The purpose of the haus man

It was the place of meeting, getting instructions and to learn about cultural laws. Infact it was the place where everybody united to support their clansmen. However many have pulled down their ceremonial houses. Others have destroyed them so that old ways have to be forgotten. In Jiwaka people still keep their hausman o haus paia to keep themselves warm. The haus paia is the place for visitors to sleep. It is also a prayer house, a place for fellowship. So an old institution is replaced by the new one.

Youth Centre for Bung Bible Study Group

On Saturday I witnessed the opening of a small youth centre at Bung village. About 60 young people and their relatives all gathered to witness something that was so important to the people who felt that they were left out for a long time.
The opening of the centre was so unique for the people and it was a milestone for the local community. For a long time the people especially the young generation were so involved in drugs that they were seen as trouble makers.
A community leader who spoke at the opening said that the new youth centre reminded them of the hausman in the olden days were people were given guidance and comforted. The haus man was the nerve centre of the community. It was the place where the younger generations were taught and equipped for the future.
Jeff Graf, a faculty member of CLTC said that the house will be the place for sinners to come and be prayed for. The house built of bush materials will be like a light for the community where the young people can come and find the truth.
Helen Scarlett, a visiting Librarian said that the people must teach their young people about the Bible so that they can live to become good citizens.
Timothy Kwara, representing the Distance Theological Education (DTE) department told the people to study the Bible more so that they can become good Christians. When Christians change their mind and their world view they become good citizens and their lives will be a witness to the people. As a result the community will be changed for the better.

Church to start their own hausman

Last Sunday I went to Bung, which is about 20-30 minutes walk from Banz. I went to give certificates to two of our students.

As I was about to leave, I saw a friend of mine standing nearby. I decided to go to his church- Bung Lutheran Revival. On the way back, he told me that they were going to build a men's house for their local church.

Once the building is completed they will bring all the men together. There will be programs planned for the men. It will be good to see fathers and sons sit down together and discuss and plan community programs together.

Bung is well known for troubles caused by youths. I believe that by having the men folk gather, they can find solutions to problems affecting the community.

I will keep you posted when the building is constructed.

Melanesians need to write more

Getting together

Here at DTE we communicate to others through the newsletters, email and through visits. Sometimes it's hard. The trips are costly, letters are so slow and often people do not reply.

Why is that? It is because we have a oral culture where people find it easy to talk. In the village people send a message instead of sending a note. People want to talk.No wonder, phone bills increase and one has to keep on buying phone cards.

It is better to sit down and talk. Often people are so busy so there is hardly any time to talk.But, when it comes to the end of the year there are so many parties. People keep on eating so I think oral communication is much better for some. While others prefer email.

Anyway we need to sit down and talk and discuss. These days people prefer watch TV rather than talking to each other.

Therefore let's keep communicating and talk as much as we can. Getting together to talk takes out some of the problems that we have.

I better stop here

regards

TK

Networking through the internet

What a privillege to network with others through the internet. I was able to get an email address of a former school mate. It was 23 years ago that I meet this young man, now working in Port Moresby.

I sent an email and he replied and he told me to keep in touch. Just this morning I was able to find an email address of a journalism lecturer that I had never written to or met after I graduated 22 years ago.

Then few days ago someone invited me to join facebook. It was a former student of mine. I had no idea but as I pressed the buttons I was able to see many former residents now living overseas.

What a way to meet with others. Even through the Digicel I was able to contact my folks at home. My daughter who is 9 years old knows so much about mobile. At her age I never held a mobile phone, played computer games or sent emails. She is so lucky to be growing up in an electronic age.

You can encourage people online and through email. It is so quick and easy and it makes wonder how people walked from place to another or wrote letters which took days and months.

That's all for now.

Cheers.

A place to encourage others

Hausman was the place for receiving teaching and guidance from elders. It was where youngsters were taught disciplines such as fasting, endurance and oral history. These days there are few places where there are such structures. This blog will help us and share ideas to see what cultures can be blended and changed.

I hope that we will all learn and help each other to share ideas to help our communities to be places of harmony, understanding and respect.

With modern changes coming and people leaving their old ways without keeping the good ones, it has made a bad impression.

Bye for now

alias TK