UNIQUENESS OF SUAUAN MOTHERS- MILNE BAY PROVINCE..PNG

Today is mothers day and so this post is dedicated to all the beloved mothers from Suau. Suau mothers are very special and unique. We LOVE YOU all. 

My grandma still babysitting even she is with walking sticks (unending love)

I personally grew up from my child hood under six different mothers (not biological but culturally, we call our mother's sisters "mothers" in Suau rather than aunts). All these mothers treat me equally as my biological mum. I share equal rights with my cousins which I call brothers and sisters. They give the same discipline without favor and make sure I am given the best as that of their own children. They sacrifice there own food and bed for you even if you don't ask for it. Here is a special example.

One rainy day when my dad, other siblings and I were sleeping all day due to cold and bad weather, my mum returned from the garden soaked in water. As she put up the heavy basket load of the harvest, we all rushed to see what we can grab from the basket for immediate consumption. Without complaining she ignited the dying fire to keep the kitchen warm not for her sake but for us the children to sit by the fire and eat what we found in her basket. As the fire was burning she put up some corns and pitpits, which we thought was for her as she was looking very hungry and tired after walking the long hilly track to the garden in the heavy downpour. 

So as the corns and pitpits were still half grilled, my siblings and I competed to get them out of the fire thinking that mum might have them all by her self or give the bigger ones to her favorite child.. To my surprise she says,

"Can't you guys wait patiently? No one's gonna eat those stuff except you! wait until they are ready cooked then I can share them fairly among you, am not gonna eat them!" when the stuff were cooked, she shared them among us leaving herself none. As she was preparing the food for dinner we hungrily eat the "snack" and returned to bed waiting for her call for dinner which she surely called after an hour. Not to forget that as we eat the dinner hungrily she served us and waited to eat our left overs usually bones and fibrous parts of the food that we can't consume. She reserve that better left over in case some of us the children get hungry again during the night. After the meal we pushed out our plates towards her for her to clean up our mess without thanking her yet we hear no complains from her.

My mum preparing dinner while looking out for the playing children (multi job without pay). No selfish heart!

I now realized she is the GREATEST woman in my Life..whether it be my biological mum, aunt or fostered mum..We love you!

Who are the first to be served during the meal? men and children!. Mothers are truly self less.

Not to forget something about most Suau mothers that we also dislike. Take for example: She usually say, "Son that girl is part of our family, that one as well, that one, that one and am like "OMg every other girl is part of us', then am gonna marry out of Suau. Finally the lady comes home out of Suau and mums comes running hugging her and saying all the adorable words on the planet. Wait until Sunday after church and she will be like, "oh people, this lady is too fancy so and so..!" Saying it to her group of friends sharing some beda. haha..Are you laughing? They real cool..:)..

I find it controversial but the bottom line is mothers want the best for their children. They sacrifice their all for you and I. Suau Children should be happy to have very good mothers and that our mothers deserve all of our love. Treat them like that "fancy one" she calls, even a bit more before you hardly see her any longer. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO YOU ALL!!

Have you ever thought this way as a Papua New Guinean???

I sometimes ponder  for hours trying to imagine the most positive and fair description of life that is fair and true for both the Western cultures and the PNG way of life. I began to realise that I am towed between two imaginary forces each having different perspectives of how life should be. The two have been running parallel with their standards and beliefs but the poor citizens are subject to either confusions or uncertainty on which path to take. These are the marginalised lot of people ussually pin pointed as problematic subjects within a system. Today I will try my utmost best to answer one of Papua New Guineans’ controversial questions which they believe that they are wrongly branded.

Question 1:  PNG is branded to be in extreme poverty with daily earning of $1.25/ day.

My answer is NO as a Papua New Guinean (Could be yes if PNG was a state in U.S or Australia).

As a Papua New Guinean  I will define poverty as lacking essential  human needs such as clean water, shelter and food. Next to these would be proper health and education systems. Papua New Guinean's  fresh waters were as clean and pure for consumption until pollution was introduced into our forests and atmosphere. 82 % of our people in rural areas have standard shelter to reside and sufficient meal to fend themselves. Hence I don’t believe we are destitutes as Papua New Guineans but might be  destitutes if we classify ourselves as Westerners.

The $1.25/day equivalent to K3.47…? Is it true in my view as Papua New Guinean??  NO!. I come from an isolated part of Milne Bay but people eat three meals a day and feed the surplus to the animals like dogs and pigs. Fruits such as mangos, pawpaws and ripe bananas are left to the bats and birds. They share surplus food freely and accommodate visitors with out charge in their homes. Now value all that and prove to me if its below $1.25? Formal education and health definitely need cash but if I was left in my former way of life, will these things become neccesity to me?

Well lets balance it then you may have your own conclusions. To the Westerners you have influence our way of life and converted us to be like you. Walk by ourside that we may journey together rather then towing us and branding us according to your standards or pace.

To fellow Papua New Guineans there is no excuse to be poor, we have chosen to be part of the global community and is the fact that can not be cried over lest we die. Our problem is lack of western knowledge to convert our resources into money. PNGians are great fisherman, its time we learn to get the coin out of the fish..

Cheers..and thank you for reading..