Breaking Barriers in PNG: Caroline Evari

By World Bank

For International Women’s Day 2020, we’re getting to know the pioneering women across the Pacific and Papua New Guinea who are breaking barriers and creating change for the decade ahead. Caroline Evari began writing at the age of six. She is now the author of 28 children’s books and has published her own book of poems, Nanu Sina: My Words, all while supporting the World Bank and it’s nine projects in Papua New Guinea and raising two sons.
What inspired you to start writing at such a young age?

After I had completed first grade in school my family moved from Port Moresby back to my father’s village in Oro Province. I was supposed to continue on to grade two, but there weren’t any schools nearby so I spent my childhood days writing. I would just walk around the village with a notebook and describe whatever I could see. It was my way of keeping myself in school.

Did you eventually go back to school?

Yes, I moved back to Port Moresby in 2001 and started school again. I realized I was doing so well in English compared to other subjects because I spent my time away from school writing. So, I was able to catch up quickly.

Later on, when I attended Marianville Secondary School, we were required to keep school journals every year, and that’s how I discovered my talent for writing poems. At the end of grade 12 I had written a total of 60 poems and they now make up the majority of my book, Nanu Sina: My Words.

What do you love about writing poetry?

For me, poetry is the best way to express myself. Most of my published poems were written when I was growing up, at a stage when I was living away from my parents. I missed them, but I wanted to achieve something with my life so I had to somehow let go of those emotions and thoughts. I find poetry a really good way for people to let go of any stress, anxiety, depression or anything that may be pulling them down.

How did you get into writing children’s books?

In 2017, I wrote two children’s stories titled Zuki the Crocodile and Old Mulga and the Pawpaw Tree for the organization Library for All. The stories were then developed into picture books in 2019 and distributed to schools around PNG.

Given that I work with the World Bank, I could see that we shouldn’t just advocate for Papua New Guineans to learn to read, we need to also write our own stories and have them published into books. The majority of the books in schools are not written by us, they are written by people from other parts of the world.

I had this idea: what if we started teaching our people to write their own stories? Or what if we started teaching each other to express ourselves through poetry? That would have a big impact. I started reaching out to schools and teachers and motivating them to encourage their students to write their own stories. I give free talks in schools on why writing is so important and I hold children’s story writing workshops.

You’ve been lucky enough to be mentored by popular PNG writer, Rashmii Amoah Bell – what was that like?

Yes, in 2016, along with 45 other PNG women, I contributed to the My Walk to Equality anthology that Rashmii edited – it was the first ever collection of writing from Papua New Guinean women.

Rashmii then mentored me for the first six months after I published my book of poetry. It was really important for me because Rashmii is someone that I look up to as a role model. We don't often have Papua New Guinean women as  professional mentors. We are always looking outside PNG for inspiration and motivation. But, in this case, I was very privileged to receive that mentorship from her, and it was really inspiring for me.

Do you think there will be more female PNG writers in the future?

Yes, and I do believe we already have a good number of Papua New Guinean female writers. There’s a lot of change and positive responses from communities with women being more vocal, and it's really a good thing to see. So I hope that this momentum of women writers gaining support will continue to increase.

What are your hopes and plans for the future?

I'm already working on another book of poems, but my hope for the future is to write more; not just poems, but more children's story books. I want to help capture our culture and languages that are dying away.

I also hope that my two sons will grow into responsible men that are able to respect and understand women. I want them to accept women as they are; seeing women as equals in society. I think that’s my biggest aim for my sons’ future.

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Go to this link for more: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2020/02/28/caroline-evari?fbclid=IwAR3WKp2UBlbHyccDCzIGvbV1cPEfhj5ef7mwkjtIvl4tNR__2sK35DLKpjk

Making a start on a PNG book catalogue

By BAKA BINA - PNG Attitude 

PORT MORESBY - Writings about Papua New Guinea and books by Papua New Guinean authors are multiplying but scattered all across the country.

There has never been a central reservoir of information about them. And there should be.

Most of these books are self-published by the authors, sometimes assisted by experienced people like Francis Nii and Jordan Dean, and produced using the Amazon hard copy and Kindle Direct Publishing ebook platforms.

Libraries For All has helped several authors including Caroline Evari while others like Ms Solien does her own publishing.  I am also doing my own.  A few others are engaged with commercial publishing companies.

But we do need a central information data place to list all these books. I’ve made a rough start at a catalogue which you can download here.

Download Catalogue of books by PNG authors as at January 2020

Not mentioned? So how about you get your title and name on the list? Just email me here with a short description and cover shot of the book.

And include this information:

Book title
Author
Category of book (see my note at the end of the catalogue)
Year published
Number of pages
Publisher

Go to this link for more: https://www.pngattitude.com/2020/01/making-a-start-on-a-png-book-catalogue.html

How literature can deliver for the country

By Daniel KUMBON - The National

IT WAS like slowly, scaling the steep ice-covered walls of Mt Everest as we three writers waited for more than a month to present a petition for the Government to recognise PNG literature to Prime Minister James Marape.
And when front desk staffers asked us to wait another three weeks it seemed we had reached the death zone of that great mountain.
I was just about ready to pack my bags and go back to Wabag in the misty highlands.
But then on Thursday, Oct 31 I received a message from the prime minister’s office asking us to immediately furnish him with information about why we wanted to see Marape.
So we did exactly as we were requested, and – while we’re still waiting for the next move – I thought I’d share with you a summary of the contents of our letter, which was written on behalf of more than 300 petitioners – including scores of Papua New Guinean writers, authors, poets, commentators, publishers and editors – who want to see the Government support sustainable home-grown literature in PNG.
So, at this moment, Caroline Evari, Betty Wakia and I await a further message from Marape which will see us ushered into his presence for a few words about the massive benefits developing our own literary tradition can bring to PNG.
We started by informing Marape that PNG’s writers and their supporters had decided to petition the Government immediately after he was elected as PNG’s eighth prime minister. The story we told him went something like this….
We writers really liked James Marape’s war cry to ‘Take back PNG and make it the richest black Christian nation on earth’. We figured that here was a prime minister we could trust. We believe that every citizen must support his clear vision for the nation by engaging fully in activities they are good at.
We hold the strong view that literature can play a significant role in nation-building. It can have a powerful influence on education, on culture and on focusing people on how to create a strong and progressive society.
Unfortunately the power of these contributions has been ignored by successive governments.
Billions of kina has been spent on education over the years but there is little to show for it. Most schools are run down. There are few public and school libraries. Most students speak poor English. And our illiteracy rate remains one of the highest in the world.
A home-grown literature can impact positively on educational standards, it can preserve our traditions and cultures, it can encourage a sense of pride in our people and it can tell the story of our great nation to the world.
A nation without a story is like a nation without a soul.
And Papua New Guinea has writers. It has authors, editors and publishers. But these people are largely unrecognised in our society and their books are largely unread.
PNG’s writers are struggling to tell our nation’s story. There are no major publishers in the country interested in publishing our work. If they want to publish books, they pay for them. Because of this, most PNG-authored books would reach fewer than 100 people.
PNG-authored books are not available in schools and libraries. Our students cannot read books written by their own countrymen and women. Instead, they read books by writers from other countries.
In most cases Papua New Guinean authors pay to have their books printed and donate them so people can read them.
Our national literary award, the Crocodile Prize, established in 2011, is struggling to survive. It is supported by limited private funding and the government has never shown real interest in it.
We writers feel it is time this situation changed.
Our main wish is to see our books, including those already published, purchased by the Government and distributed to libraries, schools, universities and other educational institutions in our country.
Our writers think of how good it would be that, in every government office there was a small book case full of PNG-authored books – novels, biographies, poetry, children’s picture books, history, commentaries and the rest.
A bookshelf offering a clear, material statement of our culture, our sophistication and our civilisation.
The books exist but the means of getting them on the shelves do not.
To become a literary society and to develop a reading culture, Papua New Guinea needs to redirect some of its own book-buying budget to local authors – and to encourage NGOs and corporate business to help out in the same way.
A typical PNG-authored book will cost less than K20.
The Government and its agencies can assist by sponsoring the Crocodile Prize national literature competition and encouraging the formation of provincial writers associations.
We writers are keen to introduce a Prime Minister’s Award for the Best Book each year- one each for a male and female author.
The key government agencies that should be actively involved are the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and the Department of Education. Their roles will be to assist develop operational libraries and to purchase and distribute books.
We also feel the National Library, the National Cultural Commission and the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture can also play a part in this project.
The outcome of the project will be a win-win for writers, readers, educators, students and the people of PNG.
And it will particularly encourage new writers and new readers.
Right now, Papua New Guineans – when they read – are mainly reading books written by outsiders.
Reading about their own country, their own people, their own stories and issues, will be a huge incentive and a massive source of national pride.
It is argued, even by experts, that Papua New Guinea has no reading culture. One reason for this is that there are so few PNG-authored books available to be read.
We are confident this will change if writers can be connected to readers through the books they produce. But this will happen only if the Government intervenes to ensure that the necessary steps are taken.
If the Marape-Davis Government responds to our request, this virtuous circle can be created – and the nation will benefit.
With a better informed, empowered and more literate population, James Marape’s vision to make PNG a prosperous nation will well be on track.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/how-literature-can-deliver-for-the-country/

How I was able to share my blessings

By DOMINICA ARE - PNG Attitude

GOROKA - It was Tuesday 8 October during the lunch break. Everyone went out and I was alone in the office with my thoughts.

It was serene. The air crisp and cool. The fresh smell of roasted coffee floated by.

And I stared hard at the blank page before me, pondering on what I would write.

The task was a poem for the 2019 World Food Day Poetry Competition organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in PNG.

I glanced at the World Food Day theme, 'Our Actions are Our Future', and the key messages associated with it. Thousands of ideas buzzed through my head but the word 'share' buzzed loudest.

My thoughts drifted gratefully to all the kind people I have crossed paths with. The people who gave me their time, made sacrifices so they could tend to my needs, listened and encouraged me, shared the little and best they had, shared their skills and knowledge.

All this had at least made life bearable. I also try my best to do the same to others. No one should feel and suffer alone. It was a spur of the moment inspiration to come up with my poem, 'Share your blessings'. I emailed my entry that afternoon.

Access to healthy food is a basic human right but how can I as an individual contribute to a zero hunger and healthy society?

I believe that small acts of kindness like sharing our resources and skills with people who are less fortunate and less informed is a way forward.

So, if you are blessed with land and enjoying the fruits of your labour, promote and encourage others to do the same.

If you are blessed with food, share with your neighbour

If you are blessed with skills on land cultivation or preparing nutritious meals, share your skills and experiences with others.

Share your good eating habits. It will go along way in helping others to live a fulfilling life. Healthy diets keeps the doctor away and we can walk away unscathed by the cruel hands of lifestyle diseases.

I would like to thank my friends on Facebook and Instagram for voting for my entry and for their uplifting comments.

Also my immense gratitude to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in PNG for selecting me as one of the finalists and for the opportunity to travel to Port Moresby to witness and take part in the World Food Day Celebration on 16 October at the UPNG Forum Square.

It was amazing to see the high level of student participation and to listen to inspirational messages from advocates like Ryan Pini and Chef Golonzo .

The importance of having a healthy diet and healthy living should be taught at an early age. Our children may grow up in good health, happy and wise and surely will pass this on.

It was truly a memorable and wonderful experience.

Share your blessings

We have been blessed abundantly with land
So fertile, anything can grow and blend
Till it, and watch in awe at its produce
Hungry no more, now others can deduce

We have been blessed abundantly with food
Now let’s go out and share, a deed so good
Your brethren cannot starve, even to death
Too late to feel pangs of guilt and lay a wreath

We have been blessed abundantly with skills
Now let’s show others, till their cup fills
About food security, so they’ll have enough
They shouldn’t be alone in conditions so tough

Start with our neighbor, little by little
Through this mighty deed, this example
Surely and gradually this flame will spread
To live in hunger, no one will now dread

We have been blessed with good wellbeing
Now let’s show others, let good health reign
Start with in our circle, our family
Have home cooked meals, prepared lovingly

Our daily three meals should be healthy
Fruits, vegetables, lean meat and fish are worthy
Replace sugar drinks with blended fruits and water
Share your blessings, human race may live longer

Go to this link for more: https://www.pngattitude.com/2019/10/how-i-was-able-to-share-my-blessings.html

Literature petition update: getting round the roadblock

By DANIEL KUMBON - PNG Attitude Blog

PORT MORESBY – Here’s a brief update about our bid to petition prime minister James Marape to promote literature in Papua New Guinea.

Since being in the national capital I have met with petition organisers Caroline Evari and Betty Wakia for the first time.

It appears that the petition had reached an anti-climax, if not a full stop.

Betty was told that prime minister James Marape was busy so she left it at that.

Caroline was given a quotation for over K8,000 by one of the national newspapers if the petition was to be published as an advertisement.

I felt both women may have approached the wrong people and, during our discussion, we resolved to try again to get the petition to Mr Marape.

I said that I would deal with trying to make an appointment to see the prime minister and also approach the two dailies to see if they will publish the petition without cost.

Caroline and Betty will seek to approach the Chinese Embassy to see if it can be of help to PNG’s struggling writers.

We will meet again this Saturday to see where we have reached.

We felt at least one Port Moresby-based writer, perhaps Jordan Dean, could make himself available if he had the time.

We thank the more than 300 PNG Attitude readers and other supporters of PNG literature who put their names on the petition.

We also thank Keith Jackson and Phil Fitzpatrick for their unwavering support in our cause.

Tenk yu tru.

Go to this link for more: https://www.pngattitude.com/2019/09/literature-petition-update-getting-round-the-roadblock.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

National Book Week should stimulate tangible benefits

By FRANCIS NII - PNG Attitude

KUNDIAWA - It is high time the meaningless and vain annual National Book Week was changed to make it become the vehicle for stimulating tangible benefits to writers and readers.

Every August features National Book Week. In Papua New Guinea gaudy banners of all sizes rustle in the dusty wind. Written on them is an ostensibly witty theme that nobody cares about.

Empty-minded school children in colourful uniforms fill the city arena for the annual event.

For them, it is one of those playtimes. Their predecessors have celebrated it and so will those who come after them.

Whether there is gain for them or not, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, they will go home without a locally-authored book. That they knew. They had experienced it before.

High ranking government officials and distinguished dignitaries mingle at the overly draped grand podium. It’s their day to showcase their oratory eloquence.

Pompous speeches of vanity ring out in crescendo. Blind ovation reverberates into emptiness in the scorching atmosphere.

No national author is present for the event. No locally-authored book is on exhibition. It is supposed to be a National Book Week celebration of locally-authored books, isn’t it? Who knows why? Who knows what kind of books they celebrate?

A meaningless and derisory celebration that should not be called National Book Week. A slap in the face to the multitude of national authors in this country.

No one even knows or cares to how many national authors there are in the country. Nor what kind of books they produce. Nor what their books look like. Nor how good their stories are. They don’t know and they don’t care to know the importance and value of the books that have been written.

So what is the meaning of the annual National Book Week? What is its purpose? What kind of benefits are there and for whom?

The children go home without seeing a locally-authored book. They don’t embrace a copy on their way home, let alone read one. Is it because Papua New Guineans don’t write books?

No. There are many national authors publishing all kinds of books from non-fiction to fiction, as well as collections.

There is no meaning when national authors are ignored. There is no purpose when nationally authored books are neglected and cannot be read. It is absurdly unfair when the younger generation cannot read books about their own history and culture.

Yet it is called National Book Week and is celebrated year after year with all the pompous grandeur without locally-authored books. Sad vanity, isn’t it?

It’s time to reconsider. Make the occasion more meaningful. Recognise local authors. Make available their books. Stimulate opportunities for tangible benefits everyone – authors and readers alike.

The PNG government and the National Library and Archives need to make a drastic policy shift.

Local authors and their books must be given recognition. Their books must be made available at such important occasions, including National Literacy Week, for school children and the general public to take these books home and to read them.

Revive the provincial public library network throughout the country and stock them with locally-authored books.

Make National Book Week an occasion of celebrating and promoting our own books. It should be the vehicle for nurturing readership for locally-authored books.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/09/national-book-week-should-stimulate-tangible-benefits.html

Crocodile Prize launches 2019 short story and poetry contests

The last Crocodile Prize awards in 2017 were hosted by writer Martyn Namorong, himself one of the first award winners in 2011

By KEITH JACKSON - PNG Attitude

PORT MORESBY – Poets and short story writers can fire up their computers and blow the dust off their notebooks now that Crocodile Prizeorganisers have announced the launch of the 2019 awards in both these important genres of writing in Papua New Guinea.

Both awards have a tight deadline for entries of Saturday 31 August and offer large cash prizes as well as publication in the prestigious 2019 Crocodile Prize Anthology.

The winning short story will be awarded to the best original, narrative-based prose by a Papua New Guinean author.

There no strict word limit but judging will be based on quality ahead of quantity.

Contest organisers say creativity and originality are important and highly considered will be the relevance of the perspectives presented as well as style, coherence of ideas, form and structure.

Previous short story winners were Jeffrey Mani Febi (2011), Charlotte Vada (2012), Leonard Fong Roka (2013), Agnes Maineke (2014), Hazel Kutkue (2015) and Alison Kult (2016).

There was no short story award in 2017 and no Crocodile Prize contest in 2018.

The award for poetry is keenly contested and in previous years this category has always had by far the most entries.

Many exceptional poems have been written and judges have never found it easy to select the most outstanding.

Winners in previous years were Jimmy Drekore (2011), Michael Dom (2012), Lapieh Landu (2013), Diddie Kinamun Jackson (2014), Philip Kaua Gena (2015) and Wardley D Barry-Igivisa (2016) and Annie Dori (2017).

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/07/crocodile-prize-launches-2019-short-story-and-poetry-contests.html

Author wants more PNG books written and read

By ALPHONSE BARIASI - The National

AN author and mother of two from Northern has just published a collection of poems following her success in writing more than 20 children’s story books.
Caroline Evari says the poetry in Nanu Sina: My Words is divided into four themes: Conflict (fear, doubt, anger, worry, disobedience); relationships (love, heartache, violence, regret and loneliness); hope (the future, persistence, determination, struggle and survival); and family (advice, mothers, siblings, children and a celebration of life).
“My main message portrayed in the book is freedom of expression through writing,” the mother of two boys says.
“I find that when it comes to expressing themselves, most people find it difficult. One way of expressing yourself is through writing and I find poetry to be an ideal platform for me.”
Evari plans to publish several other books soon.
She draws her inspiration from her experiences and surroundings.
She says a lot of students today are spending more time on their phones than in reading books.
“As a result, there is less interest in reading or writing and I see that the literature level is decreasing. If you go on social media such as Facebook, you will find a lot of grammatical errors, this itself is a reflection on the country’s literature.
“Papua New Guinea is land of oral story tellers, we should be producing great writers too.”
Evari is the last of six children born to Alphonse and Margaret Evari from Northern. Her dad is a retired mechanic who was once the workshop manager for the NCD Parts and Services.
He retired in 1997 to contest the national election and the family moved to Musa, in Northern.
“There weren’t many schools in the village so even though I was supposed to be in Elementary 2, I ended doing Grade 5 in one year and spent the rest of the year in the village being an ordinary village kid,” Evari says.
“In 2001, my dad brought me over to Moresby and I was enrolled at the St Peter Channel Primary School in Erima in 2002 where I did Grade 5 and completed Grade 8 in 2005.
“I then passed to Mariaville Secondary School to do Grade 9 in 2006 and completed Grade 12 in 2009.
“I was accepted to do Science Foundation at the university in 2010 and after completing the third year in Computer Science in 2012, I decided to look for employment because my family could not send me back to complete my final year.
Evari developed a liking for poetry when she was 15 years old.
Nanu Sina: My Words is not her first published work. She had writer four children’s illustrated story books already.
The winner of awards under the Crocodile Prize competition, she recommends aspiring PNG writers to try entering it.
“This is a good platform for increasing interests in literature. The competition currently has prize awards for four categories: Women in writing; children’s writing; essay and journalism; and heritage writing.
“The prize for each category is K5,000 and I would like to call upon a potential sponsor for a “Schools Writing” category to get schools to compete. This is another way of generating interest.”
Evari has also embarked on a voluntary journey called “The NCD school talk series” as part of her book promotion drive.
“I will be speaking to students about:
My journey and experience as a Papua New Guinean writer;
The importance of writing and publishing as a Papua New Guinean; and
The platforms available for aspiring writers.
Evari encourages PNG writing because she says there are too many foreign materials in this country, including reading, writing and learning materials.
“Western culture is taking over and soon our culture will disappear completely.
I have been advocating for the need to preserve our heritage through writing and publishing. We need to instill in our next generation the importance of preserving our languages, traditional values and ways before it is too late.
“There is also a need for PNG authored books to be placed on every library in this country. We need our children to be reading our own stories.
Stories that are of relevance to our ways and those that they can resonate with and pick out practical lessons from.
“A country without literature is a country without identity. Hence, we need to take ownership of literature in this country.”
Evari has spent six years working as a team assistant with the World Bank Group PNG Country Office.
She has been writing since she was seven years old and has authored more than 20 children’s story books with the Library for All.
Her first four books developed into picture books are Zuki The crocodile, Old Mulga And The Pawpaw Tree, Zach And His Toy Truck and Let’s Go Up To The Mountain.
Evari is a contributing author to the My Walk to Equality anthology the first ever of writing from Papua New Guinean women. She has also written for the Crocodile Prize competition and spillwords.com and maintains a blog titled Every Battle on wordpress.com, Facebook and Instagram.
Her mission is to inspire a generation of aspiring writers to preserve our heritage through writing and publishing, produce reading, writing and learning materials relevant to PNG culture, traditions and surrounding, and one day have PNG authored books in libraries throughout the country.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/author-wants-more-png-books-written-and-read/

Outpouring of support in plea for survival of PNG literature

By KEITH JACKSON - PNG Attitude

NOOSA – A huge number of friends of Papua New Guinean literature - authors and readers from around the world - have signed a manifesto drafted by Phil Fitzpatrick asking prime minister James Marape to commit his government to provide support and recognition for PNG writers and literature.

This morning 150 people had shown their support, with many not only signing but offering reinforcing comments for the Marape government to consider.

The manifesto is the centerpiece of a petition organised by Caroline Evari that will be handed to Mr Marape and other senior politicians in the PNG parliament in an effort to provide home-grown literature with a solid foundation.

The manifesto seeks to stimulate meaningful, tangible and scaled up governmental and institutional support for PNG creative writing by influential people who will understand, endorse and support investment in literature as a transformative force in PNG society, education, culture and nation-building.

The truth is that the renaissance of PNG literature that began in 2011 is running out of steam and is in danger of stalling.

“Without an indigenous literature, how can Papua New Guineans know their own history and tell their own stories?” asked former kiap, senior Australian health bureaucrat and PNG Attitude commentator, Chris Overland.

“The creation of a body of indigenous literature is a prerequisite for the nation to be able to discover and define itself as something greater than its constituent parts,” Mr Overland said.

And writing from Barengigl High School alongside the treacherous highlands road that runs to Mt Wilhelm from Kundiawa, principal Roslyn Tony said, “we need our own home grown literature to keep the past and present alive in pen and paper”.

I visited Barengigl in March 2017 and told an audience of the entire school that their new principal, Ms Tony, just had an essay and a poem published in a book, a Papua New Guinean book.

I then extracted from my bilum a brand new copy of My Walk to Equality, which was to be launched in Port Moresby a few days later, and presented it to a delighted Ms Tony.

The school gave a Chimbu yodel that reverberated back and forth among the surrounding lofty mountains. The  new principal had been published in a book, the book was here in Barengigl and this was cause for excitement and joy. 

We also heard from Chimbu social welfare advocate, Philip Kai Morre, who said:

“Having books in schools is important to increase intellectual ability. Books transmit knowledge and wisdom. The education department needs to buy books produced by local writers.”

I couldn’t agree more. Those books exist (Pukpuk Publications has alone published over 50) but getting them into schools, libraries and people’s hands is an extraordinarily difficult and costly task.

“I support this manifesto,” wrote Richard Dinnen from Cairns, Mr Dinnen was the ABC’s PNG correspondent from 1999-2001.

“More than any nation, Papua New Guinea needs to develop written story-telling," he said.

“It frustrates me how little there is about PNG in books and literature. You have great stories, and PNG people are great story tellers. Do it now. For your country, your children, your future. Tell your stories - develop a thriving literature.”

From Port Moresby, author Baka Bina wrote:

“Gavman mas sanap wantaim yumi long kisim olgeta rait bilong mipela.” [The government must support us by purchasing our works]

“Ol man igat stori i dai isi isi igo na ol yanpela bai nogat moa stori long rit na kisim save bilong mipela yet long Papua Niugini.” [The people with the stories are gradually dying and younger people don’t have the stories that will give knowledge to us Papua Guineans]

“Sapos dispela tingting long noken givim tingting na sapot long ol lain bai rait holim pain na stori bilong mipela, mipela bai lusim pes na luk olsem ol mahn nogat hausman.” [If there is no support for authors and our stories, a significant amount of our culture will be lost]

“History is stories. Writers write stories. A nation is invisible if its stories are (perhaps) being written and yet not available to be read. Writers and readers together imagine a nation," said friend of PNG literature, Wendy Glassby.

And Francis Nii – the prominent Papua New Guinean author, editor, publisher, commentator & literature advocate – wrote:

“Literary excellence is the key to unlocking the hidden treasures of life. We as writers and publishers are solving the writing and production issues. But schools do not have funds to buy books and do not get them unless they are made available free of cost.

“There is a disappointing lack of support both from the government and aid donors to supply PNG-authored books.

“Stories are part of our culture; books are repositories of our culture. What is it that the authorities don't understand? A nation without literature is a people with lost identity.

“Can the current government, under prime minister James Marape, embrace national literature and PNG-authored books in his government's mission of making 'PNG the richest black Christian nation' by giving PNG authors and their work special recognition and supplying their books to schools around the country?”

Social commentator, journalist, author and self-described traditionalist, Daniel Kumbon from Enga, said he feared “so much of PNG’s rich traditions will be lost if not recorded down in whatever form”.

And former vice-chancellor of the University of Technology, Dr. Albert Schram, now living in Verona, Italy,  said:

“Writing is thinking, and reading is feeding the mind.

“We all have an interest in supporting PNG literature, which will help forming confident citizens with a strong sense of identity.

"Those type of citizens will be able so successfully interact with the rest of the world, and not become its victims.”

“This country needs to invest in its own literature,” poet Caroline Evari told us. “Instead of diverting money into foreign material and making the rich become richer overnight, let’s invest in our own writers and authors.

“Let’s encourage the publication of our stories, cultures, traditions and languages as a way of preserving our heritage which will soon disappear. Most importantly, let’s fill our libraries with PNG authored books and have a bookshop that is dedicated to publishing and selling PNG books only.”

And finally, to end these extracts of the many comments received at PNG Attitude, my great friend Corney Korokan Alone, a public affairs commentator who describes himself as “a thinking and patriotic citizen of beloved Papua New Guinea advocating for a better educated citizenry”, said:

“I firmly believe that we will create a smart, healthy and wealthy Papua New Guinea, an economic powerhouse that is driven by confident, professional, patriotic, tenacious and altruistic entrepreneurs, educators and role models in every space who are community centered.

“In doing so, we will lift up others along the way with that ladder of opportunity.

“To do that, we must articulate our own destiny. Tell our own stories clearly. PNG-born artists and writers who are able to differentiate the fluff and falsehoods that gets pushed down and absorbed without questioning and second thoughts. We must see that clearly and chart our paths.”

Exactly.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/07/over-100-voices-speak-up-in-plea-for-more-support-for-png-literature.html

Bare Feet In Heels

Betty Chapau - "I always believed that one good thing that came out of colonialism was education. Eventually education will break down the cage"

BETTY S CHAPAU | The Crocodile Prize
Abt Associates Award for Women’s Writing

The Southern Cross had advised the coming of the Trade Winds and the beautiful island women rose majestically from the platform of their outrigger canoes, lifting conch shells to mouths and blowing in unison. They were announcing the coming of the Trade Winds.

The Solomon and Bismarck Seas carried the melody of their voices toward the mainland. Guarding the coastline stood the women, swaying in vibrant-coloured grass-skirts.

They raised their hands to welcome this familiar voice and greeted it with smiles of gratitude. They strengthened the message of their island sisters with the beating of kundus resounding into the mountains.

Emerging from the mountaintop, radiant like the birds of paradise, stood the women of the mountains. They danced, sang and embraced this beautiful message of unity.

From islands to highlands stretched this unity of diverse beauty. Colourful bodies glowed with shades of red, black and gold. Despite the multiplicity of their languages, there was a common sense of pride that threaded through their tongues. These are us, the resilient women of Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinean women are blessed with a kind of strength that can stand the test of rough seas, fast flowing rivers and rugged terrain. Though the labour of the land has calloused our soles and palms, there is a sense of softness in the warmth and comfort of our embrace.

Our bodies carry the stories of our clans, intricately mapped onto our skin. We preserve traditional legends intertwined in the weaving of our baskets and bilums. We have curly, kinky and wavy hair that never wavers as we balance the weight of our homes on our heads.

An array of melanin amour embroidered on our skin glimmers every time the sun kisses the horizon and the moon rises. Our bodies embellished with scars from rebellious youth adventures make us sentimental every time we tell our stories.

These are the same stories that have grounded and seasoned us into strong Papua New Guinean women. The stories with an underlying message of how, so often, we dimmed our own light so the men would shine brighter. For a long time we have felt misunderstood.

Chimamanda Adichie writes in ‘We Should All Be Feminists’: “A thousand years ago. Because human beings lived then in a world in which physical strength was the most important attribute for survival; the physically stronger person was more likely to lead.”

This I believe to be one of the main factors of how our traditional hierarchy was designed, one where men are often leaders of clans. On the other hand, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution teaches us that, for life to continue and for us to survive, we must learn how to evolve and adapt to a changing world.

Thus traditional cultures and gender responsibilities continue to evolve with time. However, in Papua New Guinea, we seem to believe differently and we are deeply rooted in the ways of our ancestors.

This may be admirable but most of the rules that governed our ancestors were made by men. This unwillingness to adapt with the passage of time has caused ripple effects that have left Papua New Guinean women disadvantaged relative to our male counterparts.

So today the world is moving on and we are trying desperately to adapt while trapped in a cage.

This cage had been built according to the instructions of a manual written in the time of our ancestors and it makes us feels so helpless that its bars will take a long time to be broken down.

Even before we are born, our society has made a pedestal for us and God forbid that we fall down or go against the grain. Instead, we become the pedestal and hurt our edges fitting into a mold that wasn’t customised for us.

The stagnant Papua New Guinean culture sees women as a liability with the exception of our bride price.

To be born female in this country is to inherit a mostly foreseen future, to bear a fatherless child or endure an abusive husband or perhaps be so lucky to embrace a wonderful husband. But the worst scenario is to be unmarried.

The quality of our life, it seems, depends on the kind man we settle with and is rarely about the kind of person we are. We are conditioned into believing these are the only options we should aspire to.

The opportunity for education is most often not guaranteed but falling pregnant has always been expected. We are required to learn how to cook, clean and keep a house hospitable. It is important for us to learn these skills for survival. Shouldn’t our brothers be taught the same?

We grow up disciplined in a manner that makes us feel we’re always wrong. Is this the reason we often say “sorry” even for little things not our fault?

We are taught to respect everyone around us and never talk back. Consequently, we don’t know if we should speak up because of fear to be disrespectful if we do. Our society questions and scolds our decisions when we don’t follow their social rules.

Most often our society blames us first when we find ourselves in unfair situations because we are always expected to know better. Yet, our society never seems to question the social norms and cultural lifestyle that gave them their beliefs and perspectives.

The way our society defines us Papua New Guinean women is like looking at an optical illusion. Are we the beautiful statue on the pedestal or are we the pedestal instead? And what if we don’t want to be either?

I believe as human beings we become products of our own environment. We continue cultural practices that have been passed from one generation to another and that we know to be right and just. Our people are so comfortable with what they know that change seems to have a stigma attached to it.

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity of education that has given me the chance to see Papua New Guinea through a different lens than the one I grew up with.  My mother’s exposure to western culture has also taught her how to balance two very different worlds.

She often reminded me that if I wanted to walk in high heels, I should also be able to walk bare feet on the ground.

Even though I am fortunate to express my true self, it is only limited to being within my immediate family. When I’m outside my home, I no longer have my freedom to express my individuality or my human rights. I have to confine myself to this cage because society will judge and criticise me.

The part I fear most is that I could get physically, mentally and emotionally hurt just for wanting to have the freedom to be myself. I can’t express myself through fashion because society sees what I wear as an invitation to be catcalled or raped.

I can’t speak up for myself without fear of being physically attacked or verbally abused. I’ve been told to accept that being abused by my boyfriend or husband is normal because it’s part of being in a relationship.

I’ve seen our PNG women candidates lose in elections, a major factor being that our gender is stereotyped as incapable of leadership.

Each of these is an unfortunate reality I’ve experienced and observed. They are a discomforting reflection of our society and where we stand in this world.

Our parents and guardians and their parents and guardians before them raised us as best as they knew. They unintentionally continued with the same rules from one generation to another, despite that they may not have been appropriate in a world continuously evolving. This does not discredit the value of the disciplines and manners they used over time.

I always believed that one good thing that came out of colonialism was education. We should focus more on improving the quality of education in our country. The opportunity of education helps us filter out cultural traditions and ignorant beliefs that are no longer healthy.

Education teaches and guides us on how we can preserve our culture and create new ones that are appropriate for the time we are in. Education also helps us to see our cultural lifestyle from a new perspective where we may not always divide our roles and responsibilities in terms of physical strength and gender.

More importantly, quality education enables Papua New Guinean women to avoid letting our lights stay dimmed. It allows the freedom to express our individuality without fear.

Eventually education will break down that cage that keeps us from finding our vocations and living our true authentic selves. Ergo, I beg you to change the lens from which you view our country and allow good change for a better Papua New Guinea.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/06/bare-feet-in-heels.html

Oil Search Foundation helps to open door to new literacy library in Tari

Posted by Oil Search Foundation

“When schools all over Hela closed after the earthquake, our school remained open. When there was tribal fighting here and all the schools in Tari closed, our school did not close down. We have kept going. We kept going because of help from you all.” This is how a parent of a student enrolled at the Habare Literacy Library in Tari described why the school of early childhood learning continued to operate even after the earthquake forced the building that housed the library off its foundations.

While schools in Tari remained closed for last year, the Habare Literacy Library reopened in June. The headmaster allocated an undamaged classroom for the library because the community wanted their children to continue classes despite the disaster.

On February 28, in front of happy students, smiling parents, and a proud delegation led by Oil Search Ltd Managing Director Peter Botten, the Habare Literacy Library opened its doors at the old classroom.

Built with funding from the Oil Search Foundation (OSF), the early childhood education program provides an innovative learning environment for 100 children aged 4 to 6 years – and provides them with the foundation for lifelong success.

Students enrolled in the childhood literacy program by the PNG NGO, Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) use the library to study phonics, for speaking and listening exercises, pre-reading and pre-writing; the four building blocks that must be in place for a child to begin a lifetime of literacy.

Mr Botten, who is also OSF Chairman, spoke to students about the importance of early learning. “Who wants to be Managing Director of Oil Search?” Mr Botten asked. “Who wants to be head of the Hela Provincial Health Authority? Who wants to be the next Prime Minister of PNG?”

“This library gives you an opportunity in life to reach your farthest dream. The library gives you an opportunity to read and write, to get an education and to get a good job.”

And it seems that the children enrolled in the programme are already are well on their way.

“When they came to us, they did not know English,” Susan Minai, the head librarian said. “But after three weeks, they can follow our instructions in English. They can say the words we teach them. It is amazing to watch.” Ms Minai and a few helpers have kept the literacy program going while the library was undergoing repairs.

Mr Botten thanked teachers like Ms Minai and emphasised how important they are. “A library is not just a room full of books. It needs trained staff to help children reach their education goals.”

He also thanked the local Seventh Day Adventist Church for providing the teachers and students with classrooms and Buk bilong Pikinini for their strong partnership to provide training, mentoring and the curriculum. The support of parents and local community members was acknowledged, along with the important role by the Provincial Department of Education.

“We have enjoyed a very productive relationship with education officials,” said Mr Botten who is also chair of the Hela Provincial Health Authority. “This is the way we work, in partnership with organisations to deliver the services people need. And we can’t do it without the community, that has provided labour and support to open this wonderful library.”

One of OSF’s next tasks will be to help build a new library in Fugwa, located in the Koroba-Kopiago district of Hela. This will be done with funding from the Australian government, the local Member, Hon Petrus Thomas and with support from the Wesley church and the provincial education office. A new library funded by OSF will also be open later this year in Kikori, Gulf Province.

Go to this link: https://www.oilsearchfoundation.org/media-1/2019/3/12/oil-search-foundation-helps-to-open-door-to-new-literacy-library-in-tari

Australian university introduces first ever course in Tok Pisin

By KEITH JACKSON - PNG Attitude

CANBERRA - An online undergraduate course in Tok Pisin has been introduced by the Australian National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific this year.

Tok Pisin is an official language of Papua New Guinea and is the most commonly and widely used language in the country with about four million native speakers.

The College says that by learning Tok Pisin, students will gain a deeper understanding of the rich cultures, histories and societies of the people of PNG and surrounding areas of the Pacific.

In this introductory course, students gain a practical command of beginner spoken Tok Pisin and an elementary capacity to read various types of texts in Tok Pisin with the help of a dictionary.

By the end of the course, students should have an active vocabulary of approximately 1,000 of the most frequently used and useful words in Tok Pisin.

They will have also covered the main features of Tok Pisin grammar and will have a command of pronunciation.

Upon successful completion of the one semester course, students will have the knowledge and skills to recognise and pronounce all Tok Pisin vowels and consonants with appropriate intonation and produce basic phrase and sentence structures to allow short conversations and the reading, writing, and translation of short basic texts.

They will also be able to communicate in speaking and writing Tok Pisin, using simple phrases and sentences to greet, give and understand instructions, and ask questions and provide answers about personal things and what they encounter in everyday life.

They’ll also understand the culture and everyday life of PNG including work, travel, and family relationships.

All in all, a great initiative and a well thought-through introductory program.

Go to this link: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/02/australian-university-introduces-first-ever-course-in-tok-pisin.html