Take a stand in today’s problems, pioneer tells Ramu students

By JAYNE SAFIHAO
DANIEL lived a life of purity in the midst of corrupt surroundings. Your challenge is to take a pure stand in the midst of corruption.
This was the message imparted to the graduating Grade 8 students of Sausi Primary School in the Upper Ramu area of Madang.
The man with the message was the founding Evangelical Brotherhood church (EBC) missionary of the school, Br Chris Barchy.
In fluent Tok Pisin with a slight Highlands accent, Barchy described how he and a few others in 1966 walked the area as far as Walium and back, seeing the need for literacy and evangelism and thus start in the school at Korona.
He shared with the students the humble beginnings of the school, from its former location opposite its the current location. That was  prior to the 2004 disaster, where flooding completely destroyed the school.
“Some of you children sitting here are some of the grandchildren of some of the men I taught then. Your fathers were good men. Then values were strong. Now I see a lot of moral values being eroded with so many problems affecting people.
“There is only one thing you should be happy about in life and that is knowing God. If what you have learnt here is practised in your daily lives, you will be happy. Like Daniel’s story in the Old Testament, if we live in a world of problems we have to learn to take a stand,” he stressed.
Deputy Governor Bob Wati, who was the guest speaker also stressed the same principles but said that with the Amet-Wati administration pumping K1.8 million into cocoa projects, families should make use of their land and teach their children to toil the land.
He also promised the school of some funds for next year. That pleased greatly disadvantaged parents who have heard the talk of free education for all Usino Bundi students next year.
The well-organised ceremony saw the presentation of more than 100 gifts and awards for children in different grades and categories.