Latest Adventures - February 2011

Jean’s bit.
It has been months since our last latest adventures and we sincerely apologise. This update begins in August last year with the signing of the second phase Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program (RWSSP).

So to remind you the aim of the RWSSP is to improve community health via the installation of water and sanitation facilities combined with behavior changes such as hand washing. TCA also hopes that the reduction in workloads, particularly for women will see more time caring for livestock and therefore minimizing hunting pressure of local wildlife. This program also has the added benefit of strengthening the relationship between the TCA and participating villages.

Over the next 20 months we will all be really busy delivering various education programs to communities and installing 243 water tanks and VIP toilets throughout the 40 moratorium villages.Needless to say the pressure is on.

In August last year the first thing we did straight after signing the contract was conduct a team building day with all our staff. We now have 33 people employed in various positions to help implement our biggest project yet. The staff have been broken up into 8 teams. Each team is assigned 4-6 villages which they work with. The teams are:
Team A - Senior Project Officer – Mr. Mathew Akon and Facilitator – Ms. Mathilda Yaume

Team B – Project Officer – Mr. James Oso and Facilitator – Ms. Alison Kufa

Team C - Project Supervisor – Mr. Patrick Ikon and Facilitator – Mrs. Irene Sobin

Team D – Project Officer – Mr. Nobert Maisuli and Facilitator – Mrs. Paula Faru

Team E - Project Officer – Mr. Samuel Kabau and Facilitator – Mr. Fidelis Nick

Team F - Project Officer – Mr. Caleb Bulu and Facilitator Mr. Jerry Sobin

Team G – Project Officer – Mr. Mathew Rafa and Facilitator Mr. Leo Ainiris

Other local staff include Office Clerk Mrs. Margaret Rangen, Security x 5, Cooks x 3, Caretakers x 2, Plumbers x 1 and Carpenters x 4.

Another important member of staff includes Mr. Gerry Melican. An Australian Volunteer who has worked in and out of PNG for over 30 years. Gerry has been employed by the TCA to help co-ordinate the project in particular with the transportation of materials from Wewak to Lumi and other village drop off points.

Jim’s bit
Yes sorry everyone for taking so long in producing another update. Can’t say that we’ve been slacking off rather the reciprocal actually. It’s only now, February 2011, that Jean and I turned to one another and said “We’d better do another update; it has been far too long!”. We’ll cover this update until the end of January 2011.

After signing the biggest contract of our careers and then seeing the largest amount of money in the Tenkile Conservation Alliance bank account we quickly sorted through all the quotes for the water tanks and other equipment that had been given to us by the suppliers in Wewak and from all over PNG. The RWSSP and European Union have very strict policies and guidelines so we are conscious of doing everything to the letter. If we don’t then we have to start all over again. In PNG there are just so many delays and slip-ups, therefore we have to go the extra yards to ensure things go as smoothly as PNG possible.

Most of the above staff were chosen through an interview process which involved asking each applicant a series of questions and then Jean and I graded them. The highest scoring applicants obtained the positions. This process was as fair as we could make it, however some unsuccessful applicants displayed aggressive behaviour towards TCA and us. This resulted in one person saying he was now signing his village to logging and another threatening to block the road when the tanks were to arrive. It’s a real shame when this type of behaviour is shown but all I can do is listen to what they have to say and hope that they are just letting off steam.

Jean’s bit
Following the team-building day I conducted the Project Officer and Facilitator training. The first thing we had to do was get all the teams prepared to conduct a village baseline survey. Recording the current status of the health of the village (how many toilets are there, what kind of water supply is the community using – that kind of thing) and also get the communities engaged and kick start the process for change

I had already written a training manual in Pidgin English during the first phase so I revised it adding in a lot more detail and included all the paper work necessary to implement the process. It was a bit of work but well worth the effort. The teams did really well and I was pleased with how I facilitated the training.

Jim’s bit
During this time I was starting the Distance Sampling with the Tenkile villages. I went into the mountains three times and felt great in doing so. I didn’t see any Tenkile but a few bandicoots, snakes and Vulturine parrots. Scat numbers were similar to 2010 and staff were better in their organization and coherence in recording data. It’s always great spending time in the rainforest and I wish I could do more of it.

There was one incident that stood out and that was when I was staying at Miwaute village before heading up into the mountains. A fellow, named Samuel, came yelling and swinging a bush knife the morning we were heading to the Amembe Distance Sampling site. Samuel, for whatever reason, had it in his head that I had wrongfully kept his clans ten percent contribution for the phase one RWSSP. There were a handful of village contributions left over from the first program that we were holding onto by the request of the villages. Samuel was clearly disturbed and began voicing all types of abuse. According to him I was the worst person in the world, I had stolen the money and had made millions from taking photographs - yet I still lived in a bush house in Lumi and was walking into the mountains with my five year old hiking boots and not taking a helicopter; which I could easily afford if I had made millions. This was now the second time within nine months I had been targeted this way. It seems as TCA grows and increases its scope more aggression is generated towards me.

This incident was not as confrontational as the first and the abuse and incoherent yelling continued as Samuel moved further and further away. The Research Officers, Distance Sampling Officers and workmen surrounded me. They all assured me they would protect me and that he was only one person and he did not represent a group.

You know I think I can pick a real angry person from a not so angry person. The fellow Ignas from Powat junction in November 2009 was the real deal and he would have killed me – his eyes rolled back in his head like that of a Great White Shark before a strike. Samuel, on the other hand, didn’t have that look and I didn’t feel too scared even during the peak of his performance.

After completing Distance Sampling at Amnembe I left the basecamp ahead of most of the others and started walking through the magnificent mossy mid-montane rainforest. I was wondering whether there would be another confrontation at Miwaute village when we got there. I’d been walking for about half an hour along the narrow bush track when who do I see 20 meters infront of me but Samuel with another man Greg – who I knew well and trusted. The village had shamed Samuel and had made him come into the mountains to apologise. This was no ordinary apology. Samuel threw his arms around me saying that he liked me like nobody else. Did I feel uneasy with this embrace?....I sure did! When we got back to the village there was a huge gathering. I received presents from at least 12 sources. In my bounty was betelnut, coconuts, tomatoes, bananas, cans of coke and a live chicken. The whole community was sorry for the actions of Samuel. Everyone felt ashamed and assured me that this would never happen again. I sure hope so as this is not what I came to Papua New Guinea to endure.

Jean’s bit
The week after the training program we went up to Maui village, which is near the airstrip in Lumi. The TCA base is actually on Maui land, so they have been included in the project as a way of saying thank-you to the traditional landowners of the land TCA is using in Lumi.

We spent a couple of days in Maui recording and measuring village health and met with the community to assess their reaction to the project. They were obviously supportive and couldn’t wait to get started. The best activity we did was called “time line” about gender and workloads. The men and women were separated and asked to gather materials to represent their workloads from the time they wake up to the time they go to sleep. Various items such as buckets, firewood and saucepans were then placed in a row representing work conducted from 6 am to 6pm. At the end of the activity, the men and women looked at each other’s workload. Inevitably the women’s line was very long and full of all kinds of activities, many of which involved the use of water. The activity resulted in raucous laughter and debate. The point of the exercise being the inclusion of women at every point of the project especially when deciding where the new water tanks will go in the village.

Jim’s bit.
One of our close partners is World Wide Fund (WWF) and we have been working with them on GPS mapping of the Conservation Area and on Carbon Trading. Roy Banka and Matt Leggett from the WWF Port Moresby Office visited and we conducted the first of many joint meetings together. In these meetings we invited representatives from each of our 39 villages as well as Incorporated Land Group (ILG) presidents from the South-West Wape Forest Management Area (FMA).

The FMA has been signed away to be logged some 24 years ago but the people on the ground have seen no development, been given no awareness and have received no paperwork. As a conservation NGO we feel responsible to tell people the meaning of Carbon Trading and the truths about industrial logging within PNG. There has been a lot of hype in the media about Carbon Trading and PNG has witnessed a lot of false and misleading information. Some stories we have heard are along the lines of: Carbon Trading means that a big machine will come and take all of our air. There are also tremendous exaggerations on what benefits people will receive.

TCA and WWF want to educate the grassroots people of the Torricelli Mountain Range and surrounding areas on what Carbon Trading really means and what could eventuate should it be possible to conduct a Carbon Trading program in this country.

Having had Carbon Trading on our radar since 2008 and learning about it along the way I have seen the PNG government and other groups, dubbed as Carbon Cowboys, try to get such a program off the ground. I have heard the terms voluntary and involuntary markets, RED, REDD and REDD+. We have seen real steps put in place to see such a project start. To date TCA, with WWF, have been the only bodies to start talking to the people on the ground and start to properly give education on Carbon and the importance of saving the rainforest. Surely if Carbon Trading is going to work this is where it has to start.

Through our awareness programs, showing of videos and distribution of literature on Carbon we have not been well received by a groups in Vanimo and Port Moresby. These groups, dubbed carbon cowboys by some, have written to me on several occasions – I may have mentioned this in previous updates. These letters and emails have not been of a pleasant nature. All have been threatening and most have had references to my family and I not being safe in PNG. I have also been called Public Enemy number one. In 2010 I received a copy of a letter that had been written to the Department of Immigration. This letter listed two pages of reasons why I should be thrown out of PNG and my work permit revoked. Of course all of these reasons were false and with no evidence and so I never heard from the Department of Immigration.

I guess the reality is that if you are an expatriate living in PNG and becoming well known, for whatever reason, then you are under threat.

Jean’s bit
Once the teams were prepared and ready to start their baseline survey, Jim and I made a quick dash into Wewak to put in the order for the water supply materials and buy all the project team materials. It was a great big shopping spree for both of us!

While in Wewak I received a disturbing phone call from a headmaster. He said he was the “papagraun” of Weiki village. He said in no uncertain terms that Weiki be taken off the TCA program. He did not want ‘his’ village involved in TCA anymore for no other reason than it is his prerogative as a customary landowner. I pleaded with him and tried to persuade him to change his mind but to no avail. His mind was clearly made up and there was nothing I could do or say to change it.

Jim’s bit
I was now in Wewak and we had made the decision on which supplier we were going to purchase all the materials from. All 243 water tanks and their adjoining equipment was now going to be paid for in one massive cheque. My hand was shaking and I made a mess of the first one. Take two, slowly, how much was it again?, oh that’s right, aagh got it. Ok stamp it, photocopy it and slowly hand it over. Is there something that I have forgotten? No that’s all of it, can’t think of anything else and here’s the cheque.

That was so nerve wracking. I’d never felt like that before. Mind you I’ve never written a cheque for over a million kina either.

Jean’s bit
When we returned to Lumi we put all the team materials together – First Aid kits, stationary packs and materials for the baseline survey. What the teams didn’t pick up from Lumi we delivered to them along the highway while travelling to Sibilanga. We also got word out to our Project Officers and facilitators to try and find out more about Weiki village.

Jim’s bit
WWF staff had now visited Lumi four time this year and this latest visit included a staff member from WWF-UK Dr. Susanne Schmitt. Susanne had been to Lumi before in 2009 and now she’d come to see the progress of TCA as well participate in the establishment of an Aboveground Biomass Assessment Carbon Plot. TCA and WWF have established four of these plots in order to estimate the amount of carbon in the understory and canopy within the Torricelli Mountain Range and surrounding areas.

These carbon plots are placed in an area agreed with by the village, and we aim to have one in each village, and are 20 metres by 20 metres. Any plant or tree that has a trunk greater than 5 centimetres in diameter is measured and then its height calculated via a tape measure and/or clinometer.

After more meetings and also organizing the teams to continue the GPS mapping of the Conservation Area, which was progressing but with some delays, we began a patrol to the Weimang area. We hired a car to the Mai/Tadji road, the road that goes through the middle of the Torricelli’s. First stop was Sumil village.

Jean’s bit
This was my first time in Sumil and it was a nice change to be staying in a village situated right next to a river as opposed to a village on the ridge-top. Upon arrival it was obvious the community was disorganized and some individuals I spoke to were completely clueless about the water and sanitation project. Although disappointed I was accustomed to this kind of thing. These situations show us that we just need to spend more time in the village itself rather than depend on messages flowing through via the TCA village reps and our newsletter.

At night the community finally gathered in the camp we were staying at and we discussed all of TCA’s work. I showed the movie “Islands in the sky”. The village agreed that communication between TCA and the village was poor and they chose more active TCA reps to attend future meetings.

Jim’s bit
We left for Yapunda in the morning, aiming to have a quick meeting in Weiki along the way. We had heard that Weiki wanted out so we respected that and gave them the time and space to discuss it amongst themselves. The small clan we did speak to was very supportive of TCA and did want to be included in the project.

What we did see at Weiki was a northern cassowary, sulfur crested cockatoo and four rabbits. This was impressive and showed us that animals were important to the village reps.

The walk through the river was just magic. Bright blue skies, lories flying overhead and mountains on either side of us.

Jean’s bit
Upon arriving at Yapunda village I thought ‘this is nice’.The village was situated along the river and there was a lot of space around the houses. But after going to the toilet and having a closer look at how people were living, it was fairly obvious there were real health issues in the village.

The main river was used for everything, washing plates, clothes and bathing as well as drinking and cooking. Pigs wandered across it too even while the girls and I were having a swim in it with Tadji. I made sure Tadji didn’t put his head and ears in the water so as to avoid any likely ear infections. I also noticed a woman with swollen legs, I assumed it was elephantitis. Later the health nurses at the Sibilanga hospital confirmed that Yapunda was an “unhealthy” village; one of the worst in the area. I was feeling very proud that we were there to help and couldn’t wait to implement the project and see what changes will result from the RWSSP project.

Jim’s bit
On this trip we had brought a small generator and our laptop computer. We showed videos every night and always had a lot of people coming to see. The more we can educate the people on the importance of the rainforest and protecting the greater chance there is of the people saying no to logging. Presently a logging company is just over the mountain from these villages and is possibly the reason why Weiki village is wanting out of the TCA program.

Jean’s bit
The walk to Sibilanga was just gorgeous. Tadji thought King Kong was going to be just around the corner so we made a great joke of that walking along the way. I was wondering how people were going to carry 1000 gallon Tuffa tanks along such an overgrown and steep walking track. They’ll work it out was Jim’s response. Well I guess they have to!

Jim’s bit
At Sibilanga I had the start of a cold and a few days later came down with symptoms of malaria. Yes I was pretty sure I had malaria so I took the treatment. This put a delay with my meeting people and organizing the Distance Sampling for these villages.

We had come with six Research Officers, two baby sitters and a lot of supplies had arrived earlier. The Sibilanga guesthouse was always good to revisit and their had been a few changes since our last stay in 2009. A group from the US, doing a language study, had bought a new water tank for the house and that made a difference.

During meetings I had the same challenges from the “Doubting Thomas’s” of the area and these people didn’t want me talking about Carbon Trading. I think was because in 2008 many people from this area had put their faith in another so called Carbon broker and this person had not delivered. People were ashamed or had given up on the topic.

I can’t wait until we get water tanks to this area as I feel confident that it will remove a lot of doubt and suspicion from people’s minds. We saw a change in behaviour in the Tenkile villages when they received water tanks. This was the “smoking gun” to reduced hunting, formulation of the Conservation Area and support for TCA.

Jean’s bit
Had our TCA rep meeting at the Sibilanga Primary School with two village reps from about 15 villages attending. We discussed all of the TCA projects emphasizing the work involved with the RWSSP. I also confirmed villages were ready to do the drama program with me over the following week or so.

Jim’s bit
Organising Distance Sampling was difficult as I had been hit with the worst cold I’ve had since being in PNG. I was hoping to venture to at least two sites during our stay at Sibilanga but unfortunately I was too sick to do so. The Research Officers were broken into two teams and covered four sites within two weeks. The Officers worked very well and I was very proud as these guys. There were no hassles with landowners and I was getting the feeling that more people are getting behind TCA.

Jean’s bit.
I left Jim and Tadji in Sibilanga while I went to Aseir village with Team F – Caleb and Gerry, to do the drama program. It took everyone a while to get organized but eventually people from Barkop village and Asier village joined together and listened to our education program. They came to watch the DVD’s “islands in the sky” and “Green”. Everyone loves watching the movies.

Their drama performance was OK considering the short time frame in which to put it all together. I went straight back to Sibilanga for a bit of family time and then off to Anipo village to do the same thing.

At Anipo village I was pleasantly surprised. This is a village ahead of its time. The “Jones” of Sibilanga. After a bit of investigation I discovered that their tidy town is due to the influence of one man who is the Chair of the Sibilanga Hospital and very vocal on the Healthy Island concept. The Healthy Island concept is a community health initiative introduced by the PNG Department of Health. It just goes to show how one person can make a real difference. What a great little village.

The drama program was also very successful. Neighbouring village Yanungen also joined in and the little elementary school too. It was very nice to see all levels of the community participating. Tadji came along with the girls to have a look.

On the day of their performance a man from Anipo was wearing a hat made from the skin of a Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo. This was the first time I had seen a tree kangaroo skin or fur used as “bilas” (decoration) in the Lumi/Nuku area. The man assured me that it was killed before TCA came along.

I also went for a quick look at Yanungen village only about 30 minutes away and saw their rabbits. They also had a lot of other livestock including chickens, pigs and ducks. One man was looking after a Northern Cuscus too. It was such a contrast to Anipo which was so clean and tidy. The free ranging animals made the village look ferel. There was animal crap everywhere and I even got a photo of a chicken drinking out of a bucket – the exact same picture we use during the health and hygiene education program to promote healthy versus unhealthy hygiene practices.

Jim’s bit
Tadji was now getting the cold I have, Jean would catch it too. A lot people had this bug. Quite awful actually as it took a good six weeks to totally recover from. It kept you in bed for the first few days and then you could slowly move about and complete some work. Long periods of standing up and being in the sun really took it out of you.
The view from Sibilanga guesthouse is one of the best anywhere. You feel as if you’re right in the mountains. At least I had this to view every morning whilst I was getting over this cold.

Jean’s bit
The final drama program was with Sibilanga village. We all gathered around where we were staying so Jim could feel like he was involved despite being quite ill. The drama about logging was very good and the elementary school got involved too.

When we had completed everything and got organised, we left Sibilanga with MAF and flew to Lumi with the girls Ruth and Glenda. This was Glenda’s first time in a plane. She wasn’t nervous at all. I thought it was pretty cool to share that experience with her.

Back in Lumi I crashed and burned. Now it was my turn to get sick. It was the worst cold ever – fever, running nose and chesty cough. My nose and lips quickly developed cold sores. I ran out of zirvirax after two days and that was the end of me. My face was hideous with sores, the tropical humidity didn’t help and I was worried they were going to end up as tropical ulcers. A quick trip to Wewak and lots and lots of salt water managed to dry them out and I was back to normal again. Phew!

Jim’s bit.
It is always good to escape from the mountains and get to Wewak. Although sometimes the reverse is true. Overall I think six weeks is the limit for us in the mountains and two weeks is the limit for us in Wewak. After eight years in PNG we really need to get back to Australia at least twice a year. Being away from family longer than six months year in year out we just can’t do anymore.

This was the sickest I have ever seen Jean and this cold seemed more intense with her. I’m so lucky I don’t get cold sores. During this trip I spent a lot of time with Tadji and let Jean rest. Tadji and I did the food shopping together and he was the height of amusement for the workers in the bulk food store. Tadji would climb up on top of the cartons of tin-fish and jump down on to the bails of flour. He did this time and time again whilst I loaded the trolleys with the food TCA needed for the next three months. Afterwards Tadji was covered in dust and flour. Tadji then grabbed a small trolley and pushed it around like a racing car making all the comments of a road rage driver from Australia, minus the swear words of course.

During this time we met and welcomed our new Australian volunteer Mr. Gerry Melican. Gerry will be based mostly in Wewak where he will organize the water tanks and other equipment and arrange the transportation of all the cargo to different drop off points along the Sepik Highway. When we are out of Lumi and in Port Moresby or Australia Gerry will supervise TCA Base-Lumi. Gerry has been in and out of PNG since the early eighties. Jean and I have known Gerry since 2004 when he was managing the Raihu cattle farm in Aitape. Gerry has been mentioned in updates in 2005. Since leaving Sandaun Province in early 2006 Gerry has been interested in working for TCA. It is only now through the funding provided by the European Union that we have been able afford another full time volunteer position. Gerry will be working with TCA until April 2012.

Jean’s bit
Back in Lumi we got organized for the next lot of training with the Project Officers and Facilitators. They had to learn the health and hygiene education program. One week in each village following the PHAST process. PHAST is Participatory, Health and Sanitation Transformation. This is a 7 step process that the community goes through to help them identify their sanitation problems, analyse them and take the necessary steps to change those problems.

The Project Officers and Facilitators arrived after completing the baseline survey in the villages so we had a de-briefing about that first. Then we got stuck into the training program. The workshop went really well and we got all the teams organized ready to start the education program in the villages while we were in Australia for Christmas.

We had our Office Clerk Margaret Rangen full time on the photocopier and laminating machine making up the toolkits for the education program. Then we had to put all the pictures in order for each team as well as put together the other materials they would need. A big job! At one point the training centre looked a bit like a production line in a factory.

Jim’s bit.
During this time I was busily writing reports, finishing off Distance Sampling for the year and organizing the GPS mapping for the Conservation Area. We had had some land disputes with the GPS mapping. Some of these problems had been traditional disputes and some from outsiders wanting to see TCA fail. Jealousies are huge in PNG and I have to be extremely diplomatic in order for all of TCA’s programs to keep moving forward. A lot of my work consists of talking and listening to people and at times I have to escape by locking myself in my room or taking a cold shower. I think five cold showers is the record for one day.

This was the first year that we have not surveyed all the Tenkile Distance Sampling sites. This has been due to a dispute between Yongite and Waunulu villages. On four occasions now we have sent our Officers into the mountains to take the GPS points for these villages Conservation Areas. Each time we have been lied to by village representatives by them saying that all is okay and to come on up. When our staff arrives they have been threatened with bush knives and received verbal abuse. This has been quite frustrating because it has meant I have had to deal with traumatized staff and TCA has wasted money on wages.

Jean’s bit
We road tested the Health and Hygeine education program (PHAST) in Maui village. All went well and it was great to see the majority of the village participating. It really is a great process and well worth the effort. You see those “light bulb” moments happening all the time. It’s just great stuff. I love it!

Jim’s bit
After the Health and Hygiene Education Program we had our last TCA rep meeting for the year. Gerry Melican arrived from Wewak for the event and he would be filling in our shoes while we were in Australia. We were really looking forward to going back home. A bit of PNG was coming back with us this time. Patrick Ikon our Project Supervisor was coming to Australia for three weeks. Patrick had never been further than the international terminal at Port Moresby before and he was very excited.

Jean’s bit
We had a great meeting – very positive with a heartfelt thank-you given to us by Paula Faru one of our facilitators. We also held hands at the end of the meeting with Jim in the centre cheering everyone on. I was of course in tears. Couldn’t end the year without a good cry now could I.

Jim’s bit.
After the meeting we all went to Wewak. After seeing Jean and Tadji off to Brisbane, Patrick and I went to Port Moresby for five days and then to Cairns. I showed Patrick the ropes while we were in Cairns for the night and then we flew to cold, cold Melbourne.

In Melbourne Patrick spent a week with Matt West doing some field research on Spotted Tree Frogs and then a week at the zoo as a keeper with Michelle Cooper. I spent a day with Water Aid giving a presentation and just before Christmas we all joined Patrick at Melbourne Zoo to see his presentation. He did very well and was not too nervous – although it was the only time I saw him sweat in Melbourne.

After showing Patrick an Australian Christmas with our family and a very hot and sultry New Year’s Eve in the city of Melbourne, we saw Patrick off on New Years day. He spent the night in Cairns and left for PNG on the 2nd of January. Meanwhile Jean, Tadji and I stayed in Melbourne for a couple more weeks having some good quality family time before heading back to PNG in late January.

Happy belated Christmas and New Year to all. This is going to be our biggest year ever!

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Latest Adventures - February 2011