SLIP FOR SCHOOLS IN HELA PROVINCE: PAJAPAWI PRIMARY SCHOOL SET EXAMPLE

SLIP FOR SCHOOLS IN HELA PROVINCE: PAJAPAWI PRIMARY SCHOOL SET EXAMPLE

A School Learning Improvement Plan is a 3 year plan which is reviewed annually. SLIPS should address the priorities of the National Education Plan with particular focus on the four key areas: Access, Quality Curriculum and Monitoring, Quality Teacher Education, and Management.

In 2023, the need for SLIP was seen by Pajapawi Primary School, which is located between the borders of Tagali and Hayapuga LLG in Tari Pori District (Inspectorate). Thus, they have set over the holidays to discuss on what to do and where to improve.

The copy of their SLIP finally published and binded can be downloaded from here.

PAJAPAWI PRIMARY SCHOOL SLIP FOR THREE YEARS (2023 - 2025)

If you want to see the guidelines on how to write SLIP for your school, DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING THIS WORDS IN BLUE.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORMS FOR 2022/2023 PNG POLICE RECRUITMENT

 

You have finally come to one stop where you'll be able to download the Application Forms for Police Recruitment, 2022 for 2023.

Click the links below: 

(1) REGULAR POLICE OFFICER RECRUITMENT

(2) CADET OFFICE RECRUITMENT

Read more information about this on my Facebook timeline. 

Please visit Hela Stationery Supplies (Ben Haluma store) for printout of application forms if you are in Tari. Also, you may be assisted for other documentations as well.

Myth: How Haliali Tribe was born in Huli.

 

Who is the first occupiers of Wenani territory? Is it Haliali or Wenani?

Photo by writer

This is a profound myth of how Haliali or Hali Halene tribe was born by his mother,  after crossing Tagali river on a man's penis. This legend is told and retold by many generations. However, since our culture is fading away, I'd like to publish it here for a record.

During the ancient days, in the land later became men's land known as Huli or Hela, in Papua New Guinea, there lived two brothers, who were the sons of forest spirit or god known as Aya Ira. Aya Ira's sons can change their forms. They can be in human form, cuscus form, cassowary form or as small as a frog and they were carnivals.

These two brothers,  legendarily the first born was known as Tukale  whilst Tapale being the second.  They were living alongside the banks of agitated Tagari river in Tukupa land not far from Hewai Fall, in a small desolation called Hakuanali.

Whilst living therein, Tukale gave birth to the three (3) generational tribes known in Huli today as : Hupi Tikua, Tamburuma, and Pai Haguane.The historical processes whereby these tribes were born can be other good write-ups of its/their own, thus will not be elaborated here.

The story of how Hali Halene or Haliali tribe was born as a result of actions by Tukale, starts with conflicts between the brothers, Tukale and Tapale.

And one day, leaving Tukale along with his offsprings, Tapale went to a place known as Hayawi in Hayapuga, where there is a huge tree known in Huli as poli  to ignite or pick a fire amber (In Huli, Hayawi polite ira heto pene). When Tapale, reached Hayawi, he saw a Porowale's daughter fetching water at Hayawi creek. Tapale killed her and ate her.

When Tapale returned from his outings to ignite the fire amber, Tukale already knew that his junior brother ate someone, from the look of blood stains on his brother's teeths and fingernails. They've agreed not to kill or carnibalise within their territory defined by the river Tagari banks. Thereafter, Tukale  strangled his second brother and threw him into the river and washed away by Hewai fall.

After killing his own brother, he left his sons in Hakuanali, changed his form into frog to swim across the river, reached the other side, transformed into cuscus and travelled via tree branch to branch and reached a village known as Homa Andaga in Pureni.

Tukale hungrily killed and ate a daughter belonging to Homa Tuai who was feeding her father's pigs, on his arrival.

Tukale continued his journey by transforming into all kinds of forms. He reached a place chanted in Huli Myth as Kele, Kayawe, Turiya, Tapuma in Hela Tuna lands, drilled himself into a rock in the mountain and secretly resided in it overlooking the valleys .

Whilst hiding in there, he killed and ate as many as he could in the valleys. Finally, the inhabitants of the area found out the cause of disappearance of their relatives and was ploying to kill him. Quickly, Tukale changed his form into frog, jumped onto a tree branch and was hiding there. Unfortunately, the tree branch broke off in the night and fell on the river.

Whilst Tukale  was afloating above the banks of the river on the branch, two witch sisters of Tuna were walking upstream along the banks. Their mythical names were Ibime (in Huli means " to come forever") and Taipime (In Huli means, go back forever). The two sisters took the branch of the tree on the water  without noticing Tukale  perching camouflage Lu on it in the form of frog . They placed the branch beside their pig known as Nogo Para Tambuka (In Huli, means Golden Brownish Pig) and slept. Tukale quickly trapped the opportunity presented and took over Tambuka as it's vessel to control all its senses. Tukale in the form of Tambuka ate up all the Tambuka's own seven piglets.

Using Tambuka as vessel, Tukale travelled out of the hut whilst its owners (two sisters) were snoring away. When the sisters woke up, they realised their pig is gone so they went out on searching, tracing the foot trails. The trail led further than their area, so as their names mythically orates,  Ipime decided to continue following the foot prints whilst Taipime went back.

Nogo Para Tambuka controlled by Tukale reached Kelote, Takapua clan territory which is currently in South Koroba. The lake in Kelote which is widely known as Iba Tambuka (i.e Lake Tambuka) is named after this pig, because Tukale made the pig to plung into it.  Tukale himself retransformed into frog and hid beneath the taro leaf near a shelter where ancestral man named Ulape rests.

Going back to the story of one of the owners of the pig, Ipime followed all the way  tracing her pig's foot print and stopped at the shores of Lake Tambuka, at which she was found by only mythical man Ulape living in there.

Ulape decided to make feast for his only one in a life time guest who is female in gender. He asked her to uproot the Taro nearby on which Tukale was hidding in frog form. Whilst Ibime was stretching her hands to pull the taro, her vulnerable breast fell down which tempted Tukale to jump out  of the taro leaf and suck it. Ulape, whose eyes too were also focsing on those breast saw the frog jumping on it. Ulape caught it and smashed its head on the rocks, ultimately legendary Tukale ended his life in the hands of Yalirima Ulape.

Ulape had sexual intercourse with Ipime after killing Tukale (frog) and she became his wife. Ibime never went back. Ulape and Ibime gave birth to a girl named Hunuya. The trio lived until Hunuya  got married to another man (unknown) and decided to cross the agitated Tagali river to live in swampy green valley on the other side. Hunuya during her pregnancy, as she with her husband were looking for ways to cross the river, the mythical man known as Tokopira appeared and offered help by extending its penis which in myths is believed to be long and large enough for the pregnant wife to cross over (In Huli, we say, Tokopira handa wi toko wini). When it's time for her husband to cross, Tokopira relinquished his penis. Hunuya's husband never crossed. He went back and overnight with Aja Poli at Kelote where he was told to ignite a torchlight for Payapaya's body to be shared and he was given an ear (Halene) to eat. In Huli, Hale refers to ear or torch light.

Hunuya gave birth to a son and named him Haleali at the shores of Tagali. The new born was named Haleali after learning that his father had piece of Payapaya's ear as share and he also held torchlight for sharing.  

At Wenani Clan there is small portion of forest known as Halianda and there is a mythical pond known as iba Halianda .

So the the territory therein was occupied by Tokopira who is the ancestor to Wenani and Topani Clan (as called today). Haliali was never the first settlers.

BIGMAN CULTURE, STRONGHOLD OF CORRUPTION IN PNG

Photo courtesy of PNG Electoral Commission 2013 

 

By Tarali Tarlzen Hibuya
      

Introduction
Greetings to you all Papua New Guineans,  especially  working class, good citizens and students who'll be taking Term 2 holiday during the 2022 PNG National General Election (NGE) period (12th May - 01st August 2022).

For students, you will be taking holidays during 2022 NGE (4th July - 15th July)  as usual especially during polling days as revised by Department of Education (refer PNG Loop)[9]. For working class, your employers will give you a day or two to casts your votes. For some, you will be casting votes at your locations, whether institution or work sites. In the following passages, more emphasis is directed at students because, they are our future.

For students, unlike other vacations you've taken in the past,  this one is unique season, which arises every five (5) years. During this season (vacation) you are given a greater task by the almighty laws of this land to make better, wiser and fruitful choices for our future and our children's future. Remember, the life that we live, we borrow from our children and the choices that we make today are for them tomorrow. There are many choices we make in our lives, but this one is where all strings of choices  linked - Politics is where social, economical and other aspects of nation's progress and prosperity is entwined. Thus, we will choose our political leaders in this season to ensure progress and prosperity are realised by us today and generations to come.

Choosing a right leader to lead us and to make our land a better place for future generations is our duty this holiday season.

As we embark on to that important project of choosing right leader, as students, let's close our eyes for a moment and think through.

What is the root cause of ongoing rampant crimes and corruptions in Papua New Guinea?

You may thought of many answers, but mine is only one and that is  systems of "Bigman culture".

In Wikipedia a  big man is defined as "a highly influential individual in a tribe...Such a person may not have formal tribal or other authority ...,  but can maintain recognition through skilled persuasion and wisdom. The big man has a large group of followers, both from his  clan and from other clans. He provides his followers with protection and economic assistance, in return receiving support which he uses to increase his status".  Wikipedia [1]

The American anthropologist Marshall Sahlins has studied the big man phenomenon. In his much-quoted  1963 article "Poor Man, Rich Man, Big Man, Chief: Political Types in Melanesia"[2], Sahlins  revealed that  in bigman system , the  "leadership is not ascribed, but rather gained through action and competition with other ambitious men".

In our own terms, the bigman, as many of you would literally define, it is obviously by the measure of how wealthy a person is with many wives, many expensive cars, or has many scenic and palace-like mansions or one who has many businesses. Or perhaps you might think, bigman is someone with big potbellied abdomen who can buy more cartons of beers and win jackpots in casinos. Or one might define bigman as someone graduated with PhD from a well-known university with higher qualification. Or one might define bigman to be someone who is a CEO of a major company politically appointed. Well, all these definitions of bigman are the reasons why crimes and corruptions are destroying us today. Many  people tend to define bigman by all these means and it has taken roots into our society culturally nowadays, and that's why bigman culture radically thrives and that becomes the stronghold of crimes and corruption in PNG .

However, on the contrary, we forget to define it the other way. Irrespective of one's wealth, stature,  tribal affiliations, qualification or  gender, the  bigman  should be measured by his/her sacrificeable commitments displayed for the collective good of all mankind.  The Bigman should be measured by the production of quality  handiwork through applying his/her productive and corruptless work ethics. The bigman should be defined in terms of  maintaining acceptable personal integrity by upholding cultural, religious and holistic mannerisms. Most importantly, bigman should be defined in terms of selflessness and  steady demonstration of unconditional love for all humankind regardless of gender, qualifications, tribal groupings,  political affiliations, or social status.

In absence of these values, the "bigman" means nothing of importance, thereby bigman culture flourish.

Bigman culture and Political Power

The bigman culture and political power are in hot romance. Curiously bigman culture and political power, can be deduced as one entwined devil who does not believe in institutions of the government. Neither does it believes in the effectiveness of the law of our land. It can be equated that

Bigman Culture + Political Power = Corruption

The bigman in its quest to acclaim political power, creates impetus for crimes and tribal fights in Highlands provinces and rampant Corruptions in PNG. In 2014, Steven Howes, wrote an article about elections in Papua New Guinea, in which he titled "PNG’s elections: the most expensive in the world, and getting worse" [7]. Howes was basing his analysis basing on government spendings only but this also applies to candidates spending spree. Thomson Fafugian in book by R J May et al (2007) [8], reported that the
"...National elections in Papua New Guinea, particularly the Highlands Region, are
something that people look forward to — the educated elite, community leaders,
churches, businessmen and village people alike. Elections are a time when
money, pork and beer flow into the province and everyone wants to participate".

For the rich, politics has become do-or-die affair and so the reasons for violences and the election malpractices.

Another evil effect of this  system of Bigman Culture is that it eats away the greatness in all of us. Bigman undervalue people, because he will see ordinary people as poor or illiterate or valueless. By doing this, bigman depletes the development energy in our country and seriously raise questions about our undertakings of citizenship. This uncalled for divide between the liberated bigman and blinded citizens have led many people to believe that we do not have an equal stake in our country. We seem to forget our rights and self-esteem, and look up to bigman as saviour and provider of all our needs.

Instead of development and progress, bigman culture ultimately breeds, I should say,  devil-upment and regress.

In this country, the bigman has become the government. He loathes over others for simple reason that he can afford a balance diet where millions go cap in hand begging for food. The bigman triumphs because he can afford mansions in a country like this , where countless people are homeless, sick and unclothed. Once again, he doesn't care.

Bigman Culture when in political power, there will never be social security to cater for unemployment, old age or ill-health because he view his followers as valueless and unimportant.

Project eradicate bigman culture

The critical questions to ask ourselves are:

Do we  have the power to cure and eradicate  bigman culture? Do we have the zeal and will power to dismantle and neutralise this equation that breeds corruption?

Our answers should be fatty yes all the way.

Remember, when you stand up against bribery, nepotism, election rigging, etc in this National General Election, you are in actual fact fighting  the systems of bigman culture. Bigman culture will be performing at its best during this NGE with massive convoys of vehicles, massive gatherings, expensive posters, expensive grandstanding and promissory speeches with all credits to one person namely "me, me, me" and that is Bigman Culture at work in its fervent to seizure our rights, our pride and our future. The bigman will give you cash for vote. Bigman will buy you cartons of beer and make you merry all through the period of election. However, the bigman culture acclaiming  Political Power will breeds corruption, crimes, tribal fights etc.

During this holiday, be on a mission to deliver a project: Project eradicate bigman culture. Let's go ford to our small family unit, clans, council wards, districts, and wider provinces to preach about eradicating Bigman Culture which when marries with Political Power, will surely create doom and gloom for us and for our future. Let's take this holiday to resolve and break the epicentre of corruption, malpractices in election, crimes, tribal fights, etc in our society, which is none other than "bigman culture".

We should be prepared to  differentiate who is bigman and who is "right leader" .

I hereby, propose  several mechanisms  to identify our good choices . In doing this, we should be able to promote well being and minimise ill-being. The PNG  system of bigman culture thrives on  persuasions , bribes and intimidations . Hence, once  these malpractices are minimised, the bigman culture as a philosophy of suppression and oppression will suffocate.

Mechanisms to choose right leader

1.  Build individual self-esteem

In Papua New Guinea today, there is an urgent need to reorder our value system. It is an emergency. 

A person's standards  and self-discipline set, based on the common sense and wisdom of knowing what the  proper moral rules and disciplines are, and the amount of willingness to see themselves and others abide by them. 

Every individual is a unique existence of this world, thus our individual's freedom of choices must not be influenced by bigman through their conniving tongues and materialistic bribes.  We must not be intimidated or threatened to forcefully garner  our support for their accumulation of wealth. We must know our own worth, our uniqueness and our individual rights.

As we are going towards the date of 2nd - 22nd July 2022 (polling periods),  we must resolve to judge candidates not by what they have in terms of monetary value or wealth or stature, but what they can offer in terms of nation's collective welfare. Wealth, simple wealth should no longer be measured of candidate's worth.

2. Identify government or candidate with foresighted policy.

We need a caring and loving government through their affiliated political parties and the soundly foresighted  policies.

A caring government can do so much by creating and enabling  conducive environment to help the majority of our people by offering policies that can soften the gab between uncaring rich and the blind poor.  For instance, the introduction of  SME  program by Marabe government was one of milestone  achievement  for citizens. 

As it is revealed in National SME Policy [6] handbook, "the SME sector has the potential to generate over 50 percent of formal sector employment in PNG and contribute up to 50 percent of our GDP", which displays foresightedness to improve the economy and standard of living holistically.

We only need to choose a leader who can deliver and ensure this policy is implemented .

3. Choose a leader who has no record of crimes or corruption

Candidates with criminal records are disproportionately wealthy and famous so they have both the means to contest elections, as well as the incentives.  These candidates thrives on the system of "bigman culture".

For this kind of "bigman" the rule of law  can be viewed as potent cure to excesses of the rich.

The candidates who has records of crimes such as  involving in tribal fights, stealing money, gun smuggling , fraud etc must be dejected in our choices .

4.  Identify candidate who is supportive to your education

The leader with vision to support you in your education is someone who has love for his people and our children's future.

Knowledge is power. Everybody needs to pursue knowledge with energy.  It liberates and tears down the cover of irrational and repress the "bigman culture".

Leaders who have records of paying school fees, buying books, buying computers or putting up a classroom for a school is a kind of candidate who should be in one of our choices.

For instance, Governor Undialu through his HUEF paid fees for five years to all tertiary students. If this  was not done, some would have left school already.  Further, through  HRDF, Timon Takili was supplying books and computers to schools in Hela. 

We need a leader who can do such.

5.  Identify candidate  who can vigorously  fight for  what's ours in the  floor of parliament

In our choices , identify a leader who has a record of fighting for what's ours without fear or favour for the common good of people under his care.  For instance, James Marabe has a dream to "Take back PNG"  which is driven by the fact that most of our resources are taken cheaply by foreigners through deceits, fraud, bribery and persuasions.  His dream is for the common good  for all Papua New Guineans.

Conclusion:

Finally, I hereby urge each one of us to take responsibility for the sake of our children. We are borrowing this life from our children. Our actions today determines how our children and how our mother earth will sustain in the future.

Sound, corruption-free and stable government, sound economy for the nation and better, wiser and clean society will all be realised today and when we start today by making right choice to choose our leaders.

Avoid be bribed , intimidated, or take part in it in 2022 NGE.

Good lucking in choosing a right leader, in doing so, will eradicate old fashioned "bigman culture" practices in our society. 

♦ End

References:

[1] http://bit.ly/3wEujSq 

[2] James Whitley ("Social Diversity in Dark Age Greece", The Annual of the British School at Athens 86 (1991:341-365) applied Sahlins' ethnographic model to instability in settlement patterns during the Greek Dark Age, 10th-8th centuries BCE.

[3] Marshall Sahlins (April 1963). "Poor Man, Rich Man, Big Man, Chief; Political Types in Melanesia and Polynesia" (PDF). Comparative Studies in Society and History. 5 (3): 285–303. doi:10.1017/S0010417500001729. S2CID 145254059. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2013.

[4] Strathern, Andrew (2007). The rope of Moka: big-men and ceremonial exchange in Mount Hagen, New Guinea. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521099578. OCLC 698948824.

[5] Waiko, John D. (1993). A Short History of Papua New Guinea, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-553164-7, p.9

[6] Ministry of Trade Commerce and Industry, National SME Policy (2016) , p.iii

[7] https://devpolicy.org/pngs-elections-the-most-expensive-in-the-world-and-getting-worse-20140512/

[8] R J May, Ray Anere,
Nicole Haley & Katherine Wheen (Ed 1997), The Shift to Limited Preferential Voting in
Papua New Guinea, p.81

[9] PNG Loop, (2022), https://www.looppng.com/elections/school-term-dates-revised-112266