Positive changes are taking place in Hela

 A LOT of criticisms and negatives publicity have been made towards Hela people’s unwarranted behaviour, especially the tribal warfare which has tarnished the good names of the majority law abiding citizens of Hela. 

Not all Helas are trouble makers. Most Helas are peace makers and cheerful givers. Reckless and senseless actions of few cannot put all Helas into one box.    

Hela’s sons and daughters had developed most of the urban centres in Papua New Guinea that you see them today. They had sweat their guts and blistered hands for few pounds, dollars and kinas while working on huge cocoa, coconuts, copra, rubber, coffee and tea plantations. Helas had sacrificed their lives to develop Papua New Guinea when many did not know about oil and gas.

But out of those rainy days, Hela is beginning to see some positive sign of progress. And after the long struggle for separate province, a Hela is beginning to see some positive sign of progress and development. Hela is small province and it will and can grow. Hela’s modern day and young vibrant leaders like Francis Potape, Philip Undialu and James Marape with the strong leadership from Anderson Agiru, Hela will progress and prosper.

Francis Potape has laid the foundations with well facilitated health centres in Margarima, Hulia and Komo. He has built market at Hulia to boost his local farmers and to discourage them from free handouts mentality and he even connected some of the feeder roads in his district. Hela will gradually see more changes.

Tari town is no longer in total darkness like what it used to be before. Thanks to Hon. James Marape for the electricity. Our poor mothers, sisters, daughters and wives have been delivering babies under the candle lights are long gone now. Rural Electrification program is well appreciated by many rural people who at the back of their minds will surely connect electricity to their homes.

People can no longer travel up to Mendi for banking services when James Marape and William Bando brought in Bank South Pacific. Hela can now also enjoy another banking service from the other commercial bank known as National Development Bank. The services provided by these two commercial banks are the same as other people in big urban centres receive.

Tari town used to be a hunting ground for many different tribal warlords but those days are gone now. Thanks to Hon. James Marape who has initiated the peace awareness program with the theme; “No Peace, No Development” and the tertiary students who had driven the peace campaign more successfully. 

There is no more tribal warfare between the two tribal enemy groups known as Tani and Pureni after the Prophetic “Pehale Bridge” was constructed by James Marape. And peace at last for the people of Papiali and Linapini and the other neighbouring tribes. 

A new comer Hon. Philip Undialu for Koroba Kopiago has started off well when he equipped Koroba Secondary School with computers and laptops for teachers’ and students’. He further injected K3 million into the school for major renovation and maintenance work. It is his dream that all primary and secondary schools in his districts will have computers install. Hon. Undialu is constructing a huge three storey office complex for himself and his public servants in the district.

Not long, Koroba Kopiago will have two high schools to accommodate ever increasing number of students and to compete with the existing Secondary and the High Schools in the district. And all the feeder roads in the district will be upgraded and maintained after Hon. Philip Undialu has purchased earth moving machines and equipment. Right now works are progressing at some feeder roads.

Hela people need to change their mindset and think and active positively towards those changes about to take place. Let us stop the cultures of false claims and compensations but free up the land for new development to take place.

Enough is enough! Thoughtless, senseless and barbaric act of killings of fellow human beings have to be stopped completely if we really want be part of the changes. Our good Lord above will not intervene until and unless we change our attitudes…

Daniel Pokoraija Tumbiari

Piripu Village, Tari