Simbai needs road access

SIMBAI is one of the remotest local level government in Middle Ramu, Madang.
It is situated at the back of Bismarck Mountain Range.
The geographical setting makes it very hard for government services to reach the people.
There is no road link.
The only access is through plane and the people have been suffering in silence since Independence.
It takes about 12-14 hours or a day to walk along bush tracks and crossing through mountainous land to get to the nearby village of Koinambe (Jimi) in Jiwaka where there is a road link to town (Jiwaka) or Antiku (Ramu-Aiome) in Middle Ramu, where there is a motor canoe access to town (Madang).
After arriving from town, the PMV will drop you off at Banu Bridge (Usino-Bundi) at around 8pm and you spend at Banu in the passengers’ house that cost you K5 per night per person.
The next day, you get on a motor canoe and travel for another 7-8 hours down to Aiome-Antiku and get dropped off there. From there, you will be walking for another 12-14 hours or a day back to the village with your cargo.
From Jiwaka, you will catch a PMV and travel for another 6-7 hours to reach Koinambe (Jimi).
From there, you will be walking for another 16-18 hours or a day back to the village (Simbai).
Our teachers struggle every day to provide quality education for our children.
People need medical services because the supplies never reach our local aid post.
There is no nursing officer in the aid post to serve the sick.
Our children and pregnant mothers are losing their lives every day because of very poor health services at Simbai.
There have been continuous empty promises and commitments made by our leaders to build for a new road from Madang-Simbai-Jiwaka, but nothing has happened.
We’re still living in the Stone Age and continue to struggle.
People call us as “bush man” or “back page” Simbais. On behalf of the silent majority, I appeal to our leaders to step in and help us.
We need road access.

Ismael Keminz Iss