MENYAMYA HOME of SMOKED BODIES & FEARLESS WARRIORS

 

'a 2019 student experience'

Grade 11 students Japeth Noah and Angela John explaining how traditional salt is made in the Menyamya district.

By NATALIE CHOLOHEI

Menyamya. Big bush. Big mountains. Big mountain streams.

Famous for its smoked dead bodies daubed in red ochre. And its fearless 'kukukuku' warriors.

Short and stocky, these kukukukus drove fear into their enemies as their arrows blocked the sun in battle.

They were so ruthless, that early government patrols always steered well clear of their ranges.

Wantoat. Big Bush, Big rugged mountains. Big and beautiful valleys. In these green forests, you will always catch a 'kumul' (Bird of Paradise) dancing in the treetops.

We call this province Kumul country.   

Both places are in the hinterlands of Morobe Province. To get to one of these remote places, you need a strong butt, a steady heart and lots of patience, because the roads are less travelled.

In 2019, Morobe held a school expo. Fascinated by these event and the creativity of the different high schools that attended, I went along with my besty pack, my trusty camera.

Students from high school and secondary schools in Morobe looked very happy to showcase their ideas in the expo.

It was a great learning experience, especially between remote bush schools like Menyamya and Wantoat and Lae.

It was also the first ever Morobe provincial inter-secondary school exhibition program and the highlight was the appearance of our visitors from the mountains.

For Menyamya Secondary school and Wantoat High school students, they had fun on the two day program, learnt from fellow students and appreciated the admiration from others on their displayed work.

They shared, it was an event they had the chance to get to know other students especially students from urban schools.

Grade 10 students Lazarus Bana and Set Bob from Wantoat High School were delighted to say their piece of mind when I caught up with them during the exhibition last week.

Menyamya students entered the exhibition arena after a two day journey from the school.

They said it was a ‘great opportunity’ to have such an event where they get to learn from others outside of classroom.

“This program is good, we are happy to mingle with other students and most importantly, we are happy to learn from what our sister schools had to offer in terms of what they learn,” Lazarus said.

“It would be more better should students get to creatively put up an innovative work, something no one has done so it goes in line with the theme- creative, innovative and unity through education,” Set added.

Menyamya Secondary school students Angela John and Japeth Noah said being from rural schools does not make them any different from their friends in urban schools but it is all about showing off their talents developed through class lessons.

School principal Caspar Nani said it was an opportunity they would not want to miss for a remote school.

Meanwhile, Morobe provincial education adviser Keith Jiram confirmed the program would be an annual program where it encourages students to work together to bring unity among schools.

Caleb Yosef trying out the bicycle coffee pulping machine. Pictures by NATALIE CHOLOHEI

Natalie Cholohei is a young reporter for the Post-Courier newspaper based in Lae.