Brahman community reconciles

COMMUNITY

By JAMES G. KILA
A SIGNIFICANT event took place at Brahman Catholic mission station situated at a far-flung corner of rural Usino-Bundi district in Madang province on April 4, 2022.
It was not a joyful celebration rather but a reconciliation ceremony to ease the negative tension and to restore peace and normalcy in this beautiful part of Madang which is ideally nestled within the spectacular Ramu valley below the towering Bismark mountain ranges to the west and far off the Finistere ranges to the east.
The venue of the proceedings was the big Brahman YC hall and the banner placed on stage reads “Welcome to the Reconciliation between Students, Teachers and Brahman Communities”
The peace ceremony preceded a school fight mid last year within Brahman station which spilled over and involved local youths from the local community resulting in a premature closure of the academic year for students. Besides the school the rural health facility was also affected.
It was fitting as the reconciliation date fell on Lent which in the Christian calendar was a preparation for the Holy Week and eventually Easter.
Brahman Catholic parish priest Justin Kim, who hails from Korea shared the opening prayer followed by the sprinkling of the holy water upon the gifts that were gathered including fresh garden produce and two live pigs in accordance to religious ritual and emphasized the Holy Sacrament of Reconciliation in preparation for the shining light of the Risen Lord at Easter.
Education Minister, Jimmy Uguro, who had initially expressed resentment because the premature closure of the school did not follow proper process eventually went along upon the invitation and plea from the Brahman station’s founding father Sir Max David., who personally approached him during the opening of a new Usino Health Centre a few day earlier.
Madang Governor Sir Peter Yama and his wife along with officials from the Madang provincial education board (PEB) and the Catholic Education Agency of the Madang Archdiocese were also there.
Minister Uguro was blunt in his address at the reconciliation by condemning school fights in all education institutions in PNG.
“I as the minister responsible for Education in the country condemn school fights,
“I condemn cult practices in our schools in the country,” Uguro said.
The minister added his department is very serious in weeding out all cult practicing students in schools in the country.
Madang Governor Yama blamed the Madang provincial Education Board (PEB) for not being pro-active in addressing the issue at its initial stage thus resulting in Brahman school students prematurely ending their academic year in July 2021.
However, he heaped praise on the Education minister and the Usino LLG councilors for brokering peace and reconciliation.
Yama said as the head of the province and a parent his presence at Brahman was to provide comfort to students and the Usino-Bundi people.
He went on to also announcing the enrolment of his two daughters at Brahman secondary school this year
“As a parent my wife and I will be paying visits from time to time to our daughters and to meet and greet students here,
‘I am a tough father so don’t muck around with me,” Yama said in his usual sense of humor which arose the gathering with applause.
President of Usino LLG, Peiwa Aimai, who was once a student at Brahman led his ward councilors with contribution of fresh garden produce and two pigs, a bigger one placed on a makeshift as traditional custom of the Begesin people particularly parents who attend Brahman secondary calling for peace and friendship to be restored and to prevail.
Acting director- Madang PEB, John Ura appealed to the students to work closely and cooperate with their students representative country (SRC), teachers, board of governors and the nearby Brahman community so that such is not repeated. Importantly, he appealed to all the stakeholders to make Brahman a safer learning environment in the rural district of Madang.
Ura said the closure of Brahman secondary last year was unlike a situation at Aiome high school in Middle-Ramu district some three years ago. At Aiome students went on rampage destroying school facilities and burnt down the classrooms and the science laboratory and that was a very unfortunate and a sorry state. Ura had to fly into the area on a chopper to evacuate seventeen teachers from that remote location.
Brahman secondary school principal, John Malangen publicly expressed remorse and sorry on behalf of the school board and management, adding that they take full responsibility for the school closure which resulted in students missing over six months of classes.
“We assure all the parents that it will not happen again,” Malangen said.
He added that since Brahman is isolated wider participation and cooperation is needed from stakeholders. Importantly, a police post must be established since a new agro technical college would be established there.
He was also very particular with parents of students attending Brahman secondary.
“Please do not turn on us when your children misbehave and we try to correct them,”
“When you do not discipline your children at home and send them to us in school, we become like policeman which is not our job,” the principal said.
“Our job is to teach your child to be a better person and to replace you positively in the future,” Malangen said.
He said Brahman since its establishment by Max David in 1979 had produced many elites of this nation in various fields in business and government. He made mention of former Madang MP Nixon Duban, who was a senior state-minister and Uguro, the current Education minister who were once student at Brahman.
Minister Uguro remarked that it is sad that students in PNG are sometimes guilty of squandering their talents, opportunities and blessings and ending up missing out on education or face difficulties
“I was a students’ president in 1991 here at Braham, and today I stand here talking to you as the Education minister of this country,” Uguro said.
“Education is the light of your body, is the light of your journey and is the light of your future,
“I am talking to all school students in this nation but am using Brahman secondary as a model,” Uguro said.
The minister acknowledged the Brahman students leadership, the school principal, board of governors and Brahman community leaders for paving the way for the reconciliation to take place.
In a moving traditional reconciliation gesture the SRC head-boy Jerome Bugi and the head-girl Kalina Kawage shook hands with the Brahman community leaders John Kari and Bundi ward 18 councillor, Alex Piri and chairman of peace and good order committee at Brahman, John Ase.
“Today is the demonstration of your peaceful heart and it shows you have a good future,” Uguro said.
The minister told over several hundreds of people who had gathered that he is not wasting his time by putting up seven new high schools and a agri-technical college in Usino-Bundi district.
“I have a dream for Usino-Bundi,
“I have a dream that one day Usino-Bundi would take up a university on behalf of Madang province,” Uguro said.
He said as soon as he returns after the national election and if he is allocated a ministry he would make sure all the seven new high schools in Usino-Bundi should take on national high school status.
“Usino-Bundi, you have one more step to go; you already have a college in your door-step, after grade 12 you apply to that college, isn’t that wrong? Ugoro challenged the students.
He said 30 positions had already been created for the new Sir Max David Agro Technical College at Brahman.
Uguro further explained that the Pangu-led Marape government which he is part of is focused on rural education program. It wants to make sure education that is enjoyed in town reaches the rural areas of the country. That is why as the Education minister from Madang province he is doing that as a demonstration to show the country the way to go.
“We are putting up high schools here and there in the remote parts of PNG and we are starting with Usino-Bundi,” Uguro said.
“The basic aim to do this, number one is to ‘leave no child behind’” he added.
“All our children from the remote parts of Usino-Bundi especially the girls must be educated and have access to schools, ,
“Girls having to walk long distances to various schools in the remote parts of the country is not safe anymore,
“We think of making safe environment for our girls to have access to education, that’s the number one priority,” he said.
The minister thanked the students and the village youths that they had not gone berserk in totally destroying or burning down classrooms and other facilities at the school.
Uguro responded favourably to the request by the Brahman SRC head-boy Jerome Bugi for new school uniforms and new computers.
He told the gathering that the person who built Brahman station, Sir Max David is very old now and he is thinking who would take his place.
“Is there any Bundi here who is ready to take his place, any Usino or any local from Brahman here ready to take his place?,
“So parents and youths, please look after Brahman,
“It will never come again if you destroy it,” Uguro said.
The minister urged students to adhere to the school’s rules and refrain from fighting and concentrate on their education.
“If you don’t know how to solve a problem, don’t create it,
“If you cannot control a bottle of beer or a roll of illicit marijuana drug, then do not take it because they are going to damage your future,” the Education minister said.

• James Kila works as supervisor with the Public Relations Section of Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Ltd, a nickel/cobalt mining developer that operates in the Usino-Bundi district of Madan