has taken me to two buzzing areas of Madang this week. To Alexishafen, where an industrial marine zone is underway and to the Ramu Valley where nickel is mined and other resources are exported from the Country.

The first part of the week I was in Alexishafen to promote early childhood education. I helped facilitate a training targeting community leaders from remote villages throughout Madang. These leaders form the committee that governs the Kindergarten schools in their villages. These men, some of whom never had the opportunity themselves to learn to read or write, have taken a step forward to ensure the children of their communities have the educational opportunities they never had.

Alexishafen is a Catholic Mission station about 25km north of Madang along the North Coast road. It is also the site of a highly controversial National Government initiative to create an industrial port. Many local landowners from the villages surrounding the area are against the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ). My knowledge on this topic is limited to what I read in the National papers and from conversations with others. I believe the intention is to create a ‘zone’ which will enable numerous Pacific and South East Asian Countries to fish PNG and Pacific waters, bring massive ships into Madang’s harbor destroying the reefs and the villagers fishing livelihoods, and build fishing canneries to process the fish and dump their toxins into PNG waters, and export the fish across the world. Basically, that is PMIZ in a nutshell. I am obviously biased, environmentally conscious, and sincerely concerned about the livelihoods of the People of PNG.

The second part of the week I joined John and Marshall from the VSO education team to visit two schools in the Ramu Valley. Traveling along the South Coast road following the nickel pipeline I noted significant changes from last year. There are increased amounts of Chinese workers, heavy machinery and hard physical labor of local community members. The Ramu Valley is abundantly rich in oil, gold, nickel, and particularly in land for the production of palm oil, cows, and sugar cane.

The two school visits were extremely fruitful. As always when I contact head teachers, they say they do not have children with disabilities in their schools. And as always they are surprised when I identify over 10% of their students with special needs. And even more surprised when substantial numbers of children from the surrounding communities who do not attend school are identified through child-to-child activities.

Garim, the first school I visited was quite large, with 23 teachers and over 1,000 grade 3-8 students. All classrooms are on stilts and inaccessible for children with difficulties in mobility. Unfortunately, brainstorming efforts did not result in the simple solution of building ramps when I asked how they could make the school more accessible. It was encouraging to discover two teachers had received previous training in special education; but dispiriting to see they are not practicing the skills they have been taught.

We stayed the night in the valley in a room attached to a local church, well John and Marshall did. The Pastor’s wife insisted I stay in their house, as it is improper for a young, unmarried woman to sleep any where near men. I joined her and her 5 children on a mat on the floor, while Marshall and John enjoyed sleeping on mattresses with sheets to protect them from the strong valley winds. I sat through a long-winded devotion after dinner. It was only when I heard the reading of John 3:16 in Pidgin that I realized the significance of the verse for Papua New Guineans, where children especially male children are so valuable to the family.

I thought of Richard’s story after seeing him earlier that afternoon. Richard lives in Madang town, but he is staying with an Aunt in the valley to seek sponsorship from the Ramu Nickel Mining Company in order to buy a new wheelchair for the upcoming PNG Games. Richard is a PNG gold medalist in weightlifting and track. When Richard told me his story of how he lost his legs, my heart skipped a beat. When receiving his vaccinations there was a mistake. The only option given to Richard’s family was amputation above the right knee and below the left knee. Richard said his father, in all his fury, chased the doctors and nurses around the hospital with a bush knife screaming “My only son, my only son!”

Before leaving the following morning, the Pastor’s wife gave me a bilum from her village in the Highlands made of kaskas fur. My bilum collection is growing fast!

We climbed back in the Cruiser to Walim Primary. Walim is a much smaller school than Gusap with only 10 teachers and 130 students grade 3-8. With a school of this size, I was able to do child-to-child activities in each class. Through role-playing, games, drama, and group discussions, the children were able to understand what it feels like to be excluded. They were able to talk about ways to include all children in school. And together we were able to identify over 60 children who are not attending school from their villages. In an effort to increase enrollment, the teachers went out into the villages to conduct awareness on children’s rights and the importance of education for the future of their communities.

In two resource-rich districts of Madang, we were able to identify numerous out-of-school children. Hopefully we can build a future full of educational opportunities for PNG children who will be able to manage these resources and the changes that come with them.

The Road to School

The road to school for most PNG children is extraordinary. They face many barriers and travel great distances. Inclusive Education works to make that road less difficult to travel.

I was eager to get my idol hands into other projects while waiting for the Provincial Government to move forward with the logistics of the inclusive education training program. The Country Womens Association (CWA) and their work with early childhood education immediately came to mind. I first worked with the CWA when I facilitated a training back in March for the teachers of the 15 Kindergarten Long Ples schools. So, I organized a meeting with the CWA and they were happy to include me into their outreach programs.

My first outreach was along the South Coast in Garim Village. The children of this village gather under a mango tree for school. The two teachers and their helper take advantage of the wide-open space to play games and sing songs with over 40 children. I was told there were three children with hearing impairments in the village; however they did not attend school. When I asked, the teachers were happy to walk me to the children’s houses. When we didn’t find them at their houses, I asked the teachers to walk me to their gardens. The teachers were surprised I would go to so much effort to see the children. When crossing the river to the gardens I was warned of the crocodile that had eaten a dog the night before. Unfortunately no one warned me of the sand flies and I was eaten alive!

Recently, our team traveled up the North Coast to three remote villages in Madang's inland. I had no idea I would be walking for days, climbing up and down mountains and crossing rivers that reached my chest. My heart pours out to the children who walk these great distances along mountainous terrains just to satisfy their hunger for knowledge. The everyday struggle I witnessed of the people of Butelgut, Kamba and Bidimai villages will not be soon forgotten.

Our outreach team targeted a variety of activities including health promotion, screening for disabilities and early childhood education. In an effort to prevent the further spread of cholera in PNG, our team educated the children of the importance of washing their hands before eating. We encouraged the children to brush their teeth by distributing toothbrushes donated by the Rotary Club. To promote child friendly, inclusive schools, I read some children's books I had recently written with stories about children with disabilities and the things they can do. We gathered leaves and shared stories about the different colors, shapes and sizes of our leaves, but regardless of their differences they are still leaves. We gave compliments to all our friends to learn that it is never okay to make fun of children with disabilities.

During our stay in Bidimai Village, we slept in a house made of bamboo above the kindergarten school. One night we were shaken awake by a massive earthquake. Fearful the entire structure would fall to the ground, we jumped up from our mats and headed down to safety. My legs were so sore I barely made it down the makeshift ladder. Without any form of communication, no mobiles, land lines or radios, we were completely unaware of the tsunami warnings issued for Madang. Luckily we were safe in the mountains!

The village elders called me "win meri" saying that I made history. I was the second ‘Western’ woman to ever reach this remote village. The first was an Italian backpacker in 2007. News of the arrival of a specialist in disabilities quickly brought people from the surrounding villages to see me. I identified children with vision, hearing and physical disabilities. Bradly in particular won my heart. He is 3 years old and appeared to have the characteristics of a child with cerebral palsy. Initially he cried when I, the strange white woman, reached out for him. But soon he was reaching out for my balloons and candy as I demonstrated various exercises to strengthen his muscles. As I taught his mother additional exercises to continue at home and ways to encourage his speech, the crowd around us grew. The community was interested to see what Bradly could do. Soon the community was working together to build a chair to help stabilize his body and a set of rails that will help him learn to stand.

On our journey back to Madang we followed the Gum River and took our time to swim and wash. We caught prawns and gathered ferns along the river banks for our dinner that night. We celebrated the end of a successful week with a huge feast and in true PNG custom I was given gifts of bilums and wooden bowls.

Although I prefer the villages to Madang town, I will always appreciate bathing without being fully dressed and the luxury of sitting on a toilet.

I plan to continue working with the Kindergarten outreach program in addition to the teacher training program to promote Inclusive Education. Over a month ago my project proposal was approved by the Education Department; however, things seem to be moving slow. Although I have been told there is money in the budget allocated to a training of trainers project of this scale, I have yet to see any concrete evidence that the project can be implemented across the Province.

Being the social networker that I am, I shared my difficulties over a few drinks with an engineer working with Heli Nuigini, a local helicopter company. He was inspired by my work and shared my story with his boss the next day. Before I knew it I was discussing the inclusive education project over dinner and drinks at the fishing club with a crew of Heli Nuigni engineers and pilots. Networking obviously paid off as it looks like Heli Nuigini is interested in supporting inclusive education efforts in Madang!

The road to school is long with tall mountains to climb and deep rivers to cross. But we push on to pave the way and create new paths to follow along the road to school for PNG's most vulnerable children.

Another episode from Coronation Drive

Two weeks of school holiday + idol teenagers = tattoos of course! With nothing better to do than take the outrigger canoe out for fishing, Roland decided to give Dagma a tattoo. They used ink from a pen and a needle to put the cross on his arm. As I have stated before,infections are inevitable in the tropics, however the traditional cure of squeezing papaya juice in the wound didn't seem to be healing things. When the children and I were chasing the roosters around the garden, I noticed the infection had gotten worse. Grille, a very common skin disease here in PNG, had gotten into the wound. Joshua and Lily are covered in grille, so it is no surprise with all the children in the house that it spread to Dagma’s open wound. Now, after a few lessons in how to clean wounds and several days of antibiotics, his arm is looking better.

Grace, a small girl with the most beautiful eyes has come to join her older sister Regina, both from Mt Hagan. The first week she did nothing but cry. Age is not deemed an important identifying characteristic here, but from observing Grace’s developmental milestones I would guess her to be around 2-2 ½ . I would guess Regina to be in her upper teens. She doesn’t attend school here in Madang, but says she completed grade 6 in Hagan. In the States I was very good at determining a child’s age, but here this proves to be extremely difficult. Emily left again without a word. When I asked about her, they simply said she left.

My plot against the roosters has certainly developed. While in the Highlands for the Goroka festival, I bought a bow and arrow. Although I had a few lessons, I never managed to do anything more than send the roosters running. I support urban local level governance against raising chickens in towns. Probably not the best solution or the most ethical, but in a moment of frustration I offered Erik 50 Kina to get rid of the roosters. One can buy a rooster at the market for 20 Kina. An hour later Roland came to the veranda with a dead rooster in his hands. I handed over the 50 Kina and when he released his hand from the rooster’s neck, the presumably dead rooster began to struggle. It didn’t suffer long as the family was soon enjoying a feast! Now we are down to one rooster who supposedly belongs to the neighbors behind our compound. This rooster and his owners have been warned. His days of “cock-a-doodle-do”ing under my window before sunrise are numbered. I will soon be able to add ‘master archer’ to my résumé.

Dolly has proven to be a hunter. Unfortunately roosters aren’t on the list of the many gifts she brings to our door. Mice, birds, lizards and geckos are her favorite. Scooby has fattened up and no longer eats with her tail between her legs. Belden, who we thought lost her pregnancy, just had a litter of 6 puppies. Scooby isn’t taking too well to Belden sharing her canned dog food. My intentions are not to feed all 4 dogs, but just to supplement the diet for the ones who need it most. I am slowing weaning Scooby, however, she tries her best to sneak through the screen and bars on the back door for Dolly’s dish.

The neighbors to our right -the ones with the screaming alarm- have decided to convert the front house on their compound into a 4-room guesthouse. Unfortunately, they have removed all the lush tropical trees and plants from their garden to make room for the extension. With housing continuing to be a growing concern here in Madang, I understand why they would make this real estate investment. At 100 Kina a night for a room facing the sea, they will have no problems with bookings and will profit greatly.

Water. Those who know me well understand my efforts to conserve water. Our house has two enormous rainwater tanks, but when we first arrived the pump didn’t work so we used the town water supply. Months later we received our first water bill…Outrageous! Turn to find out there was a leak in the pipe in the back garden leading to the family’s water source. New Zealand contractors, who were hired by the Chinese owner of the house to remodel the downstairs apartment, agreed to replace the pump and repair the pipe. Problem solved…we assumed. Blackouts are our only concerns now. Several times a week, when there is no electricity to run the pump, we have the option to switch to town water with a flip of a switch and turn of a faucet at the main water supply near the road. Okay, simple enough. All was going well until a coconut fell from a tree and burst the pipe..again! Roland has made attempts to wrap the pipe, but the leak causes the pump to run continuously…and our electricity meter ticks on. We tried switching to town water to conserve electricity, but the water sprays even stronger from the leaky pipe…and our water meter ticks on. Damn coconuts!

The effects of the Cholera outbreak here in Madang

Cholera cases have been identified in the general hospital. To help prevent the spread of this preventable disease precautionary measures have been put in place. The Madang Festival was cancelled. Buai stands were forced to close. With PNG’s buai craze, this lasted about an hour (give or take). I will quote my neighbor-the one on the left that sells beer on the black market- “if we close our buai markets how will our children eat? And these men who gave the notifications had mouths full of buai themselves. So, we have no choice but to keep our markets open.” And when I say market, think of a wobbly table under a tree. The fish market selling smoked fish and kai bars selling flour balls, potato wedges, rice, lamb flaps, etc were closed. And individuals themselves were taking every precaution. I met with a teacher to plan an in-service and she greeted me with a gloved hand (without sequins).

Independence

What does being independent mean?

Yesterday PNG celebrated its 34th year of independence. Here in Madang this was marked by a parade complete with PNG flags waving from car antennas, piles of men, women and children in traditional dress beating kundu drums from the back of Land Cruisers, and an address by the Prime Minister himself, Michael Somare.

Relatively speaking PNG is a young country, not too much older than myself, yet the ‘western world’ sets exceedingly high expectations. These high expectations do not come without high costs.

I am not an economist or anthropologist, nor do I claim to have had a formal training in international development. However, I feel I am in a unique position with an interesting perspective. I am a “westerner” living and working alongside Papua New Guineans at a grassroots level. I may not have the answers, nor may I be able to write with the level of understanding that some of my readers may be expecting from an international development worker, however, I am able to reflect upon what I have experienced and ask questions.

With such high dependency on foreign aid, which comes mostly from AusAID, is PNG independent? Would PNG and its dependency on the infamous ‘cargo culture’ function more independently if all volunteers, missionaries, expatriates and development workers were to leave tomorrow? And who’s to say whether the ‘western way’ is the way for PNG?

All I know is that in Madang over the past year there has been an increase in jobless youth roaming the streets, settlements have multiplied, and violent crimes are occurring around every corner. It’s a vicious cycle that only a strong, independent state can break. Change must come from within.

Papua New Guineans have left their villages, have paid for an education that is not relevant to their lives, and are given no job opportunities. They cannot return to their villages and live a traditional life of carving canoes, building houses and planting sago. They want Land Cruisers, air conditioning, and coca-cola. When they don’t find jobs to get the things they have seen and tasted and become accustomed to, one does the only thing he feels he can do. Bows and arrows are the things of the past. Guns and knives are in the hands of the desperate youth. And for what? For mobile phones and dvds. Western cargo.
The solution is not to abandon development or to stop providing aid, but these efforts should be joined by an awareness of the unintended consequences of development.
Development brings cultural change — much of it swiftly — but it doesn’t necessarily change all aspects of a culture at the same rate. The resulting clashes between modern capabilities and traditional practices can make some aspects of life worse before they make them better.
This work-consume mode of the western world doesn’t work here in PNG. The People, the Papua New Guineans are rich in land, natural resources, and culture. They are independent of the needs of the western world.

The Full Moon

The beautiful flowers on the cactus plant in our garden opened themselves to the glow of the full moon Friday night. We had come home after our usual Chinese dinner followed by a few G&Ts at the country club to find Kopi’s truck parked outside our gate. 'Kopi' is a copra buyer who left Australia years ago to volunteer in PNG. He was standing on our veranda with a blood soaked towel wrapped around his hand. The gin in my body was quickly replaced by adrenaline. My mind started racing. Oh god, he has been held up and he has come to our house. We’ve got to get in the gate quick; they may be coming back for him. I hope we can stop the bleeding till we get him to one of the many international research doctors here in Madang. Wait, how did 'Kopi' get into the gate anyway? Where is the family? Why aren’t the dogs barking?

Okay Mom, Dad, before you have a heart attack…..it turned out to be that Kopi had cut his hand at home and came over to get help stitching it. But it did highlight the fact that someone very easily drove right to our gate, jumped the fence and stood on our veranda for 10 minutes shouting our names without anyone taking notice.

Jolanda, the only one of us with a medical background, took care of Kopi’s hand. Soon our minds were absent of adrenaline and gin. We lingered on the veranda and admired the moon flowers.

The next morning I convinced Jolanda, who is always on the move, that we should take our time through the market. All morning we had pillaged in the heat of the second-hand clothes shops so we needed to quench our thirsts. Coconuts in hand, we walked along the market’s edge looking for shelter from the sun and the rascals. We found a tree near an area where women were selling pink, green and blue rice bags on one side and heaps of tobacco leaves on the other. I had my eye on a bag that had “Greetings from Beautiful Madang, Yu naispela tru ya!” hand painted next to a picture of a flying fox and the Coastwatcher’s Lighthouse. I was thinking, There is nothing like the taste of fresh coconut juice on a hot day. In the corner of my eye I could see an old man with two teeth pushed along by the expanse of the Saturday crowd. I noticed him because he too was enjoying kulau. He was enjoying his kulau so much it had dribbled down the front of his shirt. He then noticed me, with a huge smile across my face enjoying the nostalgic moment.
“Yu Australia aye?” the old man asked.
“Nogat, mi bilong America.”
“Aye-oh. Americas, em nispela tru. Long Chinese, em no nispela tumas.”
(For your sake and mine, I’ll continue this conversation in English)
“Aye-oh. Americans, they are nice people, but the Chinese, they are not very nice.
I smiled and looked at Jolanda. She obviously preferred not to have to explain that Holland is a Country in Europe. The old man continued. We drank our kulau.
“The Japanese, they are good. They have a right to come. They have blood on our land.”
Oh no, I thought. It’s going to be one of these conversations.
“I fought in the war. I was crazy then. I fought with the Australians because I did not know.” At that moment, he unexpectantly raised his arms, a coconut in one hand while the other hand had a finger extended and thumb raised. He began to shoot all the women selling their pink, green and blue rice bags. He continued shooting his finger gun and spit rounds of ammunition from between his two teeth.
“Tttttttttt, Tttttttttt, Ttttttt!”
I looked at Jolanda. She continued to suck at the small hole in her coconut.
“The Chinese, they do not have blood on our land. Do you hear me?”
“Yes sir, I hear you. Aye, very sorry.” I could feel the eyes of the market women watching us.
He continued. “The Japanese, they have a reason to come here. They have blood, lots of blood.” His eyes seemed to drift to the past as he spat more rounds of ammunition towards the women selling heaps of tobacco leaves.
“ttttttt, ttttttt, tttttttt!”
There was a pause.
“America, you are good.” And with that he reached out to shake my hand, the same hand that just shot down all the market women around us, and left.

Jolanda and I finished our kulau and walked over and bought the “Greetings from Beautiful Madang” bag. “Yu nicpla ya!” That is, unless you are Chinese and are in PNG at the moment.

The next afternoon while cutting Marleen’s hair on the veranda, a PMV bus pulled up to the gate. I was concentrating to ‘not make her hair look too American’ as she watched the Sunday traffic. Her favorite pastime; watching cars pass. Marleen said, “I think more people have come to stay with us.” We watched Emily grab her things from the Highlands bus and hug her mother. In July Emily had returned to her family in Simbu, now she has come back and the number of our extended family in PNG has grown to 13.

In Zambia, the full moon nights bring dancing and drumming. In America, some may believe that full moons bring out werewolves. From my experience here in PNG, the full moon brings moon flowers, bleeding copra buyers, toothless war fighters, and a daughter to her mother.

Approved! Thank you President Obama!

The Inclusive Education training project has been approved! This is THE accomplishment of my placement. This is an example of awareness raising leading to ownership and sustainability. The fruits of building relationships before building projects. And of reaching out to local communities to impact the lives of PNG’s most vulnerable.

First I would like to thank my President, Mr. Barack Obama. You must be thinking, what role did the Leader of the free world play in the approval of this project in Papua New Guinea? It all started under a mango tree where Mr. Ura, along with other administrators of the educational division stood chewing buai. I was introduced by a British volunteer. “This is Charlye Ramsey, from the United States of America.” Mr. Ura’s eyes immediately widened. “You’re from America? Obama?”

From that day forward, our conversations began and ended on the topic of Barack Obama.
“Will America elect a black leader?”
“Oh-ya, your country is nice ya true. If only I could go there one day.”
“I saw Obama last night on the TV. If only I could hear all his speeches.” Tiss-tiss-tiss.

Mr. Ura, like most Provincial administrators, is a busy man. A continuous line of teachers can be found waiting outside his office. So how did I manage to get through his door? With copies of Obama’s speeches. PNG culture is to give with the expectation of receiving something in return. I returned week after week, month after month. I continued to knock on his door with one hand while clutching Obama’s most recent speech in the other.

That’s how Obama helped me to build my relationship with Mr. Ura and the Provincial Division of Education. Without the support (and financing) of the Provincial Division, particularly Mr. Ura's office of teacher in-service training, this project would not be possible.

Mr. Ura and I agreed with the then president-elect when he said, “I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive...” Based on these common dreams, Mr. Ura and I built this project.

The project aims to train teachers as trainers in inclusive education within each of the 6 districts of Madang Province. These teacher trainers will learn about the types and causes of disabilities which will in turn help to dispel many myths about disability in their community. They will learn how to identify various disabilities and how to modify their teaching methods, classrooms and schools to be more inclusive.

Using existing in-service training structures, these teacher trainers will then return to their clusters of schools and train the other teachers within their district. Ultimately, every teacher will be trained within the Province and therefore every child will benefit from more inclusive schools.

Yes We Can!!!

It's a Zoo around here!

Things are never quiet around the house on Coronation Drive. When Marleen and I moved into this beautiful two-story nearly 6 months ago, we recognized our volunteer lives as we knew them were over. We traded our international apartment building near the settlements for a traditional colonial home facing the sea.

The house is owned by a second generation Chinese woman. Her family was prominently known for their real estate business in Madang. Her childhood was spent in this house, however, she spends her adult life in her coffee plantation in Mt. Hagan. Marleen and I (along with the entire expat community) admired the house while a Canadian volunteer lived here last year. That volunteer took a job with World Vision in Moresby around the same time VSO sent out requests for volunteers to live together in an effort to cut costs. Thus, we landed the posh house on Coronation Drive.

Our house has become the VSO Volunteer refugee camp. As passerbys come and go through Madang, we gladly offer our third bedroom (in exchange for wine of course). And with our 'donated' projector, our house is known as Madang's only movie theater. It is also the party palace, where every celebration from birthdays to Dutch Queen's day is cause for a party! It's also nice to catch the breeze on the veranda on hot nights.

The lush garden is another appeal of the house. A local family has been caring for the house and grounds for generations. The family is kind and bring a lot of excitement to the house. Understanding the relationships within the family continues to be a challenge as brother-cousins, aunties and sisters (same mom, different dad) come and go. The extended family is important in PNG and the people of the household tend to move between families frequently.

As of today there are 12 people living in the ‘hausboi’ in the back. Traditionally the hausboi served as the servants’ quarters. I have never been invited into the hausboi; however, I can not imagine there to be more than two rooms. The grandfather’s (Papa) wife left for Port Moresby several months ago to care for other extended family members there. This was when I discovered Pauline (grade 6) to be his daughter, not granddaughter. His son, Aloysius, is a preacher. Aloysius is married to Maria and they have 5 children, Roland (16-18), Erik (9), Lilly (6), Joy (3) and Joshua (1). There are several children who arrived within the last few weeks who appear to be between the ages of 6 and 16 that I have yet to get to know.

The family has 4 dogs, 2 roosters, 3 hens, 4 chicks and 1 cockatoo. Each night in my dreams, I plot the roosters’ murder. Marleen and I have a kitten named Dolly whose sole purpose is to catch rats. The dogs are muts, only distinguishable by their color. Blackie is black, Snow White is …well, Marleen calls him Off White, Beldin is black and will answer to Blackie and Scooby is spotted. They are all in poor condition and I tend to pity them. Scooby recently had a litter and the family seemed surprised when the puppies died. Scooby was literally skin and bones because the puppies were draining her. She stopped allowing them to ‘kisim susu’ weeks ago. Last week, I was walking through the garage to the laundry room to check on the water pump when I found the last puppy had died. I continued walking through to the back to tell the family. I found a young boy who I hadn’t seen before. I told him about the dead puppy in the garage near the old, abandoned Mercedes. (It seems as if the Chinese family just left and abandoned everything. Boat, luxury car, 1970s furniture, and even the dishes in the cabinets.) The little boy stared at me blanked face. “Do you understand me?” I asked. He nodded his head and said something unintelligible.

His speech impairment caused me to wonder if he was the son of the deaf lady that visits periodically. The first night the lady came to the house after her late shift at the fishing cannery she scared Marleen and I to death. At night we are always on our guard and were quickly awakened by the sound of her feet dragging as she walked through the garden. We realized she must have been deaf when she didn’t answer our screams “Yu laikim wanim?” People come and go from the back so frequently we didn’t give it a second thought. Now, when we hear dragging feet late at night, we know it’s her.

The little boy and Papa picked a leaf from the banana tree and wrapped it around the puppy. Papa walked passed the children playing near their mother’s buai stand and threw the puppy in the sea. No one took notice. No crying children. No burial. Just as the rats, they simply tossed the puppy to sea. I was screaming on the inside…“If you don’t feed your animals they die!” I have been feeding Scooby canned dog food everyday since.

Our neighbors on the right have a faulty alarm system. Each day around dusk the alarm screams so loud you feel as if it’s piercing directly through your skull. Our neighbors on the left sell beer on the black market and all night every night cars pull in and out honking their horns.

Needless to say with volunteers and our family coming in and out, the zoo of animals running around the garden, the black market to the left and the screaming alarm on the right, things are never dull around the house on Coronation Drive.

Papua New Guinea hit by cholera

By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Sydney

An outbreak of cholera has reportedly killed more than 40 people in a remote area of Papua New Guinea.

Government officials said that hundreds of other villagers in Morobe Province have fallen ill.

A World Health Organisation medical team has confirmed the outbreak and PNG's health minister has ordered measures to contain its spread.

Cholera is usually spread through contaminated food or water and can be fatal if not treated.

This is the first time the disease has officially been confirmed in the country.

Mystery illness
Health Minister Sasa Zibe warned that more cases of the acute intestinal infection would put added pressure on the country's "fragile health system."

The deaths are reported to have occurred in the remote Finsch-hafen district of Morobe province on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea.

Officials said that up to 800 people have been taken ill.

Villagers with cholera's diarrhoea-like symptoms or severe dehydration have been advised to seek immediate treatment. The region's isolation and lack of development make that difficult but the government has dispatched medical teams to the affected area.

At the end of last week the World Health Organisation sent experts to Morobe province to investigate reports that a mysterious illness was sweeping through a number of settlements.

Tests have shown the disease to be cholera.

Culture and Violence: The Melanesian Philosophy of Human Dignity

As I volunteer who has been in PNG for 15 months, I was not surprised by the hard facts and shocking truths revealed at the symposium hosted by Divine Word University.

Hard Facts and Statistics
• Gender based violence is now one of the leading factors of HIV infection in PNG.
• In the Highlands, 100% of wives reported being beaten by their husbands.
• In hospitals throughout PNG, trauma patients constitute 70% of all surgical presentations, 65% of all surgical admissions, and 20% of the overall hospital admission rates.
• 75% of all trauma cases are non-accidental.
• Domestic violence constitutes 21% of all trauma cases.
• In Madang alone, between January and July 2009 1,336 cases of assault were reported to the police.
• PNG has the highest maternal mortality rate in the Pacific (730/100,000) PNG is 2nd in the World behind Sub-Saharan Africa
• In one study, 60% of PNG men reported to have participated at least once in gang rapes.
• In incidents of sexual abuse reported in Alotau hospital, 52% of cases were of children under the age of 16.
• 110-150 men and women are accused of sorcery and killed every year in PNG with a higher percentage of these being women.

I felt as if the symposium began to address the real key issues mid-day on the second day. PNG men and women spoke with passion, a real desire to address the issues of culture and violence. They were able to bring together all the issues of traditional cultures, the realities of violence, limitations of governmental sectors, isolation, the effects of the mining industry, pornography, and evolving cultures and limitations networking with other sectors.

Many women and counselors shared their stories of how survivors were first raped by their perpetrator, then by the police, then by the doctors, then by the courts, then by their community.

The Governor of the National Capital District (NCD), a doctor from Modilon Hospital in Madang, and a woman officer working for Boroko Police force in Port Moresby spoke of the truths within the layers of challenges within their sectors.

Governmental: The issue of Government spending in response to trauma was addressed. Trauma is a high cost for governmental sectors such as health and justice. The Governor of NCD spoke openly of the costs of violence and culture in his province. He addressed key issues such as the influx of settlements, transient workers, lack of job placements, homosexuality and PNG’s changing culture. In his response to violence, a hotline has been established that will link callers to a security company within all provinces across PNG.

Health: “Trauma in PNG is an epidemic out of control.” Dr. Vincent Atua, Emergency Dept. Modilon Hosp. Doctors and nurses barely have the time to make rounds and see to their patients. The reality is that the level of engagement at hospitals is on a clinical level. There is no time for social supports such as counseling and rehabilitation. The reality is patients are being sutured with unsterile instruments. Emergency vehicles are bashed and staffs are not trained to make repairs to donor equipment. Identified needs include: trainings in trauma mgt, increased communication with networks, hospital social worker.

Law & Order: In NCD, a pilot project is in its first year establishing the only Family and Sexual Violence (FSV) Unit. The FSV Unit has 10 trained staff working in 3 areas (Wagani, Boroko and Moresby South). The Unit conducts trainings in communities and with ngos, helps to make protection orders accessible, and is working to make amendments to sexual offenses in family court. The officer strongly encourages witnesses to step up and help justice prevail. The realities are there is no fuel in the vehicles to respond or follow up on cases, there is corruption and bribery within the police force itself and police turn women away stating, “This is a family matter. Control it elsewhere.” “Police are forced to resort to illegal methods because the people do not respond.” The police force is looking for more to be done with prevention and networking.

There are governmental sectors, organizations, and individuals who are working to address the culture of violence in PNG; however, more must be done. As stated by the Governor of NCD, “The law and policy is there; what is lacking is the implementation.”

Welcome Home

It felt great to be welcomed back to PNG by so many friends. Madang has really become a home to me and with each hug I felt how much I was truly missed.

I was surprised to realize how much I missed my life in Madang. With such amazing friends and unique adventures and scenery, how could I not miss this place.


I honestly missed the flying foxes, such an important Madang fixture!


I didn't realize how much I would miss the sea and I immediately hit the islands to soak in the sun and sand. The blue coral really brought out the color in my new tattoo I picked up at Artistic Ink in Greenbrier, TN. (plug intended!)


Its dry season now and the winds and sea currents are strong. The children quite enjoy the splash of the waves at Machine Gun Point!


The heavy rains filled the abandoned boat outside my house and the neighbor children decided to have a wash. Too cute!


I met some new friends who travel the skies of PNG. Always the adventurer, I dared to join a test flight above the islands of Madang. Pure bliss!


My bestie Roselyn, her two children Dunston and Stephanie as well as Roselyn's mother, gave me a beautiful carving of PNG's National Emblem with a unique birthday message. While I was home I turned the big 29 and my family here in Madang was sure to celebrate this day with me. I am very lucky to have people who love and care for me, just as my family does at home.

And an even longer way back.

August 3, 2009
0800-Always the procrastinator, I began to pack my bags. Spices, clothes, books, and of course a float with “cup” holders (an essential item for long weekends resting on the islands).

0900 Tearful goodbyes curbside at the Nashville airport. It’s never easy to leave my family.

I believe I do qualify for the Expert Traveler Lane, thank you very much.

1025 Surrounded by our honored Men of Service, Delta announced the cancelled flight. Smoke and engine in the same sentence is never a good combination. I was put on standby for the next flight to Atlanta and my international connections bumped someone out of their seat.

1430 Arrived in Atlanta 25 minutes after my flight to Tokyo departed. I missed the connection and all my other international connections had to be changed. This must happen frequently with Delta Airlines, because all of us (and we came in masses) were sent to self-service stations. We scanned our boarding passes and our new itineraries were printed. The machine spit out one $7 food coupon, a hotel voucher for Nashville, and a boarding pass to Minneapolis 6 hours later. My itinerary scheduled me to depart from Minneapolis the next afternoon and resume the same flight times to Tokyo and Hong Kong only a day behind. How was I going to tell this ‘machine’ that this was not going to work? I had additional international flights beyond Hong Kong. The flights out of HKG to PNG run once per week and I had scheduled myself a day in Hong Kong to insure I made the flight (and I wanted to buy a camera). Arriving a day later would only give me 25 minutes to exit the plane, go through customs, the rigorous health check, baggage claim, find my gate in the expanse of Hong Kong’s International Airport, and check-in with Air Niugini. “Excuse me Machine, isn’t there another way to make these international connections? And if I am to stay the night in Minneapolis, why is my hotel voucher for Nashville? And if I am expected to delay an entire day, how could I manage to buy 3 meals with $7!”

Finding a Human wasn’t much help either. The Delta Rep hastily directed the masses to a station filled with phones. As time crept by without any sign that a Human voice would be heard on the other end of the line, the masses grew in hostility. I followed the example of those who had abandoned their stations and insisted immediate assistance from the Reps behind the counter. Finally, a Human. An annoyed, over worked, underpaid, self-righteous, American Human. She did not know about International flights. I was in the wrong line, before the wrong counter, and obviously talking to the wrong Human. My work in developing countries has helped me to practice my skills in patience and flexibility, but I was not in a developing country. I was in the United States of America. Surely, in this land of Leaders, someone could manage to sort matters such as these efficiently.

Guess not. Delta counter. International Terminal. Tired, stressed faces from across the Globe stood in line. As I stood and watched our visitors’ frustrated faces, I could not help but to be embarrassed. Of American inefficiencies. The rude tones of the Reps. I soon shared their frustrations. There were no other flights to Tokyo or any other Asian Pacific destination that would put me in Hong Kong in time to make my connection to PNG. No, Delta would not compensate me for my missed connecting flights with Air Niugini. No, they would not upgrade my seats (stomping my American foot again). Whose great idea was it to fly to Minneapolis when the same flight can be made out of Atlanta? The Machine? In the end, I left with an Atlanta hotel voucher and three $7 meal tickets in my hand. Such a crap deal. I headed straight for the bar to join the masses!

August 4, 2009
1230 Hotel-Airport shuttle dropped me at the terminal. More self-service machines. More Reps directing me to phones. Too hung over to fight to speak with anyone. To no surprise my machine could not print my boarding pass. More long lines. Baggage claim tickets, but no sight of my baggage.

1420 Delta Flight Atlanta to Tokyo 13.5 hours. Distance: 7504 miles.

I sat next to a child who had just visited the Coca-Cola museum. Needless to say he wanted lots and lots of Coke. Coke = caffeine. Caffeine = high energy child = no sleep for me. This also meant lots of trips to the bathroom and I wasn’t willing to give up my aisle seat. In and out. Out and in. And on top of all that, with the rebooking of my flights, the Machine or the Human failed to transfer my vegetarian meal request. So I was hung over, hungry, annoyed by Coca-cola boy, had no idea where my baggage was or if I was going to make my connection. Nice.

0500? 1700? (Day or night, I didn’t bother to ask). Tokyo to Hong Kong 4.5 hours.
Would I be able to make the connection to Port Moresby in 25 minutes? The next available flight would be next week, could I possible stay in Hong Kong? Who would pay for my hotel? The Delta Rep made it clear they would not compensate my missed connections. VSO? A week holiday in Hong Kong!!! I would be willing to pay. Maybe VSO would prefer I make another connection, maybe out of Singapore or Australia? It would be nice however to have an unexpected holiday in Hong Kong.

The flight left Tokyo a bit early “to avoid Hong Kong weather,” and arrived 45 minutes before my connecting flight to PNG. At the arrival gate I was met by a young Cathay Pacific Rep holding a sign with my name. “Follow me!” he yelled. We took off with a sprint. Guess we were going to make a run for it after all.

We ran up and down escalators, through Staff Only doors, down empty corridors. We made it to the Cathay Pacific counter. “Ms. Ramsey, are you willing to make this connection without your baggage?” I feel as if I have heard this in a previous life. “We have only located one of your bags and there isn’t enough time to transfer it.” The young guy looked at this watch. A decision must be made soon; I could tell we had more running ahead of us. It wasn’t like I had much of a choice. “Yes, I will board the flight.” No week in Hong Kong. No camera. No duty free. No chance to wash my face or brush my teeth.

Boarding pass in hand, we took off again at a dead sprint. We ran through all the red tape. No customs. No masks or gloves. No health checks. We went through personnel security. No long lines just a pounding heart and a sweaty brow. When we arrived at the gate it was empty; all passengers were boarded. The young guy turned to me and asked, “What about your baggage?” Oh my goodness! What? I thought we had that taken care of at the first counter! Here we go again. By this point I was completely done. I no longer had the energy to deal with airlines, baggage claims, airline representatives typing away on their computers. The Cathay Pacific Rep told me to make a lost baggage claim once I arrived in Papua New Guinea. Yeah right I thought. After giving them the best smile I could manage and pushing a few words around, all three Reps flipped open their mobile phones. I was given a lost claim number and guarantees that once my bags were located they would put them on the next flight to Australia to make a connecting flight to PNG within the week.

Air Niugini Flight PX 110 Hong Kong to Port Moresby 8 Hours.
I looked out my window and realized I wasn’t the only one in the middle of a storm. Supposedly the flight was leaving a bit late because of typhoon warnings! The plane was filled with missionaries and their football team of screaming children, Chinese nickel mine workers and international development workers.

Air Niugini Flight PX 115 Port Moresby to Madang 1 Hour.
I literally never want to board another plane in my life! And I will not need reminding to only pack a carry on!

Back in Madang! Shower, lunch at The Lodge and a nap! Welcome back to Paradise!