Moge on the move

MOGE village, once a renowned breeding ground for notorious criminals and tribal warfare,
is now striving to embrace positive and innovative initiatives to change their lives.
The village lies nestled among several mountain ranges in the Muglamp Local Level Government of Dei District, outside Mt Hagen town.
In October, the Moge community witnessed the opening of a new community resource centre building funded by the Western Highlands Provincial Government and also received payments for constructing the centre.
The resource centre initiated by the Evangelical Brotherhood Church (EBC) of Papua New Guinea through their Community Health Evangelism (CHE) programme, with support from the local people and leaders, is a starting point for many good things to come for the people.
The occasion marked the sealing of a lifelong partnership between the churches in the Moge community and the Western Highlands Provincial Government on positive development.
Assistant Secretary for Works & Engineering Division, Isaac Kumbamong who presented a K15,000 cheque to the EBC and another K6,000 to the Assembly of God (AOG) church thanked them for the vital role that churches played as partners in basic service delivery.
He said the resource centre established by the Western Highlands Provincial Government with funding of K25,000 will now serve as the nerve centre to train the local people.
Kumbamong said the free hand out mentality and claims do not address their long term needs. He said free handouts and payments of claims only benefit certain individuals, promotes and encourages laziness as people will look for quick ways to get money.
He said when the government provides opportunities such as the resource centres, it will benefit the whole community now and in the long run.
Through the resource centre, villagers will learn how to read and write, gain skills and knowledge about how to generate income and how to improve their families and community.
Senior Pastor of EBC Pastor Aipe Yupa thanked the Western Highlands Provincial Government for providing the golden opportunity for the local communities to prosper.
He said EBC is focused on community services such as improving health and education and the establishment of the new resource centre was a blessing for the Moka community.
Ps Yupa said the government working along with churches is the best way to share the responsibility of providing basic services to develop people and the nation.
He challenged the people to embrace opportunities, persevere and work hard to better their lives and communities.
Paulus Konga, a local leader from the area thanked the WHPG through the Works & Engineering Division for funding the resource centre for his people.
He said tribal fights and criminal activities by certain people in Moge village had tarnished the reputation of the whole area, but this will now be a thing of past with the establishment of the resource centre and other positive developments that will come.
Konga challenged the people to show their appreciation by looking after such projects in the area, as they would help them improve their lives.
Meanwhile, Mr Las Repi coordinator of the CHE programme who is the link between the people, the churches and the WHPG thanked Mr Kumbamong for providing funds to build the resource centre.
Repi said Micro Bank, Coffee Industry Corporation, Fresh Produce Development Agency, fisheries and other partners have indicated an interest to provide training courses for the people.
He said training programmes for women were made possible via an incorporated group called the ‘Ples Meri Association’ that aims to promote and support health evangelism, women in small scale business, sustainable and integrated agriculture, tourism and women’s rights.