The Keto-Tapasi Association meets to discuss goals for 2009

Last Friday I did a quick journey up the mountain to meet with the Keto-Tapasi Progress Association Executives and Clan leaders to discuss amongst other things our aims and objectives for the coming year.

Our last visit to the “Hut” was towards the end of October when we attended the festivities to celebrate the launch of the Association and for the offical handover of the Certificate of Registration. Unfortunately, we have not been back to the “Hut” since then, I say unfortunately becasue there’s a reason why and it’s not a positive one. A couple of months ago we gave a bag full of groceries and other items to someone to take back to the village – the “package” never arrived at its destination!!

The situation with the “cargo” not being delivered and stolen has caused me much anger – I wrote about the Papua New Guinean and trust some time ago and mentioned that if there’s one thing and one thing only that will “chase” me out of PNG and that is this business of trust or lack of for the locals. It has become obvious to me that when it comes to money and Papua New Guineans – they just don’t mix!!

One thing about Highlanders and that is they have a very strong sense of justice. They will put their lives on the line if they believe that a wrong has been committed against them. Justice in PNG can be swift, brutal and instant although many cases do end up in what is referred to as the Village Court. Having lived and worked here for close to four years now and being married to a Highlander – I have adopted some of the local customs into my own ethos. My personal sense of justice is now stronger than what is has ever been and the situation with the stolen “cargo” has certainly triggered a need within to see justice carried out and receive some form of satisfaction.

Despite my need to see the “thief” receive justice before I will go back to the village – I made a decision to meet with the association executive and clan leaders last Friday as we do have a key project about to kick off shortly.

Russell Poka - Association Chairperson

The following items were discussed during last Friday’s meeting:

• Staff from Monpi Sustainable Services will be visiting the village for three weeks starting the 12th of January. The purpose of there visit is to carry out an audit in preparation for UTZ Certification. Four or five Monpi staff will work with the locals full-time over the three week period which will also include education and training around coffee growing and farming techniques.

• The eight clans have agreed that they will provide Monpi staff with accommodation and also a regular supply of fresh garden food. Items such as soap, coffee, rice etc… will need to be bought and carried in by the Monpi staff themselves. It was also agreed that Monpi staff will be discouraged from consuming any alcohol during their three week project.

• The issue I shared a few paragraphs up about the “thief” and my need to see justice carried out also got given some attention during the meeting. I shared my anger with those present and explained why we had not been for a “Hut” visit for over two months – in the process I requested support from the eight clans to initiate Village Court proceedings against the thug. My request was well received and a date for a Court will be set within the next week or so. I made it clear to the men and women present that on the day of the Court – I will be shaming the bloke in front of his own people. Fuck him!!

• We have been conducting Coffee Surveys in the village over the past couple of months and these are now almost complete. In preparation for UTZ Certification and the work Monpi is about to embark upon – we need to know how many plots and how many coffee trees each farmer owns. With the data collected so far – it looks like we might have around 500,000 coffee trees – each tree able to produce around 3kg of parchment each round – at perhaps two harvests per year – the potential for a money spinner for the locals is definitely looking good. Part of Monpi’s work will be to educate the locals in how to grow more and better quality coffee.

• I had a little rant and rave about the enemies of the rural PNG people. I told them that their foes are not government or raskols, drug bodies or thieves but something totally different. I told those present and in no uncertain terms that their key enemies and one’s which have the potential to destroy life as the rural Papua New Guinean knows it are: 1) Alcohol, 2) Marijuana, 3) Gambling, 4) Greed and 5) Jealousy. I suggested to them that the Association needs to desperately embark upon some social projects to address these five critical areas.

• We now have a Bank Account and a Cheque Book. Every single kina (approx. K2000) that has been collected and contributed over the past year is now sitting in the Association’s own Bank Account. A true milestone and a first for the locals! The Account has three signatories of which I am principal – Russell Poka’s signature (Association Chairperson) is second and Lena Nolo’s signature (Association Treasurer) is third. I brought the cheque book with me and passed it around the meeting – it was very interesting to observe the look on people’s faces and the way they held the cheque book as it was being passed around. We have yet to purchase an Association Seal.

• We also discussed and agreed that a Workshop will facilitated during early 2009 to provide each of the Executives with a clear understanding of their job descriptions and executive responsibilities. The meeting was strongly in favour of this idea.

• I also took the opportunity to present one of the recently donated laptops to the Association. It was made very clear that the laptop will be under the custodianship and care of (uncle) Russell Poka.

• Since the Association became registered there’s been a number of locals embarking upon projects with applications for funding submitted in the name of the Association. Whilst individual entrepreneurship and private business opportunities are supported and in fact encouraged – in no way shape or form should the Association lend its name to projects that will only benefit a single person. We spoke about the need for the Executive to meet and discuss these types of proposals and to exercise a high degree of caution and awareness before a project is given it’s seal of approval.

• The meeting went for two and a half hours and ended up on a very positive note. I caught the PMV back to Goroka and was home sipping a freshly brewed coffee at around 4:30pm.

Em Tasol. (And that’s about all folks)

NB: Uncle Russell just rang and told us that our Village Court is to be held this Thursday in Kiango. Kiango is the name of the village along the Highway where the “thief” is from and the court panel will be made up of magistrates from both parties. I am being told that a contingent of locals from each of the eight clans will be there on the day to back me up – just in case!!