MAF flew two senior representatives from Bread for the World into remote areas of PNG
On 18 October 2022, MAF flew two Bread for the World (BFTW) representatives from Mt Hagen to Kompiam and Megau to help them get a better idea of what their partnership programs look like on the ground.
"It is one thing if you always read about this stuff, but it is an entirely different story if you actually see it yourself, said Hanno Allolio the Regional Representative for BFTW. "We were fortunate today that we had the chance to not only meet with MAF but also have one of MAF’s planes take us to a rural hospital in Kompiam (and later to Megau)."
It is one thing if you always read about this stuff, but it is an entirely different story if you actually see it yourself.
While in Kompiam, the BFTW reps got to meet with Dr. Mills, the Director of Rural Health and Training, working at the Kompiam District Hospital under the Enga Baptist Health Services, who took them on a tour of the hospital. While they toured the wards, they could discuss the realities and challenges involved in running a hospital in a remote location in PNG.
"We went to Kompiam hospital, where we also have a project on the digitalization of patient information," said Jutta Werdes the Head of the Southeast Asia region for BFTW Germany. "The hospital in Kompiam was very impressive and remarkable. I have never seen a hospital like it here in rural PNG."
The hospital in Kompiam was very impressive and remarkable. I have never seen a hospital like it here in rural PNG.
BFTW and MAF have been working together on a new partnership. This collaboration will use a program from the Tribal Foundation called “Senisim Pasin” which is a community-based training program that looks to prevent gender-based violence.
Jutta said that the goal of the project is, “to make men aware of women, the role of women, and how to be more peaceful in their relationship with women.”
With financial funding from BFTW, MAF will take the “Senisim Pasin” initiative into remote areas of PNG intending to share educational videos that will help stop violence against women in PNG, starting with six communities in Enga, East Sepik, and Southern Highlands provinces.
"MAF came to BFTW with a proposal to undertake a project that would engage the communities in a discussion on what their relationships with women are and in a very culturally appropriate way make an attempt to start a new thought process that hopefully will culminate in 'Senisim Pasin,' which is Tok Pisin for ‘change your ways,'" said Hanno.
BFTW is partnering with 40 organizations in the Southeast Asia-Pacific Region. Some of their partnerships here in Papua New Guinea are in extremely isolated areas that would not be possible to reach without the assistance of MAF aircraft.
"We had a chance to understand what it is really about when MAF goes out to communities and people in the bush for whom MAF is literally the only form of connection to the outside world," said Hanno.
We had a chance to understand what it is really about when MAF goes out to communities and people in the bush for whom MAF is literally the only form of connection to the outside world.
In the past, services provided by MAF helped shuttle BFTW staff between urban locations on mainland PNG. This trip helped further strengthen the partnership between the two organizations, while it also provided a deeper understanding of the isolation faced by many communities like Megau.
"It was pretty impressive flying. Hats off to those pilots, they clearly know what they are doing," said Hanno.