My time in PNG is drawing to an end. The last couple of nights have been in Goroka, a town of about 10,000 in the Eastern Province. Part of MAF’s work here is to fly sacks of coffee beans grown in remote villages to the processing plants in Goroka. Coffee is the only cash crop the villagers can grow. There are only two options to transport their harvest to market: walking for a number of days across rugged terrain with 50kg sacks, or MAF. I joined a flight to collect 16 sacks of coffee beans, and spoke with the people about the service. The plane (Twin Otter) had been in the week before and carried out about 2000kg, flying back and forth. In so doing, MAF supports the economy of these communities, enabling people to more easily support their families and earn money to pay for school fees.
Back in Goroka I visited Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship (CRMF), an organization that has served in PNG for about the same time as MAF (six decades), and an important partner for MAF: their radio network has been incredibly valuable for MAF. Each day the different locations report in about the weather and airstrip conditions. With advanced warning of such conditions, in a country where weather can change quickly and dramatically, such communication can save a lot of inconvenience for the pilots (as they can know in advance if conditions aren’t good enough to land in). The main focus of CRMF’s work has been installing and supporting an HF radio, but with developments in technology new opportunities have arisen and they now also provide an IT service. The team is also branching out into providing learning technologies that fit with the aural traditions of the majority of people in the remote communities. With so many expatriate missionaries having left the country, this is potentially a very effective way to support rural pastors and the national church.
Radio communication is essential between the different organizations and with remote communities. Another substantial part of MAF’s flying here are medevacs (medical evacuation flights), and the need for such a flight is usually communicated via the HF radio system. The top two categories (i.e. most numerous) for these are: complications in childbirth and snake bite victims. The impact of these flights – literally saving lives by enabling patients to get to hospital – is clearly evident. During the week there have been at least two medevacs – a lady from Ambunti in labour, and a man in heart failure returning to Telefomin.
The highlight of my visit was staying in Mogoulu with the Hoeys, who I mentioned before. A really lovely couple! What I didn’t previously mention is that the people they have lived among and worked with for over 40 years were formerly cannibals. The government worked hard to end this practice over the past decades, and where people have discovered the love of God the transformation has gone deep. I spoke with a number of the local people, including three women (many speak English), and asked what difference the missionaries had made. One example they shared, quite animated, was that one of them gave birth to twins. In the past this could have been highly dangerous for the woman, as their people weren’t familiar with twins and she would have been considered as having been unfaithful to her husband. Now it is accepted and understood, and she has two beautiful 9 year old daughters.
Afterwards, Tom Hoey explained that in the past it would have been likely that these three women would have still been alive. The people used to believe that when someone became ill it was due to sorcery practiced by women (a weaker form of sorcery compared to that practiced by men, which was associated with people’s deaths). So in the event of sickness a ‘perpetrator’ would be hunted out, killed and eaten. Not surprisingly their lives were full of fear, and they were feared by other tribes (as enemies were treated in a similar way). As I spoke with the people and listened to their stories I was conscious of the emotional challenge of handling what the tradition of these people formerly involved (and I do emphasize formerly) – such an extreme form of violence – with the fact that none of us can fall beyond the reach of God’s love and grace. How easy it is to judge people, particularly when there are vast cultural differences. But of course we are not meant to judge others, and through it condemn them. The individuals I met were gentle and shy, and belong to the same family that I do: we have been given the right to be called children of God.
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Friday, 10 February 2012
Arriving and exploring in PNG
It is hard to believe that I am visiting Papua New Guinea (PNG) – a country that I would never have dreamed I’d visit.
After four separate flights, and around 2 full days of travel, I finally arrived in Mount Hagen on Sunday morning.
Mount Hagen is the main base for MAF in PNG. Even here there is a sense of being remote.
Mount Hagen is a small town set on a small plateau surrounded by rugged hills, with the mountains not so far behind. What first strikes me is the lush, vibrant greenery of the vegetation, with splashes of bright red leaves and numerous exotic flowers. Being at 5800ft above sea level the air is fresh, and it’s certainly not as hot as I expected.
Monday I spent at the hangar and MAF offices, meeting the staff and absorbing a whole lot of information about the work here. In the evening I met Tom and Salome Hoey, missionaries to the Bedamuni people for 44 years. When asking them about the difference MAF has made for their work the very first thing Salome listed is that MAF brings the mail – and has done for decades. Salome wasn’t sure she would have lasted for so long without being able to hear from her children.
Communication remains as important today. Every time I do a research trip I hit problems with communicating with people in the UK. Conscious of the cost of phoning long distance (and my mobile has completely died since I arrived in PNG), I rely on skype and email, but there aren’t always internet connections where I’m staying. Even if there are there are frequent down times or the connection is poor. For staff whose children, grand children or elderly parents are overseas, the ability to regularly communicate is still hugely important.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were packed full of flying out to remote locations (Kompiam, Ambunti, Wewak, Mougolu, Rumginae, Kiunga, Telefomin, Yenkin) to meet partners and the local people ultimately benefiting from the work here. I have spoken with doctors, patients, teachers, missionaries, villagers, students and a government official. Spontaneously, people are commenting how critical MAF is to their work and lives in incredibly remote locations. There is no road network in the highlands. The only alternative is walking, or if you’re lucky going by canoe for part of a journey if you’re near a river. But the distances are also great - Western Province alone is huge. Looking out of the plane window the dense jungle covering rugged terrain stretches to the horizon in every direction – though stunning in its beauty, it also seems impenetrable with the absence of any visible tracks.
Another thing that is clearly evident is that this programme needs more pilots. A number of partners I have spoken with have spontaneously commented as much. The programme is considerably smaller than it used to be, primarily due to staff shortages.
The pilots I’ve chatted with have a huge sense of job satisfaction – a combination of using their aviation skills to serve God and people in need, with the challenges that come with ‘bush’ flying. So if there are any Christian pilots out there who have been considering mission aviation (or if this is the first time it’s come to mind as an option) – please do contact our HR department to investigate further! We want to hear from you!
After four separate flights, and around 2 full days of travel, I finally arrived in Mount Hagen on Sunday morning.
Mount Hagen is the main base for MAF in PNG. Even here there is a sense of being remote.
Mount Hagen is a small town set on a small plateau surrounded by rugged hills, with the mountains not so far behind. What first strikes me is the lush, vibrant greenery of the vegetation, with splashes of bright red leaves and numerous exotic flowers. Being at 5800ft above sea level the air is fresh, and it’s certainly not as hot as I expected.
Monday I spent at the hangar and MAF offices, meeting the staff and absorbing a whole lot of information about the work here. In the evening I met Tom and Salome Hoey, missionaries to the Bedamuni people for 44 years. When asking them about the difference MAF has made for their work the very first thing Salome listed is that MAF brings the mail – and has done for decades. Salome wasn’t sure she would have lasted for so long without being able to hear from her children.
Communication remains as important today. Every time I do a research trip I hit problems with communicating with people in the UK. Conscious of the cost of phoning long distance (and my mobile has completely died since I arrived in PNG), I rely on skype and email, but there aren’t always internet connections where I’m staying. Even if there are there are frequent down times or the connection is poor. For staff whose children, grand children or elderly parents are overseas, the ability to regularly communicate is still hugely important.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were packed full of flying out to remote locations (Kompiam, Ambunti, Wewak, Mougolu, Rumginae, Kiunga, Telefomin, Yenkin) to meet partners and the local people ultimately benefiting from the work here. I have spoken with doctors, patients, teachers, missionaries, villagers, students and a government official. Spontaneously, people are commenting how critical MAF is to their work and lives in incredibly remote locations. There is no road network in the highlands. The only alternative is walking, or if you’re lucky going by canoe for part of a journey if you’re near a river. But the distances are also great - Western Province alone is huge. Looking out of the plane window the dense jungle covering rugged terrain stretches to the horizon in every direction – though stunning in its beauty, it also seems impenetrable with the absence of any visible tracks.
Another thing that is clearly evident is that this programme needs more pilots. A number of partners I have spoken with have spontaneously commented as much. The programme is considerably smaller than it used to be, primarily due to staff shortages.
The pilots I’ve chatted with have a huge sense of job satisfaction – a combination of using their aviation skills to serve God and people in need, with the challenges that come with ‘bush’ flying. So if there are any Christian pilots out there who have been considering mission aviation (or if this is the first time it’s come to mind as an option) – please do contact our HR department to investigate further! We want to hear from you!
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Coming soon: a journey down under
Thanks for following Carolyn's blog during her time in Bangladesh.
Next up: Stephanie Gidney. She is about to visit MAF's operations in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Arnhem Land (northern Australia).
Please do re-visit in the next few days to hear more about her journey to the other side of the world.
Next up: Stephanie Gidney. She is about to visit MAF's operations in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Arnhem Land (northern Australia).
Please do re-visit in the next few days to hear more about her journey to the other side of the world.
Monday, 28 November 2011
This is my last day in Bangladesh as I'm flying home tonight. I've been trying to gather my thoughts together after the last few days travelling around the Bangladeshi countryside, which have been very intense, but very worth while.
I've met some wonderful people who have suffered the most appalling hardships. These are often people who after cyclone Sidr or Alia lost absolutely everything - homes, possessions, livelihoods, and in some cases, family - and yet despite this they have found the strength to rebuild their lives. In many cases they have, with the help of the projects which MAF enables through partner organisations, rebuilt their lives for the better, ensuring that their children are receiving an education, which they weren't previously. This was so encouraging and so inspirational to see. I am still so amazed that in the face of such adversity these people had the inner strength to work so hard to make things better.
People here are so friendly, they want to meet you, they want to talk to you, they're happy to share their stories and invite you into their homes. The children in the schools are all tidy and clean, with smiling faces and neatly combed hair, are happy to talk and recite poems and songs they've learnt especially - and so happy to be in school! It's just so lovely to see. And the people that come running out when the plane lands - a sea of vivid vibrant colours. Its all these positive aspects that I'll take home with me.
I've seen first hand how MAF enables partner organisations to work in these remote areas and how utterly vulnerable Bangladesh is to natural disasters and climate change. If there were to be any flooding a lot of the bridges across the thousands of waterways look very vulnerable and liable to be washed away at a moments notice, which would make overland travel virtually impossible.
Despite all the positive changes, there is still so much that needs to be done in Bangladesh. One unofficial statistic quoted to me was that 50% of babies die under one year old! This is a statistic collected by a partner organisation who works particularly with mothers and babies in a particular area of the country. To me this is a staggering statistic, and despite the fact that it's unofficial and for a particular area, it gives an indication of the immense challenges which lie ahead, and how much more still needs to be done.
So, I leave Bangladesh with a really positive feeling, which from my own personal perspective is tinged with some sadness as I am sorry to be leaving! Although I am missing my family and very much looking forward to seeing them again!!
And lastly, but by no means least, I have to finish by saying that none of this would have been possible without the dedicated MAF Bangladesh team, who made this visit possible and made me feel so welcome - and all this on top of their very busy daily schedule - so a HUGE thank you from me!!!
I've met some wonderful people who have suffered the most appalling hardships. These are often people who after cyclone Sidr or Alia lost absolutely everything - homes, possessions, livelihoods, and in some cases, family - and yet despite this they have found the strength to rebuild their lives. In many cases they have, with the help of the projects which MAF enables through partner organisations, rebuilt their lives for the better, ensuring that their children are receiving an education, which they weren't previously. This was so encouraging and so inspirational to see. I am still so amazed that in the face of such adversity these people had the inner strength to work so hard to make things better.
People here are so friendly, they want to meet you, they want to talk to you, they're happy to share their stories and invite you into their homes. The children in the schools are all tidy and clean, with smiling faces and neatly combed hair, are happy to talk and recite poems and songs they've learnt especially - and so happy to be in school! It's just so lovely to see. And the people that come running out when the plane lands - a sea of vivid vibrant colours. Its all these positive aspects that I'll take home with me.
I've seen first hand how MAF enables partner organisations to work in these remote areas and how utterly vulnerable Bangladesh is to natural disasters and climate change. If there were to be any flooding a lot of the bridges across the thousands of waterways look very vulnerable and liable to be washed away at a moments notice, which would make overland travel virtually impossible.
Despite all the positive changes, there is still so much that needs to be done in Bangladesh. One unofficial statistic quoted to me was that 50% of babies die under one year old! This is a statistic collected by a partner organisation who works particularly with mothers and babies in a particular area of the country. To me this is a staggering statistic, and despite the fact that it's unofficial and for a particular area, it gives an indication of the immense challenges which lie ahead, and how much more still needs to be done.
So, I leave Bangladesh with a really positive feeling, which from my own personal perspective is tinged with some sadness as I am sorry to be leaving! Although I am missing my family and very much looking forward to seeing them again!!
And lastly, but by no means least, I have to finish by saying that none of this would have been possible without the dedicated MAF Bangladesh team, who made this visit possible and made me feel so welcome - and all this on top of their very busy daily schedule - so a HUGE thank you from me!!!
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Arrived back in Dhaka yesterday (Thursday) afternoon after a very intensive trip to various southern areas of Bangladesh. I've visited many of MAF's partners projects and its really encouraging to see the work that's being done. I had mixed emotions as we took off on the MAF floatplane from the Shunderbans area of southern Bangladesh to fly back to Dhaka - crowds of children laughing and waving as we took off. Firstly, though, I must say that I was very thankful (and grateful!) that I was flying back to Dhaka and not travelling in a a rickety bus. This flight took about an hour, sitting on comfortable seats and where the MAF crew look after you, instead of a day (at least) on a very uncomfortable, unsafe, unreliable battered bus!
Back to my mixed emotions - part of me feels quite positive, because although the needs remain enormous and there are still huge challenges - particularly in the Shunderbans area which seems to have been largely forgotten by the world, there is some glimmer of hope and there are a lot of extremely good projects, which are all making small steps in the right direction. But there is also a part of me which, from a personal perspective, feels quite sad and empty at leaving. I've met some wonderful people over the course of the past few days, who've been happy to share their stories and experiences with me - even though I'm a complete stranger to them. People who, despite all the horrors that life could possibly throw at them ie losing their homes, all their possessions and their livelihoods, have survived and worked very hard, with some help, to rebuild their lives to make them better for themselves and their children. These people are quite inspirational!
Yesterday, I spoke to one little boy, aged about 9, at a school I visited, who wanted to become a teacher so he could put something back into the community. It isn't the first time I've heard that sentiment over the past few days - I think its so thoughtful and so encouraging for the future of this country.
The children, generally, are just delightful - they have so very little, but they're so pleased to see visitors and followed us around laughing and giggling. They made me laugh because wherever we went it was the same, staring at me, then whispering in huddles, giggling and then seeing if they could get me to say something. As soon as I said 'hello' - there would be more giggles, more huddles. Then they'd get a bit braver and come a little closer and try talking to me. And if they were really brave, then they would touch me - I did wonder if that was part of a dare, or whether they were just trying to see if I was real!
Anyway, back in Dhaka today, the weather is really very nice, albeit quite hot, and the air is much clearer than it was last week! But the harsh realities of everyday life are all around - I saw a little girl today with the most deformed club foot I think I've ever seen, just sitting on the edge of the very dirty, dusty pavement - the traffic just thundering past, and a man who was literally just skin and bone - I don't have the words to describe how shocking that was - I honestly don't know what was holding him together - and I just felt so utterly helpless.
Back to my mixed emotions - part of me feels quite positive, because although the needs remain enormous and there are still huge challenges - particularly in the Shunderbans area which seems to have been largely forgotten by the world, there is some glimmer of hope and there are a lot of extremely good projects, which are all making small steps in the right direction. But there is also a part of me which, from a personal perspective, feels quite sad and empty at leaving. I've met some wonderful people over the course of the past few days, who've been happy to share their stories and experiences with me - even though I'm a complete stranger to them. People who, despite all the horrors that life could possibly throw at them ie losing their homes, all their possessions and their livelihoods, have survived and worked very hard, with some help, to rebuild their lives to make them better for themselves and their children. These people are quite inspirational!
Yesterday, I spoke to one little boy, aged about 9, at a school I visited, who wanted to become a teacher so he could put something back into the community. It isn't the first time I've heard that sentiment over the past few days - I think its so thoughtful and so encouraging for the future of this country.
The children, generally, are just delightful - they have so very little, but they're so pleased to see visitors and followed us around laughing and giggling. They made me laugh because wherever we went it was the same, staring at me, then whispering in huddles, giggling and then seeing if they could get me to say something. As soon as I said 'hello' - there would be more giggles, more huddles. Then they'd get a bit braver and come a little closer and try talking to me. And if they were really brave, then they would touch me - I did wonder if that was part of a dare, or whether they were just trying to see if I was real!
Anyway, back in Dhaka today, the weather is really very nice, albeit quite hot, and the air is much clearer than it was last week! But the harsh realities of everyday life are all around - I saw a little girl today with the most deformed club foot I think I've ever seen, just sitting on the edge of the very dirty, dusty pavement - the traffic just thundering past, and a man who was literally just skin and bone - I don't have the words to describe how shocking that was - I honestly don't know what was holding him together - and I just felt so utterly helpless.
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