Friday 29 October 2010
A Creative Challenge
Thought I should write something about the work I'm actually doing out here and give you some indication as to how we are getting on with the website.
Some of this may be pretty dull stuff for most of my readers and for those that have worked with me on web projects in the past it will probably raise some hoots of hollow laughter.
Things have gone surprisingly well so far. I was told to expect the worst but the worst hasn't happened.
I have a brand new PC, scanner, colour printer all hooked up to a dial up modem which can be really slow or REALLY REALLY SLOW . However with the introduction of a download accelerator (thanks Jason) I have now managed to download a surprisingly comprehensive set of web site design/construction tools - nearly all of them free and open source .
So I now have the tools to start work.
Some of my professional colleagues will know that I have something of an aversion to writing detailed Functional Specs or PIDs (Project Initiation Documents) and that usually I am unable to follow any discernible project methodology. However they will be surprised to know that on this project after only two weeks we have a clear statement of the site's objectives, a high level time based plan and a detailed PID !!!
Am already working on the Art Direction (snorts of derision from those that know my talents' do not lie in the graphic design area) and its coming along ok. Have produced an early set of wireframes and will be presenting them to the other members of the Handicrafts Group Management Team next week - that will be fun since none of them have ever seen a wireframe before and most of them are only just getting used to email.
However the real challenge is not technical - it very rarely is.
What I want to do is to develop a website that is much more than just an online catalogue of our products. It needs to tell the stories of the struggles that the women have in their lives. It has to bring a human dimension to the table. I'm working on a theme along the lines of "A bilum is not just a bag". Here in PNG it is a cultural icon, inextricably woven into the social and cultural fabric of this fascinating country. People write songs and poems about their bilums. They are tokens of love, reminders of home, holders of magic and symbols of wealth and position. For many they are memories of lost childhoods - most babies in the Highlands sleep comfortably in a Bilum rather than a cradle or are carried in one on their mother's back.
Can we actually build something that serves the utilitarian purpose of a catalogue but also has the appropriate emotional and human dimensions too?. Something practical yet beautiful - like a bilum.
My Bilum
A Sonnet by Travertz Mabone
Not in a cradle
Being rocked to sleep
It was a bilum
I laid fast asleep
Papa and bubu
Everyone in too
With colours and designs
So plentiful and fine
Marks my heritage
Something I call mine
For kaikai and buai
Baby rock-a-bye
Where's my bilum
I have something inside
Bubu - grandparents
Kaikai - food/eat
Buai - Betel nut Sunday 24 October 2010
Trouble with the rubbish
PNG is often described as a violent country, sometimes unpredictable and everyone here is advised to "expect the unexpected".
I should point out that everyone I've met, at work or socially, has been friendly, welcoming and hospitable. However its true that violence is more prevalent here and on a scale that we may not encounter at home. It may help to understand the context once you learn that rape only became a criminal offence here three years ago. Arguments and disputes have traditionally been resolved by physical means and by inter clan fighting. Its a tradition that remains. The problem is that nowadays its fought with high powered automatic weapons rather than sticks, stones and axes. My hosts are understandably very anxious about me walking around Hagen on my own. They are not necessarily concerned about direct attacks on me but as they say " you don't have to be the target to get caught up in something"
I have been in Hagen for 10 days and the three incidents described below have all happened in that period.
1.Someone threw a hand grenade at the police !
2. The airport was closed for a day when it was sealed off by an entire clan demanding compensation for one of their "wontoks" who had been shot in the hand by the police during an incident at the airport. They have threatened to repeat the action until compensation is paid.
3. The rubbish in my compound is collected in wheelie bins and taken to the tip on the outskirts of town once a week by the caretaker and labourers who work for the Baptist Union. Last week on the way to the tip their vehicle was attacked by a large gang who not only threw rocks but were armed with automatic weapons - intent on stealing the vehicle. Our people managed to escape with the vehicle, but, as you might expect, they are not keen to go back to the tip and the rubbish is now piling up around the bins in the compound.
Maybe its worth telling the story about the two guys from Papua New Guinea who visited Europe and were taken to the World War 1 cemeteries in Northern France. Standing in front of the rows of thousands of crosses they turned to their hosts and said " You people just keep going until everybody is dead. We would never do that."
So maybe its just a question of perspective?
Wednesday 20 October 2010
Mt Hagen Handicrafts Group
Located in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea the Mt Hagen Handicraft Group is an all women self help initiative which includes a high proportion of mothers living with HIV/AIDS in their families and communities. The women in our group have gone through and are still trying to deal with the immense struggles and difficulties in their lives. Their current situation includes poverty, family violence, drugs, prostitution, tribal fighting and the increasing rise of HIV/AIDS. In the midst of these troubles the women's primary motivations are to have decent food on the table for their families at the end of each day and to send their children to school.
The women in our group are skilled in the making of the traditional handicraft - a versatile bag called a "bilum" Selling them on the side of the road or at the local market has so far been their only outlet. Very few tourists visit Mt Hagen, apart from during the annual "sing sing" festival, which means very limited local demand for the bilums.
The bilum bag is unique to Papua New Guinea. It is time consuming work taking weeks to complete. People love bilums. Not only are they are a functional bag (or baby sling!) but the brightly coloured and distinctive patterns make each one a very special, hand crafted work of art.
Most women in the Highlands can make bilums so the creation of a website aimed at the export market could help provide a sustainable livelihood to help them meet the needs of their families. It also keeps this traditional art alive
The women in our group are skilled in the making of the traditional handicraft - a versatile bag called a "bilum" Selling them on the side of the road or at the local market has so far been their only outlet. Very few tourists visit Mt Hagen, apart from during the annual "sing sing" festival, which means very limited local demand for the bilums.
The bilum bag is unique to Papua New Guinea. It is time consuming work taking weeks to complete. People love bilums. Not only are they are a functional bag (or baby sling!) but the brightly coloured and distinctive patterns make each one a very special, hand crafted work of art.
Most women in the Highlands can make bilums so the creation of a website aimed at the export market could help provide a sustainable livelihood to help them meet the needs of their families. It also keeps this traditional art alive
Understand our lives
Learn about our struggles
Buy our products!
Learn about our struggles
Buy our products!
SANAP WANTAIM!
Stand with us
Monday 18 October 2010
Jacob and Alphonse
The handicraft group office is in the centre of Hagen protected by an eight feet high, corrugated sheet fence topped with barbed wire with a long and ominous coil of razor wire above that just for good measure. The entrance gate, complete with security post, would stop even the most determined ram raider.
Behind this impressive barricade lies an oasis of calm, not a pretty oasis by any means but still calm and, more importantly in Hagen, its safe.
Our location immediately behind the Highlands Bakery means that we are treated to the smell of fresh bread and cakes for most of the day. The bakery is most definitely not a neat French boulangerie or patisserie with polished glass windows and mouthwatering displays of baguettes and quiches. The shop itself hides behind a windowless facade, windows would be far too risky, inside it is dark and forbidding. The results of the days baking are sold to customers from behind the protection of a very serious steel grill. In spite of the unpromising surroundings there is always a crowd of customers outside and the bread and scones that appear are surprisingly good.
Jacob and Alphonse work at the Handicraft Group Office. Not in the office exactly since they spend their days in the compound opening and closing the security gate having first ensured they are not about to admit a gang of rascals intent on stealing all our bilums. They are always happy to talk and we get along well with them laughing and correcting my feeble Tok Pisin as we go. Chatting is very important in PNG and they love nothing more than to stop and "Tok Stori".
Jacob has become my unofficial personal minder and security guard. I am not allowed out of the office compound onto the dangerous streets of downtown Hagen unescorted. A trip to the shops for a few groceries and Jacob is by my side, never more than a few paces away. Even inside the Best Buy supermarket he maintains a constant presence at my shoulder occasionally pointing out the special offers or leaning over to help me pick the best onions or tomatoes! All very unusual but reassuring - he's a lovely man I enjoy his company and he's helping me get to know the streets of Hagen pointing out where to avoid and taking me on a special trip to the Police Station so that I know where to run in an emergency!
Alphonse seems to be a one man recycling unit. He can be seen regularly crushing soft drink cans under the heel of his impressively large boots and storing them away in a massive sack he keeps in the compound. He is obviously selling the results of his work and we can be sure that no Coke can will litter the streets near our compound whilst Alphonse is on patrol. Other than that he seems to spend his day opening and closing the gate.
Its rough and ready and the office defences create the impression of working in a war zone but the people are welcoming and it feels like its going to be a good place to work.
Behind this impressive barricade lies an oasis of calm, not a pretty oasis by any means but still calm and, more importantly in Hagen, its safe.
Our location immediately behind the Highlands Bakery means that we are treated to the smell of fresh bread and cakes for most of the day. The bakery is most definitely not a neat French boulangerie or patisserie with polished glass windows and mouthwatering displays of baguettes and quiches. The shop itself hides behind a windowless facade, windows would be far too risky, inside it is dark and forbidding. The results of the days baking are sold to customers from behind the protection of a very serious steel grill. In spite of the unpromising surroundings there is always a crowd of customers outside and the bread and scones that appear are surprisingly good.
Jacob and Alphonse work at the Handicraft Group Office. Not in the office exactly since they spend their days in the compound opening and closing the security gate having first ensured they are not about to admit a gang of rascals intent on stealing all our bilums. They are always happy to talk and we get along well with them laughing and correcting my feeble Tok Pisin as we go. Chatting is very important in PNG and they love nothing more than to stop and "Tok Stori".
Jacob has become my unofficial personal minder and security guard. I am not allowed out of the office compound onto the dangerous streets of downtown Hagen unescorted. A trip to the shops for a few groceries and Jacob is by my side, never more than a few paces away. Even inside the Best Buy supermarket he maintains a constant presence at my shoulder occasionally pointing out the special offers or leaning over to help me pick the best onions or tomatoes! All very unusual but reassuring - he's a lovely man I enjoy his company and he's helping me get to know the streets of Hagen pointing out where to avoid and taking me on a special trip to the Police Station so that I know where to run in an emergency!
Alphonse seems to be a one man recycling unit. He can be seen regularly crushing soft drink cans under the heel of his impressively large boots and storing them away in a massive sack he keeps in the compound. He is obviously selling the results of his work and we can be sure that no Coke can will litter the streets near our compound whilst Alphonse is on patrol. Other than that he seems to spend his day opening and closing the gate.
Its rough and ready and the office defences create the impression of working in a war zone but the people are welcoming and it feels like its going to be a good place to work.
Monday 11 October 2010
Willie's Village
A warm welcome
Willie, our Tok Pisin tutor, invited us to spend the weekend at his village a short distance from Madang. Head of the village is BigPela Herman and we stayed in his house. Arriving in the heat of early afternoon we sat in the shade of coconut palms, sago palms and trees whose names I have yet to learn to drink water or kulow (coconut milk from young coconuts) and "tok story". Papua New Guineans love to talk and hear about our families and tell us about their lives in the village. It was a great way to practice our stumbling Tok Pisin- all conducted with much laughter and pointing but most of us managed some sort of simple conversation. My two sons may be interested to know that in Tok Pisin "Migat tupela pickinini man. Bigpela Tom na Liklik Jack" (say it out loud!)
All this with just the men - women are all kept in the background and after a brief greeting they disappeared to carry on with cooking, cleaning and everything else that needed to be done to keep the village going. The men look after the "gardens" (vegetable patch) of which they are extremely proud. This place is incredibly fertile - place the top of a pineapple in the ground and a few weeks later you have a new pineapple.
Evening came and with it time to eat. We ate well with a generous dinner of rice in coconut milk, chicken stew with ginger and a large helping of unknown vegetables that tasted a bit like spinach.
Rain, beautiful rain
After dinner it rained. Really hard tropical rain - the sort of storm that rips the coconuts off the trees and hurls them to the ground like small but lethal unexploded bombs. A blessing to me because along with the rain comes a corresponding drop in temperature. It gave us a relatively cool night and, in spite of sleeping on thin mats on a bamboo floor I managed a few hours.
Church and a swim
Willie's village forms part of a larger community called Rampi. Rampi is a Roman Catholic area and we were all invited to join in the service (in Tok Pisin) at the local church of St Boniface. I'm not a particularly religious person but went along and enjoyed the singing which had that beautiful Pacific Island lilt. Then plenty tok tok with the congregation after the service.
A late morning swim in the sea off Willie's village was incredible - the live coral begins just a few yards offshore and was full of life. Great time.
Lunch with the whole village (chicken which we saw being slaughtered that morning) lots of toktok, present giving and thanks. A great experience - although I must admit that I was happy to return to my air conditioned bungalow and flush toilet!
Willie, our Tok Pisin tutor, invited us to spend the weekend at his village a short distance from Madang. Head of the village is BigPela Herman and we stayed in his house. Arriving in the heat of early afternoon we sat in the shade of coconut palms, sago palms and trees whose names I have yet to learn to drink water or kulow (coconut milk from young coconuts) and "tok story". Papua New Guineans love to talk and hear about our families and tell us about their lives in the village. It was a great way to practice our stumbling Tok Pisin- all conducted with much laughter and pointing but most of us managed some sort of simple conversation. My two sons may be interested to know that in Tok Pisin "Migat tupela pickinini man. Bigpela Tom na Liklik Jack" (say it out loud!)
All this with just the men - women are all kept in the background and after a brief greeting they disappeared to carry on with cooking, cleaning and everything else that needed to be done to keep the village going. The men look after the "gardens" (vegetable patch) of which they are extremely proud. This place is incredibly fertile - place the top of a pineapple in the ground and a few weeks later you have a new pineapple.
Evening came and with it time to eat. We ate well with a generous dinner of rice in coconut milk, chicken stew with ginger and a large helping of unknown vegetables that tasted a bit like spinach.
 |
| Big Herman's House |
 |
| Big Herman |
 |
| After the rain |
Rain, beautiful rain
After dinner it rained. Really hard tropical rain - the sort of storm that rips the coconuts off the trees and hurls them to the ground like small but lethal unexploded bombs. A blessing to me because along with the rain comes a corresponding drop in temperature. It gave us a relatively cool night and, in spite of sleeping on thin mats on a bamboo floor I managed a few hours.
Church and a swim
Willie's village forms part of a larger community called Rampi. Rampi is a Roman Catholic area and we were all invited to join in the service (in Tok Pisin) at the local church of St Boniface. I'm not a particularly religious person but went along and enjoyed the singing which had that beautiful Pacific Island lilt. Then plenty tok tok with the congregation after the service.
A late morning swim in the sea off Willie's village was incredible - the live coral begins just a few yards offshore and was full of life. Great time.
Lunch with the whole village (chicken which we saw being slaughtered that morning) lots of toktok, present giving and thanks. A great experience - although I must admit that I was happy to return to my air conditioned bungalow and flush toilet!
Saturday 9 October 2010
Life in Madang
Been in Madang for four days and am gradually getting used to the climate which varies between hot & sticky and very hot & very sticky. Living in a bungalow with two other volunteers - a teacher called Dave from Burnley and a Community Development Adviser from the Phillipines called Felix - so we are an international bunch. They are good guys and we get along well. The bungalow is in the grounds of Madang Lodge a mid range/economy hotel right on the coast at Madang. Its comfortable and friendly and just about walking distance to the VSO office - although we usually get the bus (or PMV as they call them here).
We have all been closely chaperoned by VSO staff until we are familiar with the best "personal security" routines! Although Madang is regarded as one of the safest towns in PNG there are still problems with the "rascals" who have recently taken to kidnapping expatriates as a way of earning a few quid! Anyway I'm still here and enjoying the new experience, and learning which parts of town to avoid!
We are being taught Tok Pisin by a local guy called Willie (who teaches well) and is taking us for an overnight stay in his village so we can practice over the weekend . We have been warned of the dangers in his village - coconuts falling from the trees, bad tempered pigs and the rather scary stories of the village toilet ! (known as the "liklik haus" - or little house"). The village is on the coast and we've been promised white sands, blue seas and a warm welcome. Sounds like fun!
Lukim yu behin
We have all been closely chaperoned by VSO staff until we are familiar with the best "personal security" routines! Although Madang is regarded as one of the safest towns in PNG there are still problems with the "rascals" who have recently taken to kidnapping expatriates as a way of earning a few quid! Anyway I'm still here and enjoying the new experience, and learning which parts of town to avoid!
We are being taught Tok Pisin by a local guy called Willie (who teaches well) and is taking us for an overnight stay in his village so we can practice over the weekend . We have been warned of the dangers in his village - coconuts falling from the trees, bad tempered pigs and the rather scary stories of the village toilet ! (known as the "liklik haus" - or little house"). The village is on the coast and we've been promised white sands, blue seas and a warm welcome. Sounds like fun!
Lukim yu behin
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