Ray of hope for Goilala
By Bp Rochus Tatamai MSC - Bereina
Friday 20th February 2015 marks a new beginning at All Angels Parish Kerau in the Goilala Mountains of the Central Province. Through the assistance of Digicel Foundation PNG and with the financial support of the Governor of Central Province Hon. Kila Hoada we were able to witness the blessing and opening of a brand new double-classroom block and an Aid Post as the Medical Centre for the remote Aiwara area near Tapini District headquarters.
The total Digicel Foundation PNG project including a double classroom and ablution Block at Blessed Peter ToRot Primary School in Tapini with St Anne Primary School - Kerau represent the total investment in Goilala to the tune of K 630,000.00 including mobilisation and counter-funding from the local MP and Governor of Central Province.
Our sincere thanks also go to Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) for its company support in ferrying the building materials from Port Moresby to Tapini then by chopper to Kerau. It was a mammoth task and challenging in every sense especially given the rugged geographical terrain and lack of neither road link nor airstrip. It was a logistical nightmare to ensure how the building materials and the tradesmen were together on the ground so to begin the project and to see it through to their completion.
In attendance was Beatrice Mahuru - CEO for Digicel Foundation PNG, Bishop Rochus Tatamai of Bereina Diocese with Fr Brian Cahill MSC - the Diocesan Vicar for Education and Fr Casmiro Kito MSC his Assistant, Mr Gei Guni Raga - the Provincial Administrator of Central Province, Ambassador Maimu Raka-Nou, Digicel foundation colleagues as well as the community. It was an occasion to reflect together on the plight of the people living in the Goilala Mountains. In-fact the Provincial Administrator broke down and cried, wept openly since it was too much for him to see no Public Servants visibly present around hence a part of the people of Central Province truly left far behind everyone else while currenlty still trying to play catch-up, yet with very little or no progress at all.
Speakers shared the same appeal to the Community to look after the buildings, to care for them and also to ensure they last into the future for the sake of the next generation to benefit as well.
Rochus Tatamai MSC Bishop of the e Diocese of Bereina appealed to the community “to change their attitude and begin to promote the mentality of adding extra infra-structure rather than the current reality of striving to build replacement of buildings and facilities because of the community’s neglect and tendency to burning down buildings whenever there is a conflict and division in the community.” “Burning down of facilities especially learning and healing Centres had been a major concern for us in the recent years. Let us leave our facilities for delivering social services alone – don’t touch them or destroy them because they are public facilities and are for the benefit of the common good and well-being of everyone.”
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