A DAY LIVING ON
KAPO ISLAND,
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
5.30am
Wake to the sound of the roosters. Jump in the sea for a wash.
Rinse with fresh water brought in from the mainland.
6am
The village bell rings for morning
prayer in the church. It is made
from an old war cartridge.
6.30am
Cook and eat breakfast of sweet potato or banana with tea or water.
Help with the cooking and assist their parents looking after younger
ones. Help feed some animals too – mainly pigs, dogs and chickens.
7am
Travel in small dug-out canoes (called
mon) to the mainland (about 15
minutes depending on tides and wind).
Once at school go on work parade
cleaning up the school grounds.
7.45am
Assembly.
School lessons till early
afternoon. Learn in two
languages – Tok Pisin and
English.
2pm
Paddle back to the island
bringing back fresh water
and coconuts most days.
2.30pm
Play games such as basketball, volleyball or skipping. There
is not enough space to play football on the island. We play
games like that on the mainland.
Click on picture to view video
3.30pm
Girls help their mothers with preparing the fire to cook the evening meal
and to scrape coconuts. Some boys will go fishing – with line and hook, or
a net or spear.
6pm
Evening prayer (15 minutes), led by the catechist or one of the family
leaders. This is inside our church.
6.30pm
Parents, grand
parents, brothers and
sisters and some
cousins or nephews
and nieces, all eat rice
and fish or tapioca,
taro, sweet potato,
flavoured with coconut
milk. Drink is often
from fresh coconuts
(or kulau).
7pm
Homework by the light of a kerosene lamp. In the month of
October different families lead the Rosary in the evenings.
8pm
The village bell rings and all school children are to be home and getting
ready to go to bed. Village committee members police this. There will be
punishment such as extra work if any students are caught outside of
home after 8pm.
8.30pm
Children sleep on pandanus-leaf mats on the floor covering themselves
with a single sheet. It is tropical climate seldom going below 20 degrees.
At times it is not so warm when strong winds blow off the sea.
Interesting things in our village
We have carved totems for each clan.
Using leaves for mats.
No need for a carpet shop here!
No need for a hair salon here either!
Traditional money uses shells.
Christina is drilling holes in the shells so they
can be strung into long beads.
Click picture to view
video
Listen to John counting the shell money.
Counting money in local Kove tribe language.
Ere
Hua
Tolu
Pange
Lima
Our transport is by canoe. They
are skilfully hand carved from
tall forest trees.
We grow cocoa to sell on the mainland.
We love to make visitors welcome.
We dress up and sing and dance for special occasions.
Questions
How are these people
my neighbours?
How are these
children blessed?
How am I blessed?
Jesus taught us about
helping when there is
a need.
What do you think the
Kapo kids need?
Why?
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the families of Kapo Island for
allowing us to spend a few days with
them and sharing their stories.
Fr Ed Mali, diocese of Kimbe.
Matthias Ire
Caritas Papua New Guinea,
Diocese of Kimbe.
Photos by Fr Philip Gibbs
Visit September 2012.
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand