Modern village concept launched

HOUSING

AN 11-hectare portion of land opposite the Motukea international wharf in National Capital District will be developed into a modern village.
If all goes to plan, and a financier and developer have been secured, actual work could begin in early 2023 .
The owners of what is known as Mekepo Village, Mek and Rachel Pindu are quite excited about the prospects of transforming their land into a niche community for people to enjoy living in.
Over 100 residential blocks have been demarcated for low, medium and high covenant housing and work will begin as soon as a financier and developer have been confirmed.
So how was the Mekepo Village concept birthed? It goes back to Rachel Pindu attending a personal viability business training Human Development Institute in 2019. Two years prior to that Rachel and Mek had purchased the piece of land from the Daharanu clan who were the traditional custodians.
The training at HDI by founder Samuel Tam (Papa Sam) so convinced Rachel that she invited her husband to a meeting with Tam. The couple asked Tam to devise a plan to develop the land without losing ownership of it and that its development would not only benefit them today but the future generations too.
Since 2017, when the couple’s company Pindu Transport and Logistics purchased the land, they had worked on ‘laying foundations’ by connecting utility lines and building a road access into the vacant land erected a perimeter fence. Water will be connected soon.
The launching did not have to wait any longer. On Easter Sunday, the couple and their family, the local community and students of HDI and Samuel Tam witnessed the official start to the developments.
The couple said they were inspired by Tam to develop their land but first they needed to make the land “bankable” which meant getting the legal documentation and utilities in place in order to attract a financier and a developer.
Last Sunday’s launching now sets the stage for the proposed residential and commercial development to proceed.
The landowners have agreed to allow the land to be developed with the assistance of Papa Sam from HDI Human Development Institute (HDI). It is hoped that Papa Sam will use his expertise to mobilise people and resources to develop the land into a thriving safe and harmonious urban residential community.
The development proposal consists of 115 residential houses ranging from low, medium to high covenant residential units. To make it a complete and self-sustaining community there will be a commercial area, public park area, an orphanage area, gender-based violence rehabilitation area, a church, a health centre and a school.
“This model of land development is the first of its kind in this country where the land ownership is not sold as is the case with many of our traditional lands throughout the country, which are cheaply sold to foreign ownership,” Mek says.

The Mekepo Village land ownership would remain with its original owners, but the land is offered for its various development purposes. It is hoped that this model of land development would be copied and replicated throughout the country as a better alternative to the option of fast cash sale for quick money of which the money obtained from the quick land sale does not last to bring about any lasting and significant development for the benefit of ordinary Papua New Guineans.
It is also expected that the local neighbouring village communities living within the Motukea area, such as Baruni and Tatana village communities would benefit directly from this residential development in a long-term sustained manner in terms of employment and economic spin off benefits during the construction phase and all other developments that will follow thereafter on the site.
The Mekepo Village model is development model of an undeveloped traditional land fulfils the present and past governments’ development policy initiative to Take back PNG, Mek says.
The land ownership would not be sold therefore the title would remain with Pindu family forever. Papa Sam will use his expertise to ensure the land achieves its status from the current undeveloped vacant land to one that is bankable commodity status. At that level it would be easier to roll out finance and a developer may also come in to carry out all developmental intentions.
This development model would bring about many long-term tangible and intangible benefits to all stake holders including the landowners, the financier and the developer, the new Mekepo Village residents and the surrounding local Baruni/Motukea community.
“To all landowners in Papua New Guinea. Don’t sell your land. Keep our land for future,” generations,” Mek says.