There's something wrong with yahoo email system. One old email that I sent on last four years ago (!!!) keep sending back to my inbox on this week. So it's kind of pushing me to re-read the message again, and it reminds me of my old days while living in Papua. Especially it reminded me to the poor family that I met on the trip, and to one baby boy suffered with malnutrition during my field visit to Jayawijaya highland. I tried to did my best to help the baby, but latter I have to watched him die.
Four years after, today, ... still Papua reported as the highest risks of death due to malnutrition and also maternal mortality.
This posting is just another story in my life. From what I see, from what I've learned, in life and about life !
******
From: Lia Marpaung -Abidin [mailto:lia_rina_marpaung@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 7:47 PM
To: TAF Alumni; 'Hari Kusdaryanto (E-mail)'; 'R. Alam Surya Putra (E-mail)'; Helga Sianturi; Anna Dartania; Gindo Sianturi; roger@swanidobiak.com; 'Hannah & Charles'; Osa Hartoyo; Medianero Luis Miguel; Iwan Kurniawan; Noni Jade
Subject: Sad Reality - My Story in Papua
Dear Friends,
Yesterday together with one of our Unicef consultant and his family, we went to Depapre in Jayapura sub-district (2 hours driving from Abepura/Kotaraja, my house area) to visiting one of health center there. Then coming back from the mini-loc meeting with Depapre health staff, we went to the Genyem area. After driving about 3 hours in a very bad condition of the local road, and not really having breakfast, we realized we were very starving. Unfortunately there were no restaurant or even small warung ! So when we saw a little sales booth (selling pinang) which was attached to a house, we stopped the car and I got out to ask the lady if she could make us something to eat and we would pay her. Well, she actually took me into her kitchen in her house where I saw with my own eyes that the only thing she had to eat were green bananas ! Pisang mengkel !!! I asked her "do you have any vegetables? Any sagu, any keladi, greens, petatas ??? ( i didnt dare to ask if she had rice).... and the answer was always 'no'. So I asked "what did you eat last night ?" and the answer was boiled bananas. I asked her, what do your meals usually consist of and she smiled and replied "boiled bananas".... well i told her "okay, i would like to order boiled bananas". I asked her how much that would be and she had no idea so I asked her to make me 10,000 rupiah worth of boiled bananas :-)
I kid you not when I say she overloaded a plate with boiled bananas !!! The kids of my colleague didnt really like it and so am I ! I did ate a few boiled bananas just because am so damned hungry ! Then we ended up hiding the remaining boiled bananas in the car and gave the lady back an empty plate.
I know we have read the reports about the nutritional challenges in Papua but seeing it for myself reinforces my opinion that change here needs to come from concentrated supporting activities and not "one off" events. These people need to be shown (if possible) on a daily basis what to eat, what to cook and be continually encouraged to maintain the new lifestyle until they do it on their own and continue to do it on their own once the (unicef ?) facilitators leave.... of course easier said than done....:-)
Anyway, this is just some story from our field visit yesterday ... this time is from the nearest town nearby jayapura city ! Last week i went to a small village in Biak island, the local food is even better .... at least, together with the local people, i can ate "sagu" with fresh fish ... ( am starting enjoying their "sagu" now :-)
Lia,
from West Papua
Four years after, today, ... still Papua reported as the highest risks of death due to malnutrition and also maternal mortality.
This posting is just another story in my life. From what I see, from what I've learned, in life and about life !
******
From: Lia Marpaung -Abidin [mailto:lia_rina_marpaung@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 7:47 PM
To: TAF Alumni; 'Hari Kusdaryanto (E-mail)'; 'R. Alam Surya Putra (E-mail)'; Helga Sianturi; Anna Dartania; Gindo Sianturi; roger@swanidobiak.com; 'Hannah & Charles'; Osa Hartoyo; Medianero Luis Miguel; Iwan Kurniawan; Noni Jade
Subject: Sad Reality - My Story in Papua
Dear Friends,
Yesterday together with one of our Unicef consultant and his family, we went to Depapre in Jayapura sub-district (2 hours driving from Abepura/Kotaraja, my house area) to visiting one of health center there. Then coming back from the mini-loc meeting with Depapre health staff, we went to the Genyem area. After driving about 3 hours in a very bad condition of the local road, and not really having breakfast, we realized we were very starving. Unfortunately there were no restaurant or even small warung ! So when we saw a little sales booth (selling pinang) which was attached to a house, we stopped the car and I got out to ask the lady if she could make us something to eat and we would pay her. Well, she actually took me into her kitchen in her house where I saw with my own eyes that the only thing she had to eat were green bananas ! Pisang mengkel !!! I asked her "do you have any vegetables? Any sagu, any keladi, greens, petatas ??? ( i didnt dare to ask if she had rice).... and the answer was always 'no'. So I asked "what did you eat last night ?" and the answer was boiled bananas. I asked her, what do your meals usually consist of and she smiled and replied "boiled bananas".... well i told her "okay, i would like to order boiled bananas". I asked her how much that would be and she had no idea so I asked her to make me 10,000 rupiah worth of boiled bananas :-)
I kid you not when I say she overloaded a plate with boiled bananas !!! The kids of my colleague didnt really like it and so am I ! I did ate a few boiled bananas just because am so damned hungry ! Then we ended up hiding the remaining boiled bananas in the car and gave the lady back an empty plate.
I know we have read the reports about the nutritional challenges in Papua but seeing it for myself reinforces my opinion that change here needs to come from concentrated supporting activities and not "one off" events. These people need to be shown (if possible) on a daily basis what to eat, what to cook and be continually encouraged to maintain the new lifestyle until they do it on their own and continue to do it on their own once the (unicef ?) facilitators leave.... of course easier said than done....:-)
Anyway, this is just some story from our field visit yesterday ... this time is from the nearest town nearby jayapura city ! Last week i went to a small village in Biak island, the local food is even better .... at least, together with the local people, i can ate "sagu" with fresh fish ... ( am starting enjoying their "sagu" now :-)
Lia,
from West Papua
2 comments:
Kisah hidup yg sangat menyedihkan! Padahal Papua diberkati sang Pencipta dgn Sumber Daya Alam yang sangat melimpah! Orang Non papua khusunya dari Negeri asing menikmati, tapi mereka penduduk asli tetap miskin di tanah sendiri.....
yup benar monang. sad but true ! :(
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