Leader leaves

 RED Cross PNG farewelled a woman leader and humanitarian last week.

Esmie Freda Sinapa is the former secretary general of the PNG Red Cross who was highly respected by her colleagues.

Sinapa served the Red Cross for two terms (six years) after humanitarian jobs which took her to more than 70 countries in the world.

At a farewell dinner, Red Cross PNG chairman, Wep Kanawi said Sinapa was a very committed humanitarian who gave her whole life and time to people in need.

“I hope that Esmie will be a phone call away because I’m sure we will still need her after she is gone. So I won’t say goodbye as yet,” he said.

Those attended the farewelling were representatives from the United Nations, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Community Development Secretary Anna Solomon, wife of NCD Governor Jean Parkop and PNG diplomat Lucy Bogari.

Sinapa said after the Red Cross, she would continue her charity work.

“All I know is I’m going home to Oro and to be a volunteer at the Red Cross branch,” she said.

A short biography of her written by Anja Blyton said that at the age of seven and living with her father in Bialla, West New Britain, she heard news of a natural disaster in Austria over the radio. 

She packed whatever extra clothes she had in a cardboard box and were shipped off to Austria for the people affected by the disaster.

Sinapa is one of the founders Women Arise, now called PNG Yumi Kirap.  

It started last year after numerous reports of violence against women around the country they were reported.