A Day in the Life Shaneel Pathak July 2002

I have finally arrived in PNG, and quite excited to be here. There is so much to tell, but I will start at our orientation in Ottawa.

Prior to departure all volunteers participate in an in-country orientation. The orientation started in Ottawa for two days where we learned about the history of CUSO, met ex-cooperants (volunteers) and most interesting was to have a tour of the CFS facility in Hull. CFS – Computers for School is a program initiated by Industry Canada to provide all Canadian schools. Old computers from the government and Canadian corporations are delivered to the facility where they are refurbished. The process is very efficient with over 70 000 computers per year being dismantled, tested and reassembled. With the help of CN Rail and Sears and the Coast Guard computers are shipped across the country. The program is a model for other nations, as Colombia and Nigeria are setting a similar facility in their country. 70 000 computers seems large but is a small amount of recycled computers since Canada buys 3.2 million computers per year!

From Ottawa we headed to Bromont–sur-la-lac where we continued our training in a quieter setting. The courses include Adult teaching, safety concerns, security, health issues and the philosophies of sustainable development.

The ‘camp’ was great, (except for the camp food) but we had a chance to swim, kayak, hike and have ‘energized’ discussions over the campfire. It was good to meet such a diverse group of people from across the country, and a group who had diverse views on social change. We all agreed on one thing, and that is to make a positive impact on the communities we plan to help. Some country people were heading to were Vanuatu, Fiji, Jamaica, Rwanda, Cost Rica, Brazil, Ghana, Uganda and 3 to Papua New Guinea (PNG)

Returning to Ottawa on June 30th I got ready for Canada Celebrations and was on the Hill all day in 43C heat.

Departure was set for June 9th, and that gave me one week to pack my backpack. I new from previous backpacking adventures less is better. One 60L backpack is all you need for 6 months…not really but that’s what I have to limit myself to!

The flight took 6 stops and 40h, exhausted but excited I landed in Madang, and was greeted by the in-country CUSO staff. My first impressions of PNG – clean, organized and people are very friendly.

In Madang we stayed at a nice ocean side resort (I admit I am not ruffing it yet). We participated in an in-country orientation, which include language training, understanding local customs and health and political issues. The highlight was each of us spent a weekend with a local family in a rural village. The villagers were great hosts, and we had a chance to speak pidgin. The hardest part to adjust to was the food; the local diet consists of yams, potatoes, baked banana, rice and chicken. The taste is plain, as they don’t use butter, salt or any spices and the diet is not nutritious. Their meals also do not vary from these main food groups.

Upon receiving new guests, it is customary to all have a drink of `cognac` - its not real cognac, but the juice of a kava root. Simply put the affects are better then the taste. The juice tastes like mud, but makes you high very quickly. Only a small cup is enough, and I wouldn’t recommend more!

The experience so far has been an eye opener. I am meeting people working on different areas of development, from World Bank representative to NGO’s like VSO or Transparency International to local “elite” to villagers.

This week I am leaving for Wewak to join the partner organization, WWF.

I will be back in a month!