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With Oxfam's support, Agnes, Mary and Angela, co-founders of Kup Women for Peace, are helping their communities work together to rebuild after decades of violence. Photo: Jerry Galea/OxfamAUS
In Papua New Guinea, generations of tribal fighting have caused terrible hardship for poor communities, with homes, jobs and lives being destroyed. Life is particularly difficult for people living in the Highlands region, where brutal conflicts spread fear and instability.
"Our sons and husbands were shot and killed. Women were also shot. We didn’t have security, we didn’t have a proper house to sleep in, our gardens were destroyed. We didn’t have any ‘good’ clothes to wear, no food, no money,” Angela from Kup Women for Peace told us.
Oxfam supports peace-building groups like the Kup Women for Peace and Community Based Health Care to bring hope and stability to communities affected by tribal violence. We help people who have made a commitment to peace to build a livelihood by providing them with resources and teaching them the skills they need to secure better futures and break the cycle of violence and poverty.
To promote a change in attitude towards tribal fighting, we work closely with churches, the local police and village courts in Papua New Guinea to create an environment where traditional enemies can come together to resolve conflicts.
One of the first people to receive help from this program was Francis Kunaku from Warolo village in Tari. To provide for his family, Francis was given two rabbits and some chickens. He was also shown how to manage his rabbit farm and has since passed this training on to other members of his community. Having a farm has helped him earn an income and improve his family’s diet, as well as paying for his children’s school fees.
Oxfam is working with our partners to support farmers like Francis – pictured here in his rabbit farm. As well as providing livestock, we help farmers acquire the skills they need to lift themselves out of poverty. Photo: Jerry Galea/OxfamAUS
When Francis noticed that a group of young men were stealing from his farm, he decided to respond by offering them some rabbits and chickens so that they could set up their own farm.
“I was going to take them to court, but then I started to think that maybe the young people who were stealing might need help improving their own family income,” he explains. “They are now good farmers, and have been back to receive more training and advice. I have learnt to respond to challenges with a positive response, and more and more people in my clan are interested in participating in this project” he adds.
Where brutal conflict and grinding poverty have ruled for decades, fear and suspicion have been reduced and communities in the Papua New Guinean highlands are now working together to rebuild their lives.
We need your support to continue our vital peace-building work in Papua New Guinea and around the world.
Please donate now and help us reach more people like Francis. Whatever you can give will make a difference to someone’s life.