SoilChild Education Series
A Reflection on Freedom and Development 44 years on
Published
on September 24, 2019
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| SoilChild first ever model library and resource center in Dauli Dem School, Hela Province. Inauguration by founder TX Foundation, February 2019 (Photo courtesy SoilChild) |
Context
The Papua New Guinea Association of South Australia hosted an independence celebration night on the 23rd September 2019 here in Adelaide. I was invited to do a brief presentation on my SoilChild work in PNG. I covered a glance of SoilChild's education work in PNG. Here is my short speech.
1. Background
We have celebrated our 44 years freedom over the
last weekend in colour, culture and energy. As true Papua New Guineans with
dignity and identity. Diverse in language and culture but a united one people.
So, we should be very proud and stand tall among our neighbours, fore’s and
adversaries alike. I anticipate in writing reflections, critiques, perceptions
and analysis on issues significant for discussions under my theme SoilChild
Series. This I begin my first episode as I reflect on our celebrations and how
far we have come as a nation in terms of economic, social and political growth.
2. A bit of a tribute
Recently a line over coffee by a friend made me
rethink everything that is PNG. My friend said to me that if anyone wanted to
see, feel or experience freedom, they had to go to PNG. Stunned as much as
surprised by the statement; I suddenly remembered our country-people at the
Western Papuan boarder, or the Rohingyas in Myanmar or the indigenous
Australians. And I wonder, just wonder we could have had a different history
compared to what it is today. For freedom, we owe it to our founding fathers,
The Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, Sir Peter Lus and others who sat under that
tree in Lae of Morobe Province that day in the 1960s and decided that we didn’t
need a German New Guinea, nor a British Papua; but a united Papua New Guinea!
They took us to self-administration and on to political independence with peace
and unity on the 16th September 1975. Yes we have corruption, poverty,
morbidity, mortality, short life expectancy, illiteracy, slow growth and law
and order issues to mention a few. But hey, let us celebrate with pride and
determination that we have our land and we run our own country! Reign PNG!
3. Socio-economic issues an overview
But, as not only a Papua New Guinean, but a woman
from the highlands; I am inclined to ask is celebration of freedom enough? In
the 21st century, the world has become more smaller, closer, fairer, advanced,
educated and affluent than ever before. How far have we come as a nation over
the 44 years of freedom? And how far have we as individuals made impact towards
nation building? Exactly 3 weeks and 6 days (10th October 1975) after gaining
political independence, PNG became a signatory to the United Nations Security
Resolution 375, which happened to be the day that I was born! In a cold, lonely
cave, small for dates, a girl first born child to a chief’s daughter.
Opportunity to access primary school, learning resources and school fees were
almost restricted to our boys in the village and family more than us girls.
Paying high school fees for a naïve, immature teenage girl was a big risk for
the clan. Walking for a few days to the nearest high school, with one borrowed
dress and eating one meal of plain brown rice daily for the next four years;
high school was the place where dreams became almost real. As ambitious and
adventurous as I was, I dreamt to pursue a career as a nurse and eventually a
medical doctor. Inevitably such a dream was short lived due to the cultural
obligations for family and children. To be a submissive female in all spheres
of professional, social, family and economic life is to be quite through all
forms of suffering, need, pain, exploitation, harassment, violence (if you
like).
4. SoilChild at a glance
To cut the story short, a particular day in 2009
was another new beginning. For a woman to make her voice heard was a cultural
crime and therefore to be disowned by her loved ones the acceptable thing that
pleases everyone. Well that was when SoilChild was born (https://fulcrumaid.com.au/projects2/three-plus-papua-new-guinea).
I have been very privileged to live, work and study
in Australia the last 12 years of my life. In an affluent society, I eat good
meals, sleep on a good bed, enjoy everything that makes me happy. To my
surprise I couldn’t be comfortable with these luxuries. That 2009 day was the
beginning of a fire that burns in me, pushes me to take more and bigger risks,
to cry louder, get more angry (righteous anger), beg more and go an extra mile
in the rain (sorry bit poetic!).
SoilChild is my calling because I see myself on an
impossible mission. It is my branding of my story and the stories of many other
children in the rural majority and growing urban squatter settlements of PNG.
SoilChild is grounded in the belief that all children and individuals are of
value and worth; and every part of their story is of value. SoilChild believes
that every person is equal, with no discrimination to sex, age, gender, social
status and disability. SoilChild believes that every person being equal and of
value can use their story to build a good life, to access distant education,
health care, make money, sleep on a good bed, eat a good meal, enjoy life and
live a few more years than 57 which is our average life expectancy. And
SoilChild is a vision that focuses to interrupt a poverty that is not just
having not enough money. Poverty therefore is a form of voicelessness,
powerlessness, suppression, disadvantage and denial of opportunities and access
to individual right to have a choice and freedom, to learn, to grow and to be
productive to lead a good life. This form of poverty is rooted in basic
services disadvantage, socio-cultural construction of personhood, identity and
status; and an unequal distribution of resources and power. This form of
poverty is intergenerational.
5. SoilChild integrated basic education
SoilChild believes that the primary school as a
gateway to formal education can be a friendly space where both the school
catchment community and the school itself are sharing resources and learning
together. To re-learn socio-cultural attitudes, to learn to tell, value and use
individual stories, strengths and agency. To learn how to dream to be
self-reliant, how to make money, how to be health literate, how to be peaceful
and a good steward. And how to be a leader who can design and implement
projects to escape poverty. Our Dauli Dem library is a model in Hela Province,
completed under TX Funding in 2019. By the beginning of next year, we envision
to fully resource our library with computers and books where this vision can be
implemented.
Into the future, we dream for our model to be
replicated elsewhere in Hela and in PNG. Please do watch this space for more
episodes on this series and our other projects.
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| Official Launching of the model library and resource center project, Dauli, Hela Province, Februr]ary 2018 (photo courtesy SoilChild) |
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