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Following a report from Warren Bartlett – CEO of the Kokoda Track Authority that the township of Kokoda was a disgrace we at KTL decided to try and do something about it.
We organised a committe of young men who live in the station to come up with some ideas of how to improve what is basically their front yard.
A young group who are trying hard to save money towards the purchase of some musical instruments offered to work two days a week for us in return we donate some money to their fund raising.
We agreed, and the township is now looking a lot better and other people are now coming out and offering to help.
The school headmaster also offered today to get the older children from his school involved for one day to help the Kokoda Station boys.
Photograph: Our 'Make Kokoda Beautiful Boys' seen here in their uniforms. In the background the side of the hill they are working on today that adjoins the road leading up in the Kokoda Station from the airport. As you will note the only tool they use is their long trusted BUSH KNIFE or as we say machetes! As one of our trekkers remarked once, these boys carry machetes like we carry mobile phones:
IMGP3343.jpgAs with all tropical areas of PNG, during the wet season everything grows wild and elephant grass and other weeds take over as can be seen in the background of the photograph above.
We would like to thank Winnie and his team of helpers for trying to beautify KOKODA and hope that they continue to a point where the people living there can once again be proud of their front yard.
In Australia we are so lucky as our local councils take care of our roads and the grass that grows beside them. Here in PNG sadly, there are basically no government bodies who care and / or no equipment to do the job so everything gets out of hand.
All labour is manual and in some cases donated lawn mowers which tend to break down and never get repaired.
Photograph: Winnie Pore the chief organiser of our cleanathon in Kokoda Station:
Winnie_2.jpgGood news! Finally our tractor is on a boat heading for PNG and is expected to arrive on the 13th. It will have to be cleared by customs and sent down to Popondetta by ship so is not expected in Kokoda until the end of April. It is hoped after these boys have cut down all the tall grass that our tractor can keep it mowed on a regular basis.
Tomorrow these boys will commence digging two pit toilets at the Kokoda airstrip. Two toilets have been donated by the Kokoda Track Authority for trekker use. Once again this work is all manual so is not as easy as it may sound.
Photograph – our New Holland Tractor with slasher:
100_1095.jpgOther photographs taken today 9th April – Pic 1:
IMGP3335.jpgOther photographs taken today 9th April – Kokoda Station – Pic 2:
IMGP3336.jpgOther photographs taken today 9th April – Kokoda Station – Pic 3:
IMGP3338.jpgOther photographs taken today 9th April – Kokoda Station – Pic 4:
IMGP3334.jpgOur wheelie bins left Port Moresby today and have arrived in Kokoda. It is hoped to educate the people that rubbish should be placed in the bins provided.
Trekkers will also have somewhere now to put their rubbish as well. Two bins will be at the town station, two at the airport, two at the market, two at the monument area and two at the Kokoda Hospital.
Green ones for Rubbish:
Green_wheelie_bin.jpgYellow bins for buai which is the betlenut that PNG people chew and when mixed with lime, turns their mouth's red:
Yellow_wheelie_bin.jpg
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