Family reunites, launches magazine
REUNION
By GIMA SEGORE
MOTUAN villager Airi Nou and his wife Heau who lived possibly around the early 1900s had seven children.
The were Kopi (m), Hegame (f), Vara (f), Kila (m), Dogo (m), Tau (m) and Buruka (f).
Many years later, the grandchildren of the Airi’s eldes son Kopi, namely Fiti Asigau, Kopi Raka and Gima Segore organised a reunion which was celebration last year on Jan 2 at the at the family traditional ground at Kohura valley a few kilometers out of Tubusereia village outside Port Moresby.
This year was the second family gathering which was called Eda Moale 24. It was held over the weekend (Saturday, Jan 6) at the same venue.
The highlight of the event was the launching of our 48-page inaugural family magazine titled Airi Besena Reunion. The magazine contains the family tree, family history and other family stories.
Research and interviewing of family elders for the stories were done by John Airi and his cousin Gima Segore who designed the magazine.
The magazine launch was to be officiated by the Member for Hiri-Koiari Member Keith Iduhu and President of Hiri LLG Haoda Rogea, however, they could not make it due to other commitments.
Daniel Lohia, a former councilor of Lahara Ward 6 (Tubusereaia village) stood in for the member and the LLG president to officially launch the magazine instead. Master of ceremony Rage Nou praised and thank Lohia for a remarkable speech he gave.
This Airi Besena Reunion magazine mainly focused on family genealogy is first of its kind in any family reunion held in our community or possibly in Central and PNG.
It is a family tree takes you back generations. People want to know who they are and where they come from. A family history can help you gain knowledge and appreciation for those who have gone before you, where and how they lived, why they made the choices they made, and how they shaped the family’s future.
It will help you gain greater understanding of yourself and how you fit in the overall picture of your family. It will help preserve family stories for future generations.
To create a family history, one has to sit down and start writing it. The longer you delay, the more likely it will be that older family members may die without passing along the memories that could be so valuable for you. Our family tree starts from the Airi Nou family down to this present-day generation.
This year’s event was hosted by the Hegame Airi family organised by Pastor Babani Harry and his cousin brother Hegame Airi.
To kick off the celebration we gathered at the village square as early as 6am in our respective family colours and marched to Kohura.
Kila Airi family is the next host for 2025.