Crying for Goilala - Bishop's plea for PNG’s most neglected people
12 November 2014
RAYMOND GIRANA | Catholic Reporter
BISHOP Rochus Tatamai of Bereina Diocese has called upon various arms of government to take the lead in assisting remote communities in the mountains of Goilala in the Central Province.
Social services such as health, education and pastoral presence are needed in these areas. Missionaries, public servants and ordinary people have died over the years trying to provide services to the people in the mountains while travelling on small planes.
“There is no other way around for places like Guari-Kamulai, Fane, Ononghe, Jongai and Kerau, but through flying into the mountains on small planes”, Bishop Rochus said.
Bishop Rochus raised his concern following a September plane crash 300 metres from Mt Lawes near the Hiritano Highway.
The crash killed four people and left five survivors including a diocesan priest from Bereina.
While the Catholic Church is present in the area, it is not capable of delivering all the needed services due to limited resources.
“Priests, teachers and health workers can only do so much and they can only cope with so much for so long”, Bishop Rochus said.
He also expressed that political will and leadership, commitment and action is needed in the Goilala electorate so the people can feel they are included in the development of Papua New Guinea.
“It is for this reason that we are calling upon the various arms of government to take the lead and we will surely complement”, Bishop Rochus said.
Mr Girana, thank you for this story. It is a very common story.
Many of these stories will never get to the everyday news outlets nor this PNG Attitude, but there are true blood and sweat Papua New Guineans suffering like these people in Goilala all over this country.
In Simbu, I think of our people of Karimui who are going through this very problem.
Posted by: Mathias Kin | 12 November 2014 at 07:29 AM