Nipa kicks off community work concept

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
DIFFERENT church denominations in and around the Nipa station in Southern Highlands took part in a first ever community work on Saturday.
The churches were helped by some people from the nearby villages of Ekanda, Sowe, Koware and Pulin, who came with bush knives, spades, rakes, brooms to clean Nipa station.
The community work was initiated by district administrator Robin Pip and supported by the churches in the district during a meeting held at Nipa station two weeks ago.
He said public servants living at the station took part in the clean-up exercise as well.
Pip said it was just the beginning and not many people were involved in the community work.
He said some people who saw them cleaning the station became involved in the exercise.
Pip said churches involved in the community work were ALC-Pentecostal, Catholic, United, Good News, PNG Bible churches, Inter-denominational Christian church and a number of other small churches around the station.
Some churches located away from the station were involved in cleaning public institutions like schools, health facilities and feeder roads in their area.
The members of the Seventh-Day Adventist church took part on Sunday.
The church and community leaders agreed to do community work on every second Saturday.
The objective was to change the mindset of the people where they demanded money for work they did.
Pip said he wanted to make his people take ownership of services in the district and look after them.
He said when people did not take ownership of services, “they seem to destroy the services”.
He said the community work concept worked very well during the colonial period where all people in the community had been involved in building roads, government and mission stations to bring essential services into their community at no cost.
Pip said the concept was gradually dying and he was trying to re-introduce it in his district.

.