June 27, 2020

Domestic Violence in PNG

 So many women are dying and have died of domestic violence in this country. Those who are posting on social media, please keep on posting and talking about it so that this issue becomes part of our everyday discussion. Too many times, it is ignored and kept out of public discussion.

I believe domestic violence is a systematic problem nationwide and therefore needs a systematic approach towards solving or reducing the problem and this needs to start at the top - political leaders. Political leaders as a group, wield great power including the political will to change something in their favour. If we have the political will to win, create and bankroll the South Pacific Games and the APEC meetings, then why cant we for something that matters to our loved ones? Our hauslain? This 100% male parliament is not even close to hearing the cries of women. We need more women political leaders who, as a group, can change the momentum on the fight against domestic violence. This cannot happen in one go but over a number of years.

Come on women, 2022 is the year for change. Stand up, be counted and vote women into parliament! Imagine if 50% of parliament were women! Maski long votim ol man bikos nogat senis kamap na ol meri dai yet. Imagine the countless women who are in rural areas of PNG who face life like what this young lady went through everyday. We need a systematic change where relevant government agencies are adequately funded, legal systems and protocols for perpetrators are fasttracked, safe houses become the norm, hotlines are toll free, training for law enforcement, etc.

This fight needs political will to kickstart it. We have signed petitions, international conventions, ran campaigns etc. Inap! Sanapim wanpla meri lo komuniti blo yu, votim em lo 2022 na em bai go na rausim ol tambaran lo displa haus yah! Na yupla ol meri, inap lo votim ol man!! Displa pasin we igat 20 candidate na wanpla meri, maski votim ol man! Even if you dont like her, just block vote na yumi salim displa meri go lo Waigani! We need more firebrand Josephine Abaijahs and straight-shooting Carol Kidus! Come on, let us vote for change in 2022!

June 20, 2020

A wedding!

What a privilege to attend a wedding!
Its not often that I get an official invitation to attend a wedding but today was different. I was invited by Jerome and Aloisa to attend their wedding.
The wedding took place at the DWU chapel.

The church was well set up and nicely decorated with the theme of red, pink and white.
I took Lordes as well and we went.
We arrived 10 minutes earlier than everybody. We met Professor Peter Anderson and then waited for everyone to turn up.

Inside the church, the place was amazing with bright colours, flower petals sprinkled on the floor, flowers placed neatly here and there, balloons, white sheets dangling from stands, a red carpet.....it was very nice!

Then the couple did their procession with their bridesmaid and the groomsmen. All were immaculately dressed - the ladies with pink and the guys with dark suits.
I don't know why I got a bit misty eyed when they both read their vows....it just says so much about committing oneself to another person. It really is a powerful moment when one person says something so meaningful and profess their love to another person in front of a community. It really is.

Just as the event was getting more beautiful, Lordes said she was feeling cold and her hands trembled. I asked her if she was ok, she looked at me with worried eyes and I know something was not right. I led her outside the chapel. When we were outside, she asked me to carry her home.
When we arrived home, she was shivering profusely. I gave her some panadol and told her to lie down. She didnt have fever so I assumed the panadol would calm her down and I would go back to the wedding. After few minutes she was shivering but this time I became concerned. In that brief moment, I thanked God for giving me the right mindset to get her quickly to a health facility. Later on, after everything had worked out and I reflected back, I just knew that if I had not taken her to the hospital, she could have lost her life. It was that serious! I quickly called the ever reliable 'Hilux' and he quickly came and took us to the private clinic along Modilon road. When we arrived the service was really fast and efficient. Lordes's temperature was 39. 4 degrees and they gave her arthemeter and christapen! It was malaria.
Now I look back and at that moment I had made the right decision in taking her very quickly to the health facility. It really could have been worse!According to Malaria Control handbook for Papua New Guinea, four out of every 10 outpatient visit to a health facility in PNG is a malaria case and around 600 people die annually from Malaria in PNG!
Anyway, my daugther and I missed a great wedding event at the chapel and the reception at the Madang Resort hotel.
A very big congratulations to Mr. and Mrs Semos!

June 02, 2020

Coca Cola names on 330mls cans

Over the past few weeks, I have began to see the new marketing scheme put up by Coca Cola here in PNG. I am referring to the current use of common names together with the catchphrase ' Share a Coke with ___________ (name of person). The campaign to put names on the soft drink began in Australia in 2011 and then spread to more than 70 countries. It has been used on coke bottles and cans as well. In Australia, any person interested in having their names on the cans could ask for it with name characters up to 14 letters

The person who came up with this idea is a genius! Why I say this because the intended (if it was intended) effect is that when people buy these 330 mls cans of coke here in PNG, they actually share the can they bought or are drinking on social media, particularly Facebook. I am also on Facebook so I can see family and friends posting their cans of coke when they have found their names on the can. The recent one I saw yesterday was about the name of the place: Madang! I guess its something new, interesting and unique and the cans cost K2.00 and is often available throughout PNG. Once the cans on social media, it has a ripple effect as other people too want to share their names as well. This 'share a coke with' campaign is something people can relate to and of course identify with and so the social media posts continue to grow.

Once Coca Cola begins to put the original Papua New Guinea names on the cans of coke, this will reach another level altogether. Currently we are only seeing the common English names like Eddie and Latifa as shown on the two cans on my table. If Coca Cola PNG chooses to increase the names to include local or indigenous names such as Kisakiu or Kanawi or Kusunan or Poilep (a sample of  names from the Titan language areas in Manus province), then it will be something else.  I guess once we reach the names that are indigenous names that come from our villages or family members who bestow these names on us, then I imagine two things will happen:
1. Papua New Guineans will love coca cola more and cherish the idea that a huge company could care enough for that person and therefore print their names. They will drink the sweet liquid and then keep the can as a souvenir. Of course social media photos will grow as more unique names will appear on the cans. It is a special feeling when your unique name is on a can that someone else in the country has in their possession. It makes someone feel unique and special when people see your indigenous name on the can.
2. People will begin to question the use of indigenous names on the cans. I imagine some people might even begin to question the use of original names by a multi-coporation company and if they can actually do this. This is because we haven't seen Coca Cola PNG asking for people's names to be written on the cans like what is being done in Australia. What about issues of copyright? Will Papua New Guineans feel that such a huge company is using their unique names to sell for a profit?  

Maybe I am making a mountain out of a mole hill. Maybe. We will see how this progresses in the coming weeks!

See yous!