Report received from Reuben Meiyao

The prayers and support of many Christian friends in New Zealand and America have reached the very remote people of Wokamas and Dunam area, Ambuti East Sepik province through HREDP and people now have a means to make some kind of earning.  Mary and I (Reuben) would like to express our love and thanks to a number of people who have helped us work together on this project. The people of Wokamas and Dunam were very pleased to get your support and are very thankful for all that you have done for HREDP from which they will benefit.

Hauna is perpetually hot and steamy, both night and day, with millions of mosquitoes.  It is 25 metres above sea level although a long way inland and to get there takes a long day trip upriver by motorised canoe or at least a week by paddle from Ambunti.  No government people ever go there - only missionaries!

Rice mill in action

Recent events

Rice mill

My family and I arrived in Hauna on Thursday 3rd December at 11.45am.  From 1.30-5.00pm that same day the mill was set up and I instructed the operators in how to operate the mill.  On Friday I repeated the training process with the boys and provided them with written information of what must be done before actually starting the mill.  The check list was repeated a number of times on Friday and at 3.30pm we informed the villagers that the HREDP was ready to buy their paddy rice at K1.20/kilogram.

On Saturday and Monday the project spent K2,347.20 to buy 1,956 kgs of paddy rice already grown and harvested.  In just two days 75 farmers earned the above amount.  It was the first time in all their lives they have earned money from their own land to support themselves and now they can afford to purchase their basic needs.

From Tuesday to Thursday we milled 1,500 kgs of paddy rice and packed it into 1 kgs packets.  This was sold for K4.00.  99% of the population had never been able to afford to purchase a kilo of rice as it usually sells for K8.00.  During the 1½ weeks we stayed with them, about 3% of the population were seen buying and eating the rice that was grown in the village, a 2% increase in rice consumer.

The milling shed was surrounded by parents and children watching when the boys were doing all the rice processing activities, paying cash for their products etc.  They were impressed when they saw the reality.

Celebration meal

Celebration

The people of Hauna and the nearby villages celebrated for two days after the mill was in action.  Each family cooked a pot of food and thanked God for using myself and my family to bring the rice mill, the coconut oil extractor and the diesel propeller engine to the village.

Coconut oil extractor / diesel engine

During the second week there the coconut oil extractor and the diesel engine propeller were assembled and the training and process of the coconut oil was done. The diesel engine was not put into action as they did not have the canoe available. 

Education

We also witnessed about 52 Grade 8 students graduating. Some of them will be accepted for high school however not many of them will be going because of inadequate funds for them to continue. High school fees currently are about K1,900 per child which is far too expensive for a rural parent to afford.

Strong leadership in new church

Church

About 30-50 people broke away from the Hauna Main Church because of poor leadership and have formed an AOG Church.  They haven't got a church building but fellowship under someone's house.  Only about 95 people go to the main church, about 800 are not attending church, while 50 go to the AOG.  I was encouraged to see new leaders in the new church because the village needs God-fearing leaders in the church.

Partnership influence within the community

News of the rice mill spread to those that had not seen or heard for themselves and on our second Saturday there the village was almost empty.  We asked where all the people had gone and the reply was that these people were out clearing bush to plant more rice!  They had seen and heard those people who sold their rice over the week and saw that they earned more money than has ever been earned by a normal villager. (Government statistics show that income in this area is about K100 ($60) per year!).

That really motivated them, they were thrilled and we could see them grouped around and talking about growing rice.  The music of rice farming just repeated in the ears of people that live along Sepik River.

Ideas for the future

25% of the total population have a total of 2,500 cocoa trees excluding 1,500 which are currently not bearing fruit. However about four tonnes of dry beans are falling waste (K18,000 harvest in a year) because they don't have a cocoa dryer.  There is an opportunity here at some stage in the future to provide them with a dryer.

Prayer and praise points

Prayer needs

1) Reuben and family for godly wisdom, especially to handle the project through the people listed below
2) For those who are managing and running the project, namely Vincent Kaku, Erick Manau, Derick Inasi, Roger Benny, Clement Daniel, and Balthazar Waro.
3) For a new winnower and water pump for irrigation purposes
4) For the village farmers to realise and appreciate the gifts from God through those that supported this project

Praise points

1) Please give thanks and praise God with us for the gift of funds and other moral support to HREDP
2) Praise God for wisdom being used by many in partnership through the whole process
3) Praise God for many other Christian friends all around the world that Hauna people have not known, but they have contributed something to the project’s needs
4) Praise God for His will to help these people.

Project manager's comments

We want to say a special thank you to those who have been a part of the accomplishment of the first stage of Hauna Rice Economic Development Programme.  It has taken us six years to work on developing the project for these people.  I and my family would not work anything out in our own effort unless it was the Lord's will to be concerned for the poor community in Hauna.