How Kenneth transformed Tindom Hill

By PETER WARI
KENNETH Kuim knew he had to do something to stop criminal activities along one of the notorious sections of the Highlands Highways at Tindom Hill.
Kenneth, 40, is from Kongu village in the Poroma local level government of the Nipa-Kutubu district in Southern Highlands. He has only one sister. He is now married and has six children. He works for the provincial agriculture and livestock division.
There had been a lot of bad press about the area which motorists and commuters dread to pass through especially at night because of the looting, robbery, rape, hold-up and assault on people passing through.
“The continuous criminal activities forced me to think of something to do to stop youths from being involved in the illegal activities. I had sleepless nights thinking what should be done to refrain them.”

He conducted awareness to educate them about the negative impact of what they were doing to the area and to themselves.
“I conducted awareness to stop them but it did not work. They continued their activity.”
Locals were outraged because they all had been branded criminals for what a few young people were doing.
“People in Poroma were branded criminals who have no heart for their fellow brothers and sisters in Hela. I had to do something. The innocent travellers cannot continue to become victims.”
So Kenneth decided to build a guesthouse – and using the group of men involved in the hold-ups to set up a stop-over place for travellers. They build the Tindom Hill Guesthouse in 2010 – from whatever resources Kenneth could put together at the time. He also continued the awareness.
He put a billboard on the roadside to advertise the guesthouse. He knew drivers of big trucks travelling to Hela always get stuck on that hill.
“One day, drivers of the semitrailers parked their vehicles near the billboard and came to the guesthouse to spend the night. I ordered the boys to look after vehicles while I attended to the drivers. The next morning they left and told other drivers and others about the guesthouse.”
Word spread quickly, even reaching public servants and international organisations such as the World Health Organisation and United Nation Children Fund (Unicef). Their employees started using the guesthouse too.

“ The continuous criminal activities forced me to think of something to do to stop youths from being involved in the illegal activities. I had sleepless nights thinking what should be done to refrain them.”

“I started earning something and slowly extended the guesthouse.”
Last Friday, Southern Highlands Governor William Powi opened the renovated and extended guesthouse and renamed it the Tindom Hill Lodge.
It has 32 rooms, a bar, conference room and barbecue area overlooking the Poroma Valley. The lodge has 12 full-time employees.
“Ten years after the guesthouse was built, I was finally recognised for the work I had done.”
The roadblocks and robbing of innocent travellers have stopped completely.
Kenneth thanked his “very supportive” wife and the men who helped him build the guesthouse business.
“I also thank the youths for ending the criminal activities.”
Kenneth believes that development opportunities arise when there is peace and order.
“We cannot continue to make awareness but we also need to do something first that will open eyes.”
He knows Poroma Valley has beautiful natural waterfalls, exotic flora and fauna, unique local birds and historical sites which are major tourist attractions.
He is confident people in the area will be able to enjoy spin-off benefits from any tourism development, and start small businesses.
His Tindom Hill Lodge is already setting the pace.