Rob Francis reporting in from New Ireland

December 23rd, 2014
[by Rob Francis]

Rob sharing an environmental message and song with a village elementary school in Central New Ireland. (Photo by Marion Beintmann.)

[In May this year Rob Francis, ex-Environmental Education Officer at TDC and a Motueka resident, started a two year assignment with Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA), based in Kavieng, New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea. His assignment role is as Community Development Advisor with the Community Development Department of the New Ireland Provincial Administration.]

After 7.5 months on the job it is time to 'come up for air'. Ever since I arrived, it has been full-on, work and social, with plenty ('planti' in tok pisin or pidgin) of challenges in all sorts of areas.

Where to start? Well it is hot, very hot and humid all the time (being very close to the equator). One light cotton layer is all you need to wear and most of the time this is too much!

New Ireland Province comprises many tropical islands, while the main island (New Ireland) is a mostly narrow and flat island dotted with many villages, green and verdant, and surrounded by coral reef and azure sea. The Province has a population of around 200,000 (but nobody really knows).

The lifestyle is mostly subsistence, with two small towns providing basic trade goods and services. Things in the shops can be expensive and tend to run out (until the next boat comes in!). Good quality fresh veges, fruit and fish are available from the main town market.

I am based at Kavieng, a town of about 10 - 15,000 people at the northern-most tip of the main island. People are mostly very open, and friendly. Swimming is great (most days), and the warm water has many varieties of coloured fish, starfish and corals.

The place looks and feels like a tropical paradise; however all is not how it seems. Levels of family violence are high, basic infrastructure is fragile (power blackouts are common, roads are broken and dangerous), malaria and other health issues are ever-present, and political nepotism is endemic.

Rubbish is everywhere around town - plastics, aluminium cans, bottles, food wrappers - in public places people just seem to discard. We need many 'Big Beach Clean Ups' to address! (traditionally all food wrappings have been biodegradable).

The Community Development Department is a busy department that deals with 14 major activity areas and handles a large number of clients and inquiries on a daily basis.

Nationally-mandated areas are: Youth, Adult Literacy, Community Environment, Community Economics, Child Protection, Disability, Community Learning Resource Centres, Civil Registration, Policy, Sports, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Church, Community Economics and Women.

Some of my main focus has been reviving and supporting the New Ireland NGO Council and New Ireland Council of Women. I have developed 2015 activity plans for most areas. (Note: A big thank you to Brent Maru and Julie Price of Sports Tasman who supported me with a range of sports-related information and links!)

The Department is under-resourced, underfunded and has no access to any training opportunities. Of the above activity areas only one (Sports) had any money released from the budget in 2014. Equipment and office consumables are either broken, in disrepair and/or unavailable. IT and online service is unreliable and random.

Programme and service delivery is a challenge!

The other main departmental activity is provision of the Provincial Old Age and Disable pension, the only such scheme in Papua New Guinea. This programme stems from a political pledge (of the Governor, Sir Julius Chan), and occupies most of the department's available resources and staff. Up to 14000 people receive a one-off payment of 350 Kina (NZ$175) per year which is delivered physically to each eligible person (over 60 years and/or level of disability) out in the villages.

I enjoy my workmates, there is lots of laughter in the (very run-down) offices. My office now has air-conditioning (thank goodness!), which I share with a Japanese Volunteer.

There are other NZ and Australian volunteers here in Kavieng, working with the Provincial Administration and other organisations, in heath, disability, physical planning, programme monitoring and evaluation, building maintenance, aquaculture and conservation. This group of people provides social and peer support. Several of us have also collaborated in the delivery of training and programmes.

Most of the volunteers have joined the Rotary Club of Kavieng. We are involved in a variety of community service programmes, including organizing a mobile dental service in New Ireland, distributing Australian-donated books to schools and giving small ('liklik') gifts to hospital patients at Christmas.

We are putting together a new programme to provide sets of life-jackets (nobody wears them!) and marine education to schools. Drownings at sea are common, the worst being a few months ago when 14 young people died after two (banana) boats capsized when travelling from an outlying island to a sports event on the main island.

I am hoping to ask for funding support from NZ for this project in the new year. Another project on the 'drawing board' is a focus on waste management options in Kavieng town.

A popular Rotary community project was 'Lights Off' a Kavieng-based talent quest. This was very successful with over 800 people attending the final event. Please for photos from 'Lights Off" and other projects. (Note: A big thank you to Paul McConarchie of TDC for "Tasmans Got Talent" documents and support.)

>> , to be added to the page. [If this link doesn't work, use this form instead]

[ Return ]
[ Other news articles ]

We wish to thank these local community-minded businesses who generously sponsor our site. They recognise the value of supporting this community asset, and in return Motueka Online is pleased to use and recommend their services whenever appropriate.

Ray White Motueka, Nelson Building Society, House of Travel,
, Steph Wills Dental Surgery, Elevation Cafe, Restaurant & Bar