Community Projects.
Engaging unemployed youth, women and helping families at the 9-Mile Morobe Block Settlement.
I have been compelled to do more than simply report on people’s struggles in my work as a journalist and TV producer, and to find practical ways to improve people’s lives.
Many of my family members in Port Moresby live at 9-Mile settlement, so spending time in settlements is part of my routine life in Port Moresby. Most homes do not have the luxury of a tap with running water, let alone TV and credits for phone and internet are a luxury.
My small projects have helped me understand the challenges people face as well as their priorities.
MOROBE BLOCK ROAD PATCHING
The roads into the settlements have been just left for the people to deal with themselves and as such are virtually impassable without a high wheel base vehicle. Those who can even afford vehicle are in a constant cycle of finding money to maintain their cars. This takes scarce money away from households and can hinder emergency access.
This on-going road patching project with the 9-Mile Morobe Youth Association engages the areas unemployed youth.
I regularly arrange truck-loads of gravel, stones and dirt to be dumped along the roadsides in the settlement and the boys take their wheel barrows and shovels and fill in all the pot holes.
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The youth who participate would otherwise spend their time making and selling home brewed alcohol and marijuana, playing cards for money and engaging in petty theft.
The youth place a cardboard box on the roadside where they are working so passers-by can donate money, much like busking.
This gives them some pocket each day to buy food, but importantly it has created a sense of pride amongst them.
They feel, productive and useful and enjoy the respect and praise they have gained from the community. It has given them a sense of dignity.
This project is on-going, although ad-hoc depending on availability transport, materials and other resources needed to assist the youth.
WARD 12 Water Drum Distribution
This project speaks directly to the main issue in all the settlements – the lack of accessible, clean water.
Although Port Moresby is the richest city in the Pacific Islands, most of the people still have the daily struggle of finding water.
Water collection is a daily burden placed on households, with women and children literally carrying the load.
Each day thousands of women are up early to get to the nearest water source to fill bottles and containers with the water to be used in their homes.
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Since 2020 my team has been distributing water 44-gallon water drums to households and churches so they have somewhere to store water. This has been a popular and high impact project and we have branched out to other surrounding settlements as well.
A water drum impacts an entire household.
The average household contains 15 people. More than 200 drums have been distributed so far. This project is on-going although consistency is hampered because I rely on the availably of an adequate vehicle to distribute the drums into the settlements.
The provision of water resonates deeply in the community. The gratitude I receive from this project motivates me more. Everybody likes to step out into their day feeling clean.
T-Haus - POM City Markets
The T-Haus is a stall I have established at the POM City Markets to help the women and other informal businesses in the settlement to access markets. POM City Markets are the biggest monthly markets in the city held in the grounds of the National Museum & Art Gallery.
Through the generosity of the markets founder, SyIvia Pascoe, I have been given the space at no charge to sell tea and coffee to market-goers.
The bulk of the space is allocated to women’s groups and road side sellers from the settlement who are able to sell products that they produce to a bigger market, improve their products and charge higher prices.
I also provide a vehicle to transport them all with their goods to the markets venue to enable them to participate. T-Haus has also become an important space for the public to come and meet me and discuss their concerns and hopes.
9-Mile Youth Theatre & Dance Group
In 2021 I facilitated the creation of a small theatre and dance group for school aged children and youth aged 25 and under in the 9-Mile settlement.
My supporters in the performing arts community volunteer their time to go out and conduct workshops.
The group performed at a major event where the Prime Minister was Guest of Honour. This is the kind of experience settlement kids don’t even dream to get, and is something that will remain in their memories for the rest of their lives.
This activity broadens the horizons of the children in the settlement. It also engenders pride in the parents of these children.
