MTS Foundation Charity - Papua New Guinea


THE HAGAHAI HISTORY Almost 20 years ago, Dr Carol Jenkins became involved with a group of people located on the border of the East Sepik, Enga, Western Highlands and Madang at a village called Yilu. Dr Jenkins is a Physical Anthropologist who at the time worked with the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) at Goroka, she became interested in the people because they were amongst the last group of people contacted after Independence in 1975. Carol was instrumental in establishing an elementary school which was staffed by Peace Corp volunteers and one of the students was Benjamin Ngagan. The name "Hagahai" was given to the people to identify them as a group keeping in mind they had their own language, one of 830 recorded languages in PNG, since then the name "Hagahai" has stuck and the centre was relocated to Mamuse which was more centrally located and an aistrip was built which is served primarily by Mission Aviation Fellowship from Mt Hagen. When Dr Jenkins left PNG to work in Bangladesh, Sir Peter Barter, Chairman of MTS and the Melanesian Foundation was charged with the responsibility in looking after the Hagahai people and it was Sir Peter who envouraged Benjamin to complete his studies through Community, High School then onto Sogeri National High and the Goroka School of Nursing.
BENJAMIN NGANGAN When Benjamin graduated as a Nurse, he immediately returned to Mamuse and began to look after the Hagahai people assisted by the Baptist Health Service in Mt Hagen as Mt Hagen is close to Mamuse than Madang. The Melanesian Foundation installed a Health Radio, then a Lucas Saw Mill which was inadvertently dropped off in the wrong location and it took 2 years for it to be stripped down and carried to Mamuse. The people under the guidance of Benajmin have now milled a great quantity of timber sufficient to construct a Health Centre and the Sir Peter, whilst Health Minister arranged for K250,000 to be allocated to the Baptist Health Services to purchase material to make the Health Centre a reality. It is expected that construction will begin in January 2008 providing the funds are released. The Madang Provincial Government have provided for 3 more positions and Benjamin along with the Baptist Health Secretary are working hard to have the funds released.
FUTURE OF THE HAGAHAI It is easy to write a brief background, it is much harder for Benjamin to have disciplined himself to take on challenges taking him from the stone age to now and excelling not only in his academic achievments, but in making the effort to return to his own people in one of the most remotest places in the world not only to deliver health but to actually build a Health Centre, Schools and houses so the Hagahai people could improve their standard of living.
WARNING In recent months an NGO has been established under the name of Hagahai Development Association. The director of this association has claimed he represents AusAID, NZAid, JICA - this is not true. He has asked the people to provide him money so he can do what Benjamin has already achieved and intends to achieve. Do not be fooled in the event you are contacted by this organisation!