Daily struggle

The National Letters

OUR country is filled with abundance of resources and is known for her beauty and endowment.
Yet this beautiful country cannot feed her struggling children.
Below is one example of the struggles and counter productive effects 70 per cent of children encounter for survival very day.
Lower-income earners in PNG earn between K295 to K350 a fortnight.
This is how some spend their income:

  • 10kg rice = K35;
  • 5kg floor = K30;
  • 1lt cooking oil = K5.50;
  • Noodles, 20 pack = K19;
  • 1kg sugar = K4.50;
  • Small axion = K3.50;
  • Packet tea bag = K3.50;
  • Housing = K100;
  • Bus Fare + lunch = K10/day for 10 days = K100; and
  • Dinner = K10 daily (tin fish + greens + noodles) for 14 days = K140;
  • Bus fare for school kids (e.g two kids travelling from Taurama End of the World to Gerehu Secondary) K10/day x 2 x 10days = K200

All the above are needs essential for survival and all add up to K635.50 which is beyond what they earn fortnightly.
This is where Mr Booking Man (loan shark) comes in).
One quarter or half of the next pay is for Mr BM.
Remember the above list are basic essential needs for survival and not including medical and emergency needs, attending small entertainments, church attendance and activities, other customary obligations, etc.
Will the middle and low-income earners just die of hunger?
Can they find other ways to continue to survive?
We are mainly focusing on middle and low-income earners, but think about those unemployed who are still surviving.
Where do you think they get their needs for survival although they are not working?
This is where all sorts, species, classes, types, kinds, varieties, brands, etc of crime come in.
This is my personal outlook.
I really believe that these issues need attention of the mature children of this 43-year-old mother.

Bisiape Paul