An old man's gift paving the way for a better Kurumul Community
By Lydia KaiaIF you give a young man a rugby ball, you not only inspire him to play but you also break down barriers.
Especially if this young man was from a community in Papua New Guinea where rugby league has become the country’s leading sport, that continues to instil pride and passion for many, and can do wonders. This is a scenario that ideally describes the Kurumul Rugby League Association. Kurumul, located along the Highlands highway’s cloud capped Waghi Valley of Minj District in the new Jiwaka Province, and home to the country’s biggest tea plantation. The Kurumul Rugby League Association created a movement that forged peace and friendships between two warring tribes of the Kisu and Dimanka, curbed lawlessness and at the same time brought benefits from the communities.
Community leaders had struggled over time to address the escalating law and order problems related to drug and alcohol abuse and the recurring tension between the Kisu and Dimanka people.
In 2006, a solution was reached and local leaders like Anton Baga pushed to set up sporting tournaments as a solution to keep the youth off the booze and drugs, and in sports - this saw the birth of Kurumul Rugby League Association known by many from the area as the home of Kurumul Tigers.
League President Andreas Pu says since its inception the games have attracted over 40, 000 people from the communities of Diamanka, Kisu, Kuma, Berepka, Knoumbka, Nenega, Senkan, Tongai and North Waghi and residents of Minj, Banji and Kurumul tea factory.
“The oval was previously a kaukau patch which was usually flooded by torrential rains. The youths worked hard to fill the patch with stumps, rocks and additional soil brought in by truck loads to build a rugby field and with bamboo poles tied and nailed together to build the goal post.” Pu said
Old Baga’s gift has gone a long way; not only has Baga pushed to set up the sporting tournaments, but Baga, a tiny old man, dressed in his blazer and hat tells me in Tok Pisin that he gave up his land freely for the construction of a rugby league oval because he wanted peace to prevail.
Baga now sits in his hut built on the hill that overlooks the oval. Prior to matches, he would give a little talk to advocate against drugs, alcohol consumption and fighting.
Baga’s decision has changed the lives of many young men like Rex Mare who says rugby league improved his family and community life.
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| Anto Bagi |
Mare said young men like him are more involved in gardening to raise money for their registration and equipment.
For the womenfolk, it also created an interesting energy. Women like Margaret Mek, who carried market produce to Kunjip were often made to feel degraded and embarrassed when confronted by landowners who demanded fees.
“I usually felt unsafe taking my fruit and veggies to Kunjip which is about an hour’s walk. Sometimes landowners chased me and other women because we had no money to pay market fees. But now I can sell my goods during the games and earn more money without having to walk far,” she said
The league also opened doors for sporting opportunities for women, with the set up of 12 basketball teams and 12 volleyball teams with women as team managers wining respect from other male team officials.
In 2010, the association secured K14, 000 funding from Democratic Governance Transitional Phase, the predecessor of the current Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen program.
These funds were used to engage the services of PNG Rugby Football league’s Highlands Regional Development Officer to train 12 officials from Kurumul in coaching, refereeing and events management. The funds were also used to erect steel goal posts and build a fence around the oval.
SPSN is a partnership program between the Government of PNG and Australia, funded by AusAID which is changing lives for Papua New Guineans. SPSN is working to enable civil society, together with the State and others, to better meet the needs and priorities of men, women and children in communities across PNG. SPSN’s key focus areas are Maternal and Infant Health, Basic and Non Formal Adult Education, Increasing Participation and Services for People Living with Disability, Increasing Women’s Economic Empowerment and Reducing Violence Against Women.
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| The Kurumul Tigers |
