Mothers complain of hunger

PEOPLE from Jiwaka and Chimbu are complaining about going hungry after being engaged full-time in the national elections.Some mothers from Jiwaka said in Banz town yesterday they had been following their husbands at night to campaign houses before the issue of writs and never thought of making new gardens.
They said during the day they slept and had had no time for gardening.
They said during the campaign period, they harvested what was left in their gardens and cooked it for people coming into their campaign houses.
They said they had done that almost every day and now had nothing left in their gardens to harvest.
Barbara Kupul said she and other mothers from her area opposite Wara Mombel had been under pressure daily from their husbands to feed people coming to support their candidates.
Kupul said there was nothing left to harvest.
She said some food had been stolen from their gardens at night by people facing the same pro­blem.
Cecilia Dominic said her children attending Banz Primary School would go without breakfast when classes resumed.She said her family had exhausted all their resources during the campaign period to please their tribesmen standing for elections.
She said they had done that in the belief they would be rewarded when their tribesmen won the seat.
She said everyone faced the same problem and there was no one they could turn to for help.
Dominic said her family had suffered badly and she would not become involved in future elections.
Another mother from Chimbu’s Kerowagi district said she had to feed her husband and grandchildren with green bananas.Inge Cathy, from Kunabau village, said all the sweet potatoes in her gardens in the mountains of Carmekl and Moim had been dug up to feed people coming into a campaign house.
She said that all her community members stayed in campaign houses and never thought of making new gardens. “I thought I and family are the only ones facing hunger but my tribesmen are complaining about going hungry.“We regret that we didn’t make new gardens.”