Monthly Archives: January 2012
ERIKS ARUBANG and Water Cart
Eriks Arubang, 27 years-old, an Awyu man, now studying in College of Social and Political Sciences (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik, STISIPOL –Ed.) Yaleka Maro, Merauke. He has started his job as clean water peddler, using hand-pushed cart, since 2008. In dry season, he can earn about IDR 100,000 (USD 11.1) per day. In rainy season he can earn IDR 50,000 (USD 5.5) in average. He using the money to buy foods and other daily stuffs and, of course, expenses of his study in the college.
Beside going around everyday pushing his water cart, he also serving people demands for transportation. He using his motorcycle as rental vehicle to deliver both passengers or packages. From this additional job, he can earn about IDR 200,000 (USD 22.2) per day.
Eriks said that he do not like to blame anyone or anything. For him, life is a struggle and should be enjoyed too. His simple but sharp mind is a good example for other young people, especially young Papuans, on how to build self convidence and determination.**(KH)
Annual Meeting of SKP-KAME: Effective Communication at Village Level
23-27 Januari 2012 – SKP-KAME held its regular Annual Meeting in the meeting hall of PBHK Monastery of Kelapa Lima, Merauke. The meeting was attended by by 22 participants, local contact persons of SKP-KAME from parishes of Muting, Bupul, Erambu, Buti, Wendu, Kumbe, Okaba, and representatives of Papuan Small Vendors Group of Mopah Town Market. The meeting was facilitated by Acting Director of SKP-KAME, Harry Woersok, altogether with Acting Program Manager of SKP-KAME, Tri Kanem, and one of the initiators of the Office for Jusice and Peace in Papua, Theo van den Broek from Jayapura.
Some participants of SKP Annual Meeting 2012 in Kelapa Lima Monastery, Merauke (Photo: BEATRIX GEBZE)
The meeting is to review various problems along the year of 2011 and formulate work plan to address them during the year 2012. The plan should address real needs of people in the villages. One of the main conclusion is SKP-KAME need to increase effectivity of communication with local communities at village level. In order to increase effective cordination with local church structures, any activities of SKP-KAME should involve local parish councils and, to certain extent, may be led or under coordination of priests of parishes. Father Cayetanus Tarong MSC, Superior of MSC Region Papua, underlined the issue, so, every problems of local villagers can be effectively informed and addressed altogether by all of respective stakeholders.
In the last day of the meeting, Patrons and Founders of SKP-KAME, i.e. Archbishop of Merauke and the Superior of MSC Region have officially closed the meeting. They put some important notes and recognition on working performance of SKP-KAME.**(VTK)
Posted in Internal Development, OUR ACTIVITIES
Tagged internal coordination, program evalution, working plan
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Rice Scarcity in Bupul
Close to the end of 2012, people in Bupul area have experiencing difficulties to buy rice in local kiosks. Children cried to their parents asked rice for their meals since several weeks they only ate sago starch, bananas or tubers as their staple foods. From the first to fourth weeks of January, there is still no signs that scarcity will be ended. At the time, some mothers stood up in front of local kindergarten. While waiting for their kids, they have also waiting for small trucks passed by. The women stopped the trucks and asked the drivers whether they brought rice or not. The women said that they will pay double for the rice.
Even soldiers garrisoned in Maro outpost as guards of borderline with PNG have similar experience. The field commander of the unit told the Priest of Bupul Parish, Father Vincent Tamba Pr, that they only ate instant noodles for weeks since their deployment last December 2011. They went to Simpati (local market) but found all of rice stocks there already sold out. People now requesting the government to get lessons from this situation and resolve the problem soon.
- Wiem Anggojai, Villager of Bupul, District of Bupul, Merauke.
People Asking Their Basic Rights
We heard that in the next 2014, a company would start to clear the forest surronding our village and begin their operation scheme. We want that company firstly paid the main compesantion for our land to respect our basic rights. This is according to the initial agreement with us when we met them several times during the period of March-November 2010. Entitled owner of the forest are 9 families or clans who have their own sacred and historical sites inside the area. The company have paid us a certain amount of money but that is merely a ‘goodwill’ just to show us their good intention, not the capital compensation itself. That kind of ‘goodwill’ money was fully an initiative of the company, not us. We are never asking them for that kind of payment. What actually we want is a fair and reasonable compensation. If company not pay the capital compensation, i.e. respect to our basic rights, we will sue them to immediately get out from our land.
- Fransiskus Huber Kaize, Villager of Domande, District of Okaba, Merauke.
Influx of External Aid, Villagers Confusing
In my villlage, Domande, a company have sounding their intention to grant 15 cows for villagers. We are really confusing of this new influx of external aid. We have received an advanced payment from the company to prove their good intention to negotiate with us about their concession area inside our ancestral land. However, they never paid the capital amount to compensate our land. Similar with their promise to assist us to renovate our village church is never realized until today. Actually we want the company pay or assist us gradually according to our own needs. Pay or grant us more money in one time will just make us confusing each others.
- Fransiskus Huber Kaize, Villager of Domande, Okaba District, Merauke.
Posted in CITIZEN REPORTS, Land & Environment, Public Services
Tagged Domande, Merauke, Okaba
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