Flag designer finally given a nice place to rest

National Capital District Commission’s urban youth employment project has spent K30,000 to build a shelter, a headstone and a flagpole to mark the grave of national flag designer Susan Karike Huhume at 9-Mile Cemetery in Port Moresby.
Huhume died last year at age 60 after a short illness.
In death, Huhume, who designed the flag when she was a school girl, found controversy. Her body had to stay at Dove Funeral Home while families waited for State assistance for her burial.
Finally, the family asked NCDC for help and funeral arrangements were finally made and Huhume was laid to rest.
At least 96 youths from the urban youth employment job skills training programme were involved in creating what has now become a monument to Huhume.
NCDC youths works supervisor Benson Lapmienben said the youths built the monument in response to a request.
Benson said K25,000 was allocated by the youth employment project to engage the youths as part of their skills training programme. The shelter, the headstone and flag pole raised the cost to K30,000.
Huhume, then known as Susan Karike, designed the national flag at the age of 15. She was a primary school student at a Catholic mission school on Yule Island, Central, in 1971 when she entered the flag design competition and her design was chosen as PNG prepared for independence.