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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE January 5, 2006
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| December 8, 2005 |
Rabaul, Papua New Guinea – Meeting the friendly faces of Guelaguela |
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| Peace Boat participants look out at the volcanoes that devastated the town of Rabaul in 1994 |
The quiet town of Rabaul, on New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea, shows no signs of its violent past. Once the chief trading and administrative town of Papua New Guinea, Rabaul has been destroyed three times during the twentieth century - by two volcanoes as well as by intense bombing during World War II. On December 8th, Peace Boat arrived in Rabaul, allowing participants to learn the significant history of the area, and enjoy a cultural exchange with local communities. |
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| Seismologist Felix Tarana explains the different types of volcanoes in Papua New Guinea |
In September 1994, two simultaneous eruptions from the Volcanoes Tuvurvur and Vulcan erupted near Rabaul. Warned by heavy earthquakes, local residents had just a few hours to escape. Over 50 000 people lost their homes as a result of the eruptions, and five people were killed. The homeless were relocated to areas deemed to be safer – one of which was Guelaguela. Twenty Peace Boat participants had the chance to visit the area, which, 12 years after the eruption, still faces many challenges.
Participants first visited the Rabaul observatory, where they could learn about the geology of volcanoes, and the shaky history of Rabaul, which suffered a huge eruption in 1937, and was later destroyed by the Allied and Japanese forces during World War II in the early 1940s. Seismologist Felix Tarana explained that the 1994 death toll was low due to the knowledge of older generations who had survived the 1937 earthquake. They warned others to immediately evacuate after the first signs of an earthquake, which was six hours prior to the actual eruptions, he said. |
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| An impressive cultural performance |
After gaining a background to the impact of the eruptions, Peace Boat participants went to an area where many homeless people had resettled, called Guelaguela. Most of the people who resettled at Guelaguela and surrounding areas had lost their homes and livelihoods owing to the eruptions. After the eruption in 1994, the Papua New Guinea government bought private land and divided it into resettlement areas. Twelve years on, a new generation of children has been born in these areas. Peace Boat participants were able to enjoy an afternoon with around 50 of these local children, and their parents.
A homegrown lunch was prepared for participants, which included an impressive range of tropical fruit, and taro, a root plant common to the Pacific region. Participants were also treated to an amazing traditional dance performance. |
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| Peace Boat GET teacher Tanya Anderson sings songs with the delightful children of Guelaguela |
Some participants spent the day entertaining the extremely energetic children through sport, songs, skipping, and walking around the neighborhood with new friends. Elders in the community also talked to participants about their experiences in 1994, when they lost not just their homes but their jobs and entire town. Ronnie Wartovo remembered the eruption well. “Most houses were completely destroyed in the eruptions – we lost everything and had to start all over again,” he said. |
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| The cheerful faces of the children of Guelaguela |
The biggest problem that the community of Guelaguela faced now was access to water, said Ronnie. “Water supply is an issue; we need more adequate water pumps in the area.” Other problems were lack of employment, and a need for more land for each family to grow food. “The government is still trying to secure more land for us. We have been here for 11 years now and the population is growing – we need to produce more food,” he said.
After a full day of exchanging with the children and youth, many participants felt that the community sprit of Guelaguela was extremely strong – perhaps intensified by the remarkable experience that had forcibly kick-started the community just 12 years ago. Christopher Wong, a GET teacher with Peace Boat, said he was impressed by the way the community seemed to interact both within themselves and with their Peace Boat visitors. “I was moved by the positive attitudes of the locals I met, who had obviously lost so much,” he said. As the intense sun began to fade over New Britain, Peace Boat participants said farewell to new friends. However the friendly faces of the locals of Guelaguela will not be forgotten. |
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