Orphans long for parents, still affected by tragedy

ORPHANS living in Manam care centres continue to be affected as volcanic activities resumed on the island.
Julie Clemence, a 14-year-old from Dugulava village, was nine and her younger sister Grace was two when their parents died at the care centre at Mandi in 2011.
Their relatives had no choice but to adopt them.
Julie’s aunty, Betty Asuang, said she cried every day for her parents and that affected her schoolwork and other activities.
Julie said she wanted to go to school but there were so many things on her mind that took over her focus.
She was doing grade three at Tabele Primary School near the care centre but stopped attending classes after the term one holidays.
“I just stopped going to school because I wanted my parents to be here to support me,” Julie, in tears, said.
Salvation with Faith and Love took in Julie, Grace and two other children.
Director Moreen Mathes said the organisation would pay for the children’s school fees.
The other two orphans are Remo George, 16, and Ladong, 6.
Dugulava ward councillor Paul Maburau said more than 100 children living in the care centre have lost both parents or lost one parent.
Maburau said some fathers were killed during an ethnic clash between Tobenam landowners in Bogia in 2010 which forced then to return to the Manam volcanic Island.
He said in the same year, 2010, there was a cholera outbreak and 21 people from Dugulava died.
“Most parents of these orphans died during the tribal fight and the cholera outbreak so we have lots of orphans,” Maburau said.
He thanked Mathes and Salvation with Faith and Love for taking care of the children’s education and welfare.