Village and govt services

Letters

IN our Melanesian culture, village means everything in both matrilineal and patrilineal societies. Village is our origin where our identity and pride are.
To abandon the village for no good reason is bad luck.
There is not much respect and decency in the urban centres; people don’t care who you are – whether you are a pastor, youth leader, chief, or whatever. They mind their own business and rush with time which has enslaved them.
Only a few people show decency and respect.
Urban areas are becoming over-populated because of the rural-to-urban drift.
There are needs and wants which can only be had with the exchange of money even though those items are freely available in villages.
Urban centres are expensive.
The urban drift is one of the contributing factors to the rise in the informal sector.
The informal sector encourages illegal activities such as living in squatter settlements, street selling and criminal activities such as murder and rape.
Lawlessness has become common with people in the informal sector.
The rural-to-urban drift mostly happens because of pull factors such as schools, hospitals, and work.
People who have lived in urban areas for years without visiting their village lose their land and identity.
The children coming after them do not know their land boundaries. Sometimes when they get there their land has already been claimed by someone else and any attempt to reclaim it can lead to violence.
Papua New Guinea has high unemployment, with graduates coming away with certificates, diplomas, degrees, masters and PhDs.
However, sadly, almost three quarters of them end up being unemployed and many resort to crime to make a living.
The system of nepotism is driving the country backwards.
The education system is getting tough because of the pyramid-shaped system of education we have. Village people live the true life of Melanesian culture.
In the urban centres, money becomes everyone’s focus and people who do not have money will do anything to get it.
Living in the village is better than living in a town or city.
The village is everything, except when basic government services don’t get through, but that is something the Government should deal with.
I believe that if the Government meets people’s basic needs in essential services, people will not want to leave the village.

Vincent Tambure
Usino Bundi District
Madang