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Kokoda Trekking

1 day ago

I was sent the following and thought it was worth sharing.

I talked with a man today, an 80+ year-old man.

I asked him if there was anything I can get him while this Coronavirus scare was gripping the world.

He simply smiled, looked away and said:

"Let me tell you what I need! I need to believe, at some point, this country my generation fought for... I need to believe this nation we handed safely to our children and their children...

I need to know this generation will quit being a bunch of sissies...that they respect what they've been given...that they've earned what others sacrificed for."

I wasn't sure where the conversation was going or if it was going anywhere at all.

So, I sat there, quietly observing.

"You know, I was a little boy during WWII. Those were scary days.

We didn't know if we were going to be speaking English, German or Japanese at the end of the war.

There was no certainty, no guarantees like we all enjoy today.

And no home went without sacrifice or loss. Every house, up and down every street, had someone in harm's way.

Maybe their Daddy was a soldier, maybe their son was a sailor, maybe it was an uncle.

Sometimes it was the whole damn family...fathers, sons, uncles...

Having someone, you love, sent off to war...it wasn't less frightening than it is today. It was scary as Hell. If anything, it was more frightening.

We didn't have battlefront news.

We didn't have email or mobile phones. You sent them away and you hoped...you prayed. You may not hear from them for months, if ever.

Sometimes a mother was getting her son's letters the same day Dad was comforting her over their child's death.

And we sacrificed. You couldn't buy things.

Everything was rationed. You were only allowed so much milk per month, only so much bread, toilet paper.

EVERYTHING was restricted for the war effort.

And what you weren't using, what you didn't need, things you threw away, they were saved and sorted for the war effort.

My generation was the original recycling movement in the world.

And we had viruses back then...serious viruses. Things like polio, measles, and such.

It was nothing to walk to school and pass a house or two that was quarantined.

We didn't shut down our schools. We didn't shut down our cities. We carried on, without masks, without hand sanitizer.

And do you know what? We persevered. We overcame.

We didn't attack our Presidents, Prime Ministers or whoever, we came together. We rallied around the flag for the war.

Thick or thin, we were in it to win.

And we would lose more boys in an hour of combat than we lose in entire wars today."

He slowly looked away again. Maybe I saw a small tear in the corner of his eye. Then he continued:

"Today's kids don't know sacrifice.

They think sacrifice is not having coverage on their phone while they freely drive across the country.

Today's kids are selfish and spoiled.

In my generation, we looked out for our elders. We helped out with single moms whose husbands were either at war or dead from war.

Today's kids rush the store, buying everything they can...no concern for anyone but themselves.

It's shameful the way kids behave these days. None of them deserves the sacrifices their granddads made.

So, no I don't need anything. I appreciate your offer but, I know I've been through worse things than this virus.

But maybe I should be asking you, what can I do to help you?

Do you have enough to get through this, enough steak?

Will you be able to survive with 113 channels on your tv?"

I smiled, fighting back a tear of my own...now humbled by a man in his 80's.

All I could do was thank him for the history lesson, leave my number for emergency and leave with my ego firmly tucked in my rear.

I talked to a man today. A real man. A man from an era long gone and forgotten.

We will never understand the sacrifices.

We will never fully earn their sacrifices.

But we should work harder to learn about them..learn from them...to respect them. ... See MoreSee Less

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Kokoda Trekking

3 weeks ago

Thank you KTFAs we have all seen, COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across the globe with a growing number of outbreak hubs. Whilst there are (thankfully) still no confirmed cases of the virus in PNG, the virus poses a very real threat to the health systems and welfare of people across PNG, including the communities we work with as well as our team and volunteers.

KTF have been working closely with the Northern Province Health Authority CEO, our medical advisors and partners in the Province to develop our response for our Healthy Communities project which supports the operations of many health facilities across the Track catchment region. This is being implemented immediately in preparation for the virus reaching these communities.

Our response involves increasing our supply of drugs, especially paracetamol, resources and training materials for Community Health Workers to treat cases and provide education and awareness to community members. Safety and protection of our CHWs will remain our number one priority ensuring they have access to Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and sanitation supplies, including soap, masks, gloves and hand sanitiser. We are distributing WHO signage to all health facilities and schools supported by KTF around hand washing and hygiene, self-isolation and other protective measures.

Today, more than ever, our community is key to thriving and surviving. Be prepared, be aware and most importantly be kind....and don't forget to wash your hands!

Note: PNG COVID-19 Public Hotline: 7196 0813 ... See MoreSee Less

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