Seeking Basic Rights

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” For the females of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea (PNG) where I live, this basic right does not exist.

Over the last 20 plus years Papua New Guineans living in the rural areas moved to Port Moresby for a better life. With the hopes of a better education, job opportunities etc. That notion is destroyed when many discover the high standard of living, education and good jobs are hard to come by. This urban drift has resulted in many unemployed, uneducated individuals and youths turning to criminal activity to survive.

Law and order is rife in Port Moresby with many youths turning to petty crimes and graduating to becoming high profiled criminals. This is one of the many challenges I face in my community. Women and young girls in Port Moresby do not have the freedom to walk outside their homes after dark; we are confined into our homes surrounded by 6ft fences, barbwire and 24hr security protection.

I thank the Lord that there are many individuals taking steps to quashing this fear for safety in the nation’s capital city. The city’s Governor always hosts annual events in public areas at night that families can attend; a young lady who brought Zumba to PNG has started walking groups, which give working class women the opportunity to excercise by taking walks after work together.

These activities sound simple but are effective and create a sense of community in the city. It sends off positive vibes and encourages for similar activities to take place. I personally think a spiritual based group (ministry) would work, having weekly fellowship/ worship sessions as well as organising simple activities to bring youth together e.g. music or sports oriented events. I am currently part of a singing ministry and I value the unity and spirituality we all share and would like to echo that in my community.
I can see the need for a ministry group to be formed in my village Vabukori for young mothers. As we all come from strong Christian foundations the demands of the world such as money and jobs tend to lead us away from our faith. A ministry is a great way to connect with others through Christ Jesus.

As I have no experience with forming such groups as well as being open minded that some females may be deterred by the spiritual aspect, I see being part of Pulse Wire generates opportunities to seek advice from women around the world who may have experiences in creating and maintaining such groups.

Before the end of this year I want to engage help and ideas from our fellow sisters on Pulse Wire to form my group so we can together retrieve the basic right to be safe in Port Moresby one more time.