Highway provides access to services

THE opening of the Kerema Highway in Gulf comes as a huge relief to the people not only of Malalaua but also in remote Kaintiba and Kanabea.
Work on the 56-kilometre road from Malalaua to Kerema was co-funded by World Bank and Government for K90 million.
Dekenai Construction project manager Jim Taparu said it took them two and a half years to complete the work, which the people really appreciated.
“The women were dressed in special bark from trees only found in the jungles,” he said.
“They were all painted in mud, chanting warriors depicting the cry for services to reach their part of the world.
“For them struggles are painful. A special song and dance, sung at special ceremonies and occasions, was performed in front of the Dekenai engineers to tell their stories of how they travel for many days to reach government services.
“Most of the sick lose their lives on the way to get treatment at the hospital.”
He said there were 11 kilometres of road from Epo to Kerema town to be completed once funding was available.