PROJECT SITE
Village: Wai'eli

LLG: West Wape

Ward Number: 8

TCA DS site/team: Womourou (Maiwetem)

 

COMMUNITY ORGANISATION
Community working days: Monday

Active community groups:

COMMUNITY PORTRAIT

Culture Group: Wape

Language: Olo

Number of Clans: 3 clans, originally 5 but two have died out

Poisate � John Ni

Waitem � Pascal Manoum

Tavo � Robert Purku and Raymond Wiri

Komnaitim and Wawom died out

 

VILLAGE OFFICIALS
Ward Councilor: John Ni

Ward committee members:

Village elders: Michael Manom, Ordick Saiko.

Church leaders: Robert Purku

Women's leader: Maggert Ketau

Youth leader : Johnathon Manom

School Headmaster: Pascal Manam Senior teacher was headmaster at Karaitem during 2002.

Magistrate:

TCA Committee: Raymond Seiko, Raymond Wiri, Timothy Ouyia, Peter Manom

TCA DS Officers: Raymond Wiri, Robert Buruku.

Aid Post Officer: Karaitem

School Board Representatives:

 

DEMOGRAPHY
Number of houses: 20-30

School: Karaitem community school 30 minute walk

Churches: Catholic church in Karaitem

Mission: Lumi

Aidpost: Karaitem

Population: 86

 

INFRASTRUCTURE
Trade store: None (karaitem / Amaitem)

Fuel Supply: from the trade store or Lumi

Vehicles: none

Permanent Buildings: none

 

GEOGRAPHY
Distance by road: 3-4 hours walk to Lumi

Rivers : at the bottom of the hill about 15-20 minutes walk

Terrain: On a small ridgetop

Elevation: 576 meters above sea level

 

SOCIAL ISSUES
Water supply is main problem. Water tank is available but it is old and has holes in it. They missed out on the Canada Aid water project

Road access is an issue as it is very hard to sell food at the market and sell cash crops

Very isolated, hard to buy things like salt, soap etc. Want to improve standard of living

 

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Cash Crops : Fish farming has just started. Rice has been planted recently. Heavily influenced by Lumi highschool teacher Raymond Seiko who has agricultural qualifications and is from Wai'eli

Other sources : Garden vegetables sold at Karaitem school market

 

TENKILE/ANIMAL INFORMATION
No-one in Wai'eli has seen or eaten a Tenkile before. Not true landowners of Tenkile, they belong to Maiwetem but are allowed to hunt on their land with them.

Believe Tenkile come out when the �Mopinge� fruit is in season (October).

Contradiction in terms of hunting seasons and bans. Doesn't appear to be a season, they hunt when they want to have a change of taste!

Wai'eli have shown us many skins and bones of different animals such as the Back-spotted Cuscus, Common Spotted Cuscus, Blythe's Hornbill and a Short-neck turtle species. This is the only village that has a fresh water turtle shell.

Wai'eli is a hot spot for Sooty Owls ( Tyto tenebricosa ). Several birds have been heard calling at each overnight visit.