DWU THMD4 Students Engaged for Disaster Risk Awareness

in Papua New Guinea, there are few universities
and Madang is privileged to have Divine Word University which allows students
to interact with the community and to discuss issues which affect the future of
this nation - John Griffith

Through a collaborative discussion with the former student and graduate of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Mr. Nathan Lati, who works as project logistics and administration officer for World Vision. The Head of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Mr. John Imbal
agreed and scheduled Friday 2^nd of September, 2011 for a Disaster Risk Management Awareness at Matugar Village on the North Coast of Madang.

The World Vision runs the Community-based Disaster Risk Management Project for 27 villages along the North Coast Road in the Sumgilbar Local Level Government. As part of the awareness the Tourism Students of Divine World University were engaged to do awareness relating to Climate Change which relates to Disaster Risk Management. One of the units in Tourism Hospitality Management requires the final year students to go out to
the field and conduct awareness and trainings. Hence, this was the opportunity for the final year students in 2011 to coordinate with Mr. Lati of World Vision to provide an interactive and informative awareness for the people of Matugar village on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management.  

The students were so interested to learn about the project and decided help with awareness on Climate change and Disaster Risk Management. Mr. Lati provided the necessary materials to the students to prepare their awareness items. Maps and other materials from the previous work done by World Vision became useful resources for the students to present the awareness to the villagers.

The university owned bus was organized to transport the students at 9am from DWU main campus to the project site at North Coast. Mr. Lati was decided to be the tour guide in the bus and got on with the students as well. Among the students were Mr. John Griffiths who was an expatriate lecturer attached to Tourism Hospitality Department and assisted the students on their presentation. The head of Department, Mr. John Imbal also took time off to accompany the group to the site with the students to do the awareness.   

The bus ride took approximately one and half hour to arrive at the project site (Matugar village) which is a coastal village located along the North Cost Road of Madang Province.

When the group arrived at Matugar village, Mr. Lati met with the village committees and called in all the villagers. The attendance turn-up was impressive with most of them being young and influential youths that are capable of making impacts in their community in terms of awareness on disaster risk management. Among the participant was the village
councilor, Saky Organization (a community-based organization) executives, village elders and the youths.  

  

The village is situated on the coastline overlooking the volcanic island of Karkar and its seafront has nice blackish sandy beach with a crystal-clear sea that joins the Madang lagoon providing ideal place for swimming, snorkeling or simply relaxing. However, the area has a potential risk of loosing the land through the effects of climate change and rising sea level.

There is a natural tropical forest and family owned coconut plantations adjacent to the village with the bush tracks leading to the gardens whilst the main North Coast Highway runs parallel with the seafront and village on the other side. Matugar village is naturally a paradise of its own with coconut palms shading the narrow beach, giant fig tree tumbling leaves and branches over the water, greenery rioting in the background with stunning reflection giving a sense of tranquility. Its amazing to know that, after a few meters from the shore is the rich marine life; provides food source to the village. 

Along the coastline and on the other side of the main road are thatched-roof and semi-permanent houses built on stilts and surrounded well-looked after native flower gardens with hibiscus plants as boundaries. It is indeed a beautiful and a peaceful coastal village on the North Coast of Madang.

Despite being one of those peaceful costal village, Matugar village has its own challenges and is vulnerable to major disasters like tsunamis and effects of rising sea level because of its location on the shoreline. The effects of climate change are evident with the alarming state of erosion be caused by the sea. The soil composition is mostly sandstone and there is no reef formation like other shorelines of Madang which are naturally protected from erosion.

The awareness presentations by the students were interactive in which they involved the Matugar villagers in some of the activities. The students asked simple questions in Tok Pisin and the villagers used the butcher papers and markers to write their answers down. The student presenters had given the opportunity to the Matugar villagers to present their finding after their group discussions.

Below are some of the questions asked and the answers received from the villagers in Tok Pisin.

1. Long bipo taim graun i bin stap olsem wanem?

Answers:

·        Solwara i bin stap orait na plenty pis tru long solwara

·        Ples i bin stap orait plenti kaikai long gaden ibin gro gut

·        Nogat sik long wara

·        Busi bin pulap long wail abus na bin gat gutpla diwai long wokim haus

·        Plenti manmeri ino bin stap long bipo taim

2. Wanem kain senis i kamap nau we bipo em ino bin kamap?

Answers:

·        Solwarai brukim graun mak long 10mita long 1960 kam inap nau

·        We blo wokim gaden em senis

·        Kalsa blo yumi em dai aut

ü  Tokples

ü  Singsing

ü  custom

·        we bilong bilip na laif stail tu em senis

3. Bihian bai graun i stap olsem wanem?

Answers:

·        Klaimate senis i kamap

·        Plenty wok developmen i kamap

·        Lona oda tu ino wok strong

·        Plenti stil pasin i kamap strong moa yet

4. Wanem kain ol rot bilong kamapim gutpela sindaun long peles?

Answers:

·        Noken katim diwai nating nating, katim wanpla planim tupla

·        Planim mangrove klostu long nambis long stopim solwara

·        Noken tromaii pipia long solwara

·        Noken katim bus nating nating

·        Noken maekim paia

·        Lukautim wara blong yumi

After the presentations, the students gave quick reflections on how they feel the villagers should and should not do.They also stressed the importance on the World Vision Project on Disaster Risk Management.

Mr. John Griffith, the visiting lecturer from Southern Cross University, who accompanied the students to Matugar was given some minutes to make closing remarks after the awareness
presentation. He said that; ‘in Papua New Guinea, there are few universities and Madang is privileged to have Divine Word University which allows students to interact with the community and to discuss issues which affect the future of this nation’’. He also said; the students’ working in collaboration with village people to address issues such as Climate Change and Disaster management is the way forward to address the real issues affecting the people.

When the presentations were over, Mr. Lati and his Disaster Management team from the World Vision provided local lunch for both the students and the participants who had attended the awareness. The villagers provided Kulau (coconut juice drink) and also offered buai (betel nut) to the students in appreciation of their awareness in Matugar. The traditional dishes prepared in Matugar way includes yam and greens in coconut milk.

After lunch Mr. Imbal thanked the students and the participants for taking part in such awareness. He also assured the World Vision team and the Matugar villagers that if they interested then the students can be engaged again for next awareness.  

Written by: Wilfred Paka THMD4/2011
Edited by: Nathan Lati 

Onsite conducting awareness at Matugar village

THM D4 Students inside the bus

Awareness Presentation