This weekend Becky and I learned a lot about the PNG culture. We saw how they build houses, how they garden, how everyone pitches in to cook by collecting firewood, how they wash and bathe in the river and much more. The houses are made from woven bamboo for the sides, and grass for the roofs. Some people have electricty, but some don't. They usually use bush
toilets, pit toilets, or the nearest local foilage, few have running water in their houses. They grow a lot of their food - kaukau (sweet potatoes), beans, corn, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, peanuts, and cucumbers. The staple food is kaukau. The main meat is chicken or pork, few eat beef. They raise chickens and pigs. Pigs are a prized possession. The little villages have little stores where sugar, salt, cooking oil, laundry soap, sc
ones (rolls), bubble gum, canned meats and more can be purchased. There are a lot of little markets all around where people are selling their vegetables for others to enjoy. People are able to get by with what is in their village, but at times do need to go to surrounding villages to bigger stores to get what they need. Few people have cars - the majority of folks walk from village to village to get whatever they may need.
The children here go to school if their families can afford it. Primary school starts at around 50K a year, but can be as high as 250K. Then they have tests which they must pass after certain grades to see if they can go on. After finishing secondary school (12th grade), they then go to university - if they are able to afford it. To
o often parents can't afford to send all their children to school, or to complete the grades they have started - so a lot of children have 8th or 10th grade education and that is all. The kids start school at a later age then we do in the US, and finish late. Their school year goes from Feb - Nov. Their summer break is December - January.
There are some interesting aspects of the PNG culture I still haven't totally figured out, I tried to ask the people this weekend and some missionaries here, but I haven't gotten a lot of answers. One of these is polygamy, which is practiced by a lot of men here. If one is able to provide for a large family and many wives and children, then this is seen as a good thing. I often wonder why a women would agree to be married to someone with another wife, but then I have learned that they don't always have a choice. Their parents may want them to get married so they will get some of the "bride price." We see a lot of injuries in the hospital from domestic disputes that often involve the 2nd wife. Even though there was polygamy in the Bible, it certainly caused lots of problems, and still does today. Marriage was never intended to be this way. But how do you deal with a someone whom the Lord has saved that is part of a polygamous relationship - do they divorce one or more wives; do they stay with their first, but support the others? There doesn't seem to be an easy answer.
Another thing is the idea of the Wantok system. Everyone is a part of a lain - their family and extended family. Everyone shares what they have when in surplus and helps each other out when in need. This is a form of insurance for them that they will be taken care of all the time. This can be helpful, but at times it seems to hurt people. If someone has a job they are expected to share their income with the whole lain, if someone is getting married the bride price is split between the lain. The parents may get a 1000 Kina and a pig or two, and the rest of the 10,000 Kina and pigs will get split between everyone in the lain. If someone was injured in a car accident, or in a tribal fight, then they will seek compensation from the person who caused the injury. A local magistrate will determine who owes money and how much is owed in village court. Once the decision is made then the whole lain is responsible to contribute to pay the compensation. If you don't pay, then you may not get help when you have a need. It seems like in incidences of rape or adultery - not everyone contributes, but I wonder if some do out of obligation. Questions still unanswered for me include - How does this help to change the behavior of those responsible? How do Christians respond to this - do they support by contributing or do they make a stand? If they make a stand how does that affect their family and do they holdout, or do they give in?
Another interesting thing that I observed was the raising of children. It often seems that the children are not cared for by the parents as much as outside family members or even young teenage girls who work for the family. They don't really work, but live with them and do a lot of the household chores and look after the children. I sure don't fully understand this, but I did observe that the kids for the most part were obedient and respectful, and they all pitched in when work needed to be done. The young children (6-8 yo) here seem to work hard - gathering firewood, going to the store to get matches, getting water for dinner, and doing laundry.
toilets, pit toilets, or the nearest local foilage, few have running water in their houses. They grow a lot of their food - kaukau (sweet potatoes), beans, corn, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, peanuts, and cucumbers. The staple food is kaukau. The main meat is chicken or pork, few eat beef. They raise chickens and pigs. Pigs are a prized possession. The little villages have little stores where sugar, salt, cooking oil, laundry soap, sc
ones (rolls), bubble gum, canned meats and more can be purchased. There are a lot of little markets all around where people are selling their vegetables for others to enjoy. People are able to get by with what is in their village, but at times do need to go to surrounding villages to bigger stores to get what they need. Few people have cars - the majority of folks walk from village to village to get whatever they may need.The children here go to school if their families can afford it. Primary school starts at around 50K a year, but can be as high as 250K. Then they have tests which they must pass after certain grades to see if they can go on. After finishing secondary school (12th grade), they then go to university - if they are able to afford it. To
o often parents can't afford to send all their children to school, or to complete the grades they have started - so a lot of children have 8th or 10th grade education and that is all. The kids start school at a later age then we do in the US, and finish late. Their school year goes from Feb - Nov. Their summer break is December - January.There are some interesting aspects of the PNG culture I still haven't totally figured out, I tried to ask the people this weekend and some missionaries here, but I haven't gotten a lot of answers. One of these is polygamy, which is practiced by a lot of men here. If one is able to provide for a large family and many wives and children, then this is seen as a good thing. I often wonder why a women would agree to be married to someone with another wife, but then I have learned that they don't always have a choice. Their parents may want them to get married so they will get some of the "bride price." We see a lot of injuries in the hospital from domestic disputes that often involve the 2nd wife. Even though there was polygamy in the Bible, it certainly caused lots of problems, and still does today. Marriage was never intended to be this way. But how do you deal with a someone whom the Lord has saved that is part of a polygamous relationship - do they divorce one or more wives; do they stay with their first, but support the others? There doesn't seem to be an easy answer.
Another thing is the idea of the Wantok system. Everyone is a part of a lain - their family and extended family. Everyone shares what they have when in surplus and helps each other out when in need. This is a form of insurance for them that they will be taken care of all the time. This can be helpful, but at times it seems to hurt people. If someone has a job they are expected to share their income with the whole lain, if someone is getting married the bride price is split between the lain. The parents may get a 1000 Kina and a pig or two, and the rest of the 10,000 Kina and pigs will get split between everyone in the lain. If someone was injured in a car accident, or in a tribal fight, then they will seek compensation from the person who caused the injury. A local magistrate will determine who owes money and how much is owed in village court. Once the decision is made then the whole lain is responsible to contribute to pay the compensation. If you don't pay, then you may not get help when you have a need. It seems like in incidences of rape or adultery - not everyone contributes, but I wonder if some do out of obligation. Questions still unanswered for me include - How does this help to change the behavior of those responsible? How do Christians respond to this - do they support by contributing or do they make a stand? If they make a stand how does that affect their family and do they holdout, or do they give in?
Another interesting thing that I observed was the raising of children. It often seems that the children are not cared for by the parents as much as outside family members or even young teenage girls who work for the family. They don't really work, but live with them and do a lot of the household chores and look after the children. I sure don't fully understand this, but I did observe that the kids for the most part were obedient and respectful, and they all pitched in when work needed to be done. The young children (6-8 yo) here seem to work hard - gathering firewood, going to the store to get matches, getting water for dinner, and doing laundry.
