Where not many would last

COVER STORY

Teacher speaks about challenges of work in the mountains of Rai Coast district

By MAJELEEN YANEI
TEACHERS at Gumose Primary School in Madang’s Rai Coast district have great difficulty working in the remote school as there is no proper road accessibility.
According to grade five teacher Illan Kabropi it takes 11 to 12 hours of trekking to reach the school that is located right in the jungles of Nahu Rawa Local Level Government.
“From Madang town we would catch a PMV bus to Ramu along the Madang-Lae highway then transit on a local PMV to Naiko which is the only point before the school which vehicles can access,” Kabropi said.
“If we arrive late we would spend the night with villagers there and start walking the next day; if we start the journey at 6am we would arrive at 6pm considering the rugged mountain terrain and the fast flowing Nahu river to cross.”
Kabropi said the beginning of the school year was when they faced a lot of struggles because they have to carry all their possessions such as clothes, cooking utensils, mattress and other basics and walk for hours.
“Teachers who have small children and infants have to carry them on top of bilums and bags filled with stuff and we aim to cross Nahu river before it floods during the rainy season. A makeshift bridge was built above the water and that makes it easy for us to cross to the other side but it is built with bush materials and doesn’t last.
“When it collapsed during the flood, we have to wait till the water current slows or wait for locals to find means to build a new crossing. We can wait till midnight or the early hours of the next day because a makeshift bridge is the only access to the other side.”
Kabropi said locals there usually charged fees when they help to carry their bags and other goods.
The school is located in the middle of the mountains bordering Morobe.
“The mountains at the back of Finistere range connect with the mountains of Morobe and Madang; we would cross borders from Madang to Morobe then from Morobe to Madang.”
Life there is hard but the teachers managed to survive because they have a heart to serve humanity.
Gumose Primary School serves Gumbarami, Moro and Sewe villages and was named after the three villages.
“It has two grade three classes and one class each of grades four to eight with about 230 students and 11 teachers posted there at the beginning of the year.
Two teachers left recently as they could not survive the difficulties of living and working there, leaving nine staff currently on the ground.
“Teachers with many children take them into the school and do not take them out until the holidays. If they want to come out to do shopping they’ll take along family members who can carry loads and walk distances. Most teachers do not come out to Ramu for shopping, they get enough supplies to last them till the term holidays, it’s a one way in one way out lifestyle.”
Four of the teachers there are from East Sepik and the rest are from districts in Madang. Those from the area serve for ‘ages’ because if they transfer out to other schools no outside teacher would replace them.
Many leave after learning the geographical location and the accompanying hardships so the local teachers have to step in and fill the gaps as there is no choice.
Locals from the area always communicate using their vernacular, making it hard for teachers in other provinces to understand and communicate with them.
At times locals break into teachers’ houses and take away stuff which is an additional factor that scares teachers who want to serve there.
Besides, there is no help from the locals when teachers reach out for food supplies and other basic necessities.

The area is covered with fog all year round, making mobile phone communication difficult. To make calls they have to climb trees at certain locations and certain times of the day when the sun is at its brightest to at least get connected to the Digicel tower up in the mountains of Kainantu on the border Morobe.
The Gumose Aid Post has three nurses that treat malaria and other curable diseases while serious injuries are airlifted by Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) from the run down Nahu airstrip to Rai Coast district hospital.
There is no cash crop there except coffee which grows well only where sufficient sunlight penetrates the fog. The majority of the locals grow vegetables and greens to sell at Ramu (Gusap sugar township).
If they want to go all the way to Madang town it would cost them a K40 PMV fare when transiting at Ramu.
After selling all their produce, they would buy food supplies and other necessities and would pick on the return journey again. Someone new in the area would say its tough but this has become part of them, something they know they can complain about but have to live with each passing day.
Teacher Kabropi said when she resumed duties in February, the road to school seemed endless and local men were on standby to carry her but she was ashamed and refused.
Locals do carry those who have sore feet and cannot walk further but for a fee charged to the individual or the school, depending on how heavy or light the load is.
Kabropi said governments must not only focus on places which already enjoy basic services but consider the remote parts around the country.
“People are struggling on a daily basis; many lives have been lost. Her plea to elected representatives is: “You were mandated by the people to represent them and be their voice in terms of service delivery.”