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Yesterday we looked forward to welcoming back to PNG Allan Hazell who has become part of our Kokoda Trekking Family. For those of you who log on frequently to our website you may recall a time when one of our porters died in a PMV accident by the name of Timias. His wife died some weeks later leaving a family of 5 without a mother or father.
Timias was Allan's personal porter and at the time he remarked that whilst he only spent 8 days on the track with Timias – when he received the news it was like his 'best friend' had died.
Allan and his twin brother Peter arranged to come up for his funeral and so an association with Allan began. We have now met all his family and they have met ours.
Last year Allan and Peter returned to Kokoda along with a couple of mates also on the same trek and put water into a few villages. Allan had worked hard all year gathering various items to make this happen through donations from various business houses in the area in which he lives.
Being a plumber by trade, he had the ideas of how to put it all into practice and so he did!
Earlier this year, I travelled to Kokoda and drove around some of the areas where our guides and porters live and by coincidence I was able to snap a young girl obtaining water from the 44 gallon drum he had set up in their village straight from the tap not from the river.
When I saw what Allan, his brother and friends had done I was amazed at how simple it looked and yet how much they had improved the lives of the people living there. Proof was in the pudding, when this young woman did not have a clue we would be driving in, was there at the drum fetching water from the tap.
The water is gravity fed from their river and I believe if they heat up the stones they can even have hot water! Without Allan and his friends this would never have come about.
DSCN0635__Small_.JPGWhen we were returning to Popondetta, there was some young children walking along the side of the road and a guy of about 25 + riding a bike alongside them. Russell said, that Timias's children so we stopped and asked where they were all going.
The reply was that it was school holidays and that they were walking down to their Aunties place so they hopped inside the hired troopcarrier and we gave them a lift.
On and on we seemed to go and some 2 + hours later we came to where we dropped them off…remember this was in a motor vehicle. To walk would have taken them all DAY!!!
DSCN0627__Small_.JPGOn the same trip I was taken into one of our porters villages by the name of Tomsteen. Allan's brother Peter had Tomsteen as his personal porter. In honour of Peter and Allan's visit last year Tomsteen built him his own house right next to the river and told him it would stay there for whenever he wanted to visit.
DSCN0638__Small_.JPGA couple of months back our plumber Dickson (from Kerema – ie not from Kokoda) who had been working in Kokoda for at least 12 months was attacked by a drunk which resulted in him having to come back into Port Moresby with 8 stitches in his face. At the time he was building the outdoor showers.
As custom would have it, the guy who hit him has to put on a feast and pay compensation before he is able to commence work again in Kokoda. The guy in question is Kingsley Boropi and him and his family have to save money to enable this to happen.
Owing to the fact that he had been suspended due to the problem he caused, meant no income for him so it has dragged on for sometime.
Allan heard about this and out of the blue about 10 days ago offered to come up and finish the job Dickson started along with his son Jackson. I quickly organised two tickets and they arrived up yesterday.
Today I sent them over to Kokoda by chartered aircraft along with bags of cement and other items.
As we said our goodbyes, Allan looked really excited to be going back to Kokoda. As for Jackson I am pretty sure he is going to have a ball over there and said he was looking forward to the experience having heard all about the trips his father had made.
Only one missing out is Mum who is home looking after the other two children in the family. I am led to believe Karen is DYING to come to PNG and head to Kokoda to see for herself why Allan has adopted the area as his home away from home!
The boys in Kokoda were so excited to know that I was re-opening the camp and that Allan and Jackson were heading their way, that they secretly arranged a sing sing traditional welcome for them.
Stay tuned for further updates as Allan supervises our KTL staff for the next couple of weeks. All going well we should soon have water supplied to the camp from the creek and the showers completed.
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IMGP5223__Small_.JPGJust this morning when I went looking for photographs of Timias, Russell Eroro remarked how he was one of the happiest guys in Kokoda. Whenever he saw him he always had a SMILE on his face as per the photographs below:
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Kokoda_Allans_cd_013__Small_.jpgTimias lost his life in November 2006 and his wife Mavis died in March'07. Whilst walking the track Allan was informed by Timias that he walked to earn money to put his children through school. Allan and his friends have now taken on this role along with keeping an eye on his children.
No doubt this visit will allow Allan to catch up with them again. I think the eldest daughter has inherited his smile and happy nature as all the time in the car with me she had this huge grin on her face and seemed such a happy young girl.
Photographs:
Pic 1: Allan and his twin brother Peter attend the funeral of Timias
Pic 2: Five of the children in this photograph belong to Timias and his wife Mavis
Pic 3: Mavis badly hurt seen here at her husbands funeral being comforted by Peter or is it Allan?
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Mavis__Small_.jpgUpdate 14/08/08: What a difference a week makes, take a look for yourself.
Fence is happening – Sairope boys following Allan's direction along with wives of our staff cleaning the grounds.
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DSCN4840__Small_.JPGOne of four outdoor showers almost complete along with Bamboo lining.
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DSCN4853__Small_.JPGA flushing toilet presently being installed:
DSCN4822__Small_.JPGAn electrician has already connected up power points to all win haus's and is presently working on setting up the electricity for our fridge and washing machine.
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DSCN4848__Small_.JPGStage being erected for our KOKODA CHALLENGE RACE 2008 commencing on the 30th August at Owers' Corner.
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DSCN4839__Small_.JPGOne of 3 x 3000 gallon tanks installed and running water and taps are all over the place. Next to guesthouses; water already running in the outdoor showers; taps and water in the kitchen areas; outdoor taps and so on…..WOW and he has only been there 1 week! Whats another week going to bring.
Anyone else a builder….plumber….handyman who wants a couple of weeks holiday at our camp in Kokoda or a trek in lieu of work, please contact me!
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