Sanap Wantaim Campaign goes on wild tracking trip

Weekender

By LEMACH LAVARI 
EARLY last year, to keep away from the norm of young people to indulging in unhealthy activities, a group of young men, mostly unemployed youths living in settlements in Port Moresby, embarked on a mission to conquer the famous and challenging Kokoda Track. These youths were part of the Konedobu Sharks Rugby Club that participated in the Port Moresby South Rugby League competition.
Their journey is an inspirational story for young people to use their youth and strength to drive social change and at the same time explore our beautiful country through adventure.  The lads from Konedobu fundraised and sought aid from business houses and the government to meet the cost of their travel. As part of their mental and physical preparation they participated in the Walk For Life and Yoga For Life campaigns.
Their initial plan was for the whole team to walk the track and play a friendly rugby match with a village team along the way, arrive at Popondetta, travel to Lae on a dingy, travel to Mt Hagen on a PMV and board a plane back to Port Moresby. However, not enough money could be raised in time for travel and only a handful of players eventually made the trip.
A small donation from NCD MPs could only cater for 11players to fly back to POM from Mt Hagen. Other costs including food, and first aid were borne by the trekkers themselves.
Allan Moregema and Markstone Maminti were the leaders of the Kone Storms. Theirs was not just to conquer the world-famous trail. They wanted to pass on to villagers along the track what they had learnt in the Sanap Wantaim Campaign and Yoga For Life Program in NCD. They advocated small discussion groups with the people where they would speak on topics of gender-based violence and healthy living.
“It was a worthy campaign that the local people needed to be introduced to and therefore in every village we stopped in we engaged the people in these discussions and received favourable feedback.”
“Along the Kokoda track at Efogi village, there’s an open field and we had the whole village participate in yoga stretches and poses. There was laughter and enjoyment all around. The kids loved it”, said Allan.
For the walk itself it was clear that the team underestimated the toughness of the wild. Allan and Markstone both described it as physically and mentally challenging.
“I felt like I was in a fight, in a war, it is tough and half way through I got the urge to just give up, or rest a little longer. At one stage we ran out of water and had to scoop water from mud puddles along the track to drink,” Allan continued.
Laden with bags of cargo and sweat-soaked clothes that seemed to grow heavier every minute, they made their way up and down mountains and hills that were hundreds to a thousand meters high. Walking and sliding through muddy tracks and crossing fast flowing rivers the strain on their bodies became the ultimate test of their fitness and sportsmanship.
The lowest point for them came when they strayed off track from the Menari Airstrip in Central. There is a track along the airstrip that breaks off and leads to the climb of the Brigade Hill (Brigade Hill was the site of one the most horrifying battles the Australian soldiers were engaged in with the Japanese).
“We missed that turn and walked for about an hour and eventually descended onto a very steep slope. It was then that we realised our mistake,” Markstone said.
The climb back to the airport was a miserable trip, to say the least.
“We knew that if we could have taken the right turn we would be on top of Brigade Hill by now.”
Previously, signposts had been erected at various points along the 96km track to direct travellers and there were information stations at the local villages that served to inform visitors on how long they have come, how much further to go. These markers even pointed out the altitudes. The information stations also had solar-powered equipment that allowed for phones, cameras or torch batteries to be charged.
The signposts were taken down in January last year after the track was temporarily closed following an incident along the track purportedly involving a foreign couple.
“However, because of the incident that happened last year involving an expatriate couple which made world headlines, the track was shut down for a couple of months and the signs that would have led us out of the airstrip were not there.
Great disappointment ran through the team as we re-trekked back to the airstrip but nevertheless we had to keep moving and with great perseverance we eventually reached the peak of Brigade Hill”.
“The feeling at every peak is satisfying and rejuvenating. It is almost like we are recharged for the next climb. Nothing compares to the feeling at the end of the track after all the gruelling and exhausting walk, uphill and downhill through mud, rivers and thick jungle.
“That feeling of joy and achievement made water taste so sweet and Snax biscuit taste like it was out of this world,” commented Markstone.
For Allan, being a first timer, the experience of reaching the finish after the 4-day walk was surreal… “when I saw the sign board that read ‘Popondetta Station’ I knew I had done it.
“I turned to my friends and we all shouted victoriously, embracing one another with tears of joy streaming down our cheeks.”
“I sank into the grass, threw my bag to one side and my shoes to the other. I felt like I had just won a grand final game. It was an awesome feeling.  I felt that a heavy burden from deep within me had been lifted off”, he said.
“I had a personal battle that I had been fighting alone and that no one knew about. I was addicted to marijuana. Even with yoga and advocating for healthy living I still struggled with the addiction. The Kokoda Track squeezed every ounce of breathe and energy out of my body, my mental focus was pushed to limits beyond anything I had ever done before. After completing that track I realised that if I had overcome that great and difficult terrain then I could also beat the addiction. The mental toughness of conquering Kokoda far outweighed that needed to overcome my addiction. I am glad to say that I no longer smoke marijuana”. With a laugh he adds, “I now feel invincible”.
After arriving in Popondetta the team took an eight hour dingy ride to Voco Point in Lae. From there they boarded a PMV to Mt Hagen and from there flew back to Port Moresby. It was indeed an epic travel experience for them.
“PNG is a beautiful big island and I as a young person would like to travel its length and breadth and meet the amazing and different types of people across this land, this is a challenge to all young people, lets us do amazing and more positive things when we still have the energy”. Mark said.
If Sir Paulias Matane could walk the track at a later age, youths who are more energetic can do the same. Such an experience builds one’s self esteem to become a positive contributor to society and also safeguards the historic heritage of the Kokoda track. It is also benefiting to the tourism industry and local economy of the villages along the track.
The team is already planning to tackle either the Black Cat Trail or Bulldog Track. Fundraising will commence soon and they welcome any help they can get from business houses, individuals or their MPs.

  • Allan Mogerema can be reached on cell number 7070-3383 or through email [email protected]