The refreshing winds of Esa’ ala

By SAMSON KENDEMAN
DELIVERY of basic services to improve the living standards of the rural majority is indeed thin in some maritime and inland areas and people living in those forgotten places don’t get to see much tangible development at all.
The Esa’ala District in Milne Bay, however, is no longer in that category.
Despite being a maritime district, Esa’ala boasts access to essential services like health, education, agriculture, infrastructures, water supply, small scale fisheries activities, jetties, airstrip and a rural housing programme.
The establishment of a UPNG open campus, a medical evacuation programme, rural markets, boats, a surge in small to medium enterprises (SME), community halls, established district works unit, machines for building and maintaining roads, Digicel towers for mobile network communications and other developments have set this district as a pace-setter.
Esa’ala has three LLGs which host many scattered islands and a population of over 60,000 people.
These “islands of love” hold great tourism potential with their beautiful scenery, diving and fishing attractions, mountains and virgin forests and fast flowing rivers, reefs, virgin forest, mountains, valleys, fast flowing rivers, lakes, and different species of animals including the rare Bird of Paradise.
Since the introduction of District Services Improvement Programme (DSIP) by the Government in 2007, its previous leaders never managed to deliver basic government goods and services.
The distribution of these services also depends on cooperation between local MPs’ and provincial leaders who are mandated to oversee project selection and design, prioritisation and implementation at the district level.
Esa’ala has, over the past four years managed to overcome the difficulties of progress faced by most other districts around the country, through the determination of their MP and Minister for Civil Aviation, Davis Steven.
Unlike other MPs who prefer to have a greater say on projects in their electorates, Steven leaves matters to the district development authority (DDA). Cooperation from all three tiers of government is a big boost for development in the district.
The district’s sea and air transport ferry building materials or equipment for development purposes to the islands. Barges and workboats also make runs when the weather, and funding permit. It takes a day’s travel by sea from Alotau which is costly but unavoidable.
DSIP funds have been evenly distributed to the three LLGs in the district with focus on rehabilitation and upgrading of deteriorated government stations, churches, schools, health facilities, roads and bridges.
Medical evacuation of sick patients from the hinterlands and scattered islands to the nearest health centres or to the Alotau General Hospital is a programme initiated by the MP and currently being implemented by the district administration.
A training programme is being provided by the Salamo School of Nursing to village-based midwives to educate them on safe birth practices.
Ironically, Esa’ala district topped other districts in Milne Bay as well as the rest of PNG in health standards, according to the Department of Health as revealed during the recent medical symposium in Alotau.
All infrastructures including roads, jetties, markets, aid posts, classrooms, water supply, reticulated rural electricity and so forth are supervised by the Esa’ala district Works unit recently established by the DDA.
The district is also constructing new roads and upgrading existing bush tracks which were built during colonial era using machinery purchased with DSIP funds.
The Department of Implementation and Rural Development was impressed with the latest development the district administration has initiated and implemented.
A state house is currently being built to house Esa’ala MPs.
Among the top projects, Minister Steven is also implementing a housing scheme on the Islands, supplying materials from Alotau and distributing to all islands villages and communities including public servants. All primary schools in the district were installed with VSats and equipped with I-pads so that they can be able to communicate freely during natural disasters and other associated issues which may affect their normal lives.
Ward councillors were also handed I-pads. Most people interviewed thanked Steven for being instrumental in the successful implementation of DSIP funded projects taking shape in the Islands.
“DSIP is a good programme and we want to see it to continue as we can witness that there are changes taking place in our district. This only falls back on good political leadership and administration,” they said.
Steven now wants to see his district invest more in human resources, and has established a programme called “Human Capital Investment Programme” that hopes to provide good quality health and education services in Esa’ala.
With regard to food security, the district grows its own rice which is processed and packaged at the rice mill. The district Works division is currently training its own local contractors and workmen instead of out-sourcing contracts which can cost millions of kina for one project alone.
Steven created bank accounts for all 80 wards in the district in 2013 so that project funds could be directly deposited into them.

• The writer is Media Advisor at the Department of Implementation and Rural Development