PNG Independence
On Sept. 16 we went to Highland Lutheran International School to celebrate PNG Independence Day
Many of the kids dress in the traditional clothes of their tribes
One of the Mambis kids donning her gear
I hardly recognize my dorm roommate Irene
One of the tribes traditionally covers themselves in a brown clay
Rachel, one of my Sunday School youth
Mary and Alfred. Mary is hapkas, meaning a mix of white and black
Even some of the parents join in the fun.
Throughout the day the school hosts many activities
Such as a puppet show
Various music competitions
And dramas
This drama depicts when Europeans first came to Enga
There was also one about the spread of HIV
The cast of the dramas
Some students participate in the Mr. and Miss HLIS competition
The younger kids are very enthusiastic about the competition
Each contestant gets to talk about something they are wearing
The high school students seem a bit more uncomfortable, but they are good sports
How the guys stay in shape when they spend most of their time in classes and there’s no real gym around, I will never know
Afterwards they also set up a greasy pole for later in the day
Perfect. Smooth as butter.
There are prizes at the top for whoever gets up first. What a fun gameJ
Now they just have to get it up. Watch this process. It’s quite humorous.
Here we go
Up and up
Good teamwork
Looking good
Wait! Too far!
Back, back, back
Whew, that was close. Sadly this competition was late in the evening so we didn’t get to see it.
Next, each tribal line gives a singsing. Here the mother’s help their children
One of my favorite parts of the day was the dancers and pipe players from Bouganville (you can tell who they are by the darker skin)
It made me laugh when I realized they were using flip-flops as the paddle
A few things have been modernized, but there is still a sense of cultural pride
Some of the highlanders march in
Standing in their tribal groups
And of course the governor made an appearance so he could dedicate the computers he gave to the school
And as a thank you, he received a pig
I’m glad I could be there to see the coming together of so many tribes and the pride they show in their culture.
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On Sept. 16 we went to Highland Lutheran International School to celebrate PNG Independence Day