New road reduces distance to Mt Hagen for Moge Akelka clan

THE people of the Moge Akelka clan living outside Mt Hagen city finally have a new access road.
Known as “Solo Arks” and living along the banks of Wara Kum up to the Rondon Ridge, the clan appreciate the road which has cut significant distance to Mt Hagen.
The road was built through a community-initiated project, which started from Kondon village and ended at Holy Trinity Teachers College. Businessman and owner of Rondon Ridge Lodge Bob Bates and Western Highlands Governor Paias Wingti worked with the community to build the important link for the locals.
Akelka elder Augustine Karo said for many years people wanted a road on the eastern part of the mountain.
“We used to come one way in and then move one way out through Wara Kum, which is quite a long distance for people living further up the mountain,” he said.
“This new road from Rondon to Holy Trinity is quite a short distance. The road passes through the place where the Kopi tribe lives so it will also benefit too.
“This road access will now make life easy for people to transport garden produce to the markets in Mt Hagen and come back with store goods.
“I thank Bates and Wingti for their help.”
Three excavators were used for work.
Bates said the road would help improve the livelihood of the community.
With the construction of the new road, it now creates a ring road – Rondon to Holy Trinity to Mt Hagen city to Wara Kum and back to Rondon.