The Road Construction into Avaipa is a Leap into Development

Leonard Fong Roka in Siuema, January 2013

Avaipa is a landlocked valley approximately about 20 kilometers to the west of the Panguna mine site. It has a population of nearly 10 000 people and made up of around 7 main villages and many hamlets. These are: Kosia, Sipuru, Mainoki, Sirovai (Paruparu), Biuaka, Siuema and Kaspeke; these names, again is also used to refer to the geographical settings of these respective places and its citizens.

Road heading into Avaipa. This is Pandadesi...after the road as left Tumpusiong and now enters the Avaipa area

Before the Bougainville conflict since 1988, Avaipa (commonly called Paruparu) was least known or developed. But people grew a few cocoa and had about three cocoa dryers to process their trees. Then they walked to Panguna to pay the BCL helicopter services to airlift their produce to Kieta.

Shoulders will rest. Young boys carrying a live pig from Kosia into Tumpusiong

Paruparu, the central location of the area had a church building that functioned as the sub-parish of the Deumori Parish of Panguna. Thus, the Avaipa people were parishioners of Deumori. The church also played the role to build a community school for the desolated people.

Child labour to end. Kosia kids carrying canteen cargo from Tumpusiong where trucks offloaded it. This journey takes 3-4 hours through hills

But still they were a least known and respected people of Central Bougainville.

However, during the height of the Bougainville conflict, the Avaipa people began known across Bougainville and even overseas. The people established vocational type educational facilities and programs for the trouble torn Bougainville whom the Papua New Guineas with Australian support attempted to eradicate them from the surface of the Earth with the total blockade.

People welcome the gravelled section. At Pandadesi peak...a mountain range (background) inside Avaipa is blocking view of Paruparu station

Hundreds of young and old people flocked into Avaipa from all over Bougainville to be educated. Many took mechanical, nursing, social works, business training. Today, this bush trained men and women hold key positions in their communities.

My extended family is one family with land inside Avaipa, we look towards returning back

But the good work was abundant when the peace process introduced money-for-work culture back on the island.

As the peace slowly returned to Bougainville, the people had one major concern and that was, they had to connect their home with a road to the Pakia area (on the port-mine access road) or into the Tumpusiong Valley. The Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) and PNG did rob their island but did not give them back anything in return.

Road has minimized natural barriers like flood for the avaipa

Their will was nearly reached in 2005 when the first ABG government was formed in 2005. Their first ABG MP, Mr. Alponse Pemuko proposed a road to start off from Borumai and run over the Crown Prince Range and into Mainoki village then to Paruparu.

Surveyors that won the project tender, according to local stories, did the surveying at the cost of some K100 000. As the surveyors completed the job and were returning home through the Kosia mountains into Tumpusiong, they were stunned that this was the closest route from Paruparu to a main road, the Panguna to Nagovis highway.

Joy for the road

A next proposal was created and funding was secured. Surveyors were back to work, this time starting off from the Tumpusiong into Paruparu. This was supposed to be the least costly engagement but the locals controlled everything and directed the surveyors thus the cost soared into another K100 000. Funding to start the project was not available so it was cancelled.

The road is change for the youth (behind is the Tumpusiong Valley and mountains)

The next effort was proposed by the Central Bougainville MP in the Waigani government, Hon. Jimmy Miringtoro. A new tender for surveying was aired and a new surveying team went in 2010. And in late 2012, a local company Kompaini Transport Limited was awarded the contract and plants went in to cut a road to open the Avaipa area to the rest of Bougainville.

The Avaipa people are now a happy group in Central Bougainville as they are linking their forgotten world to the world.

My family's truck testing the new road last January, 2013

Many are saying that their shoulders will be resting these days with cars going into their homes to carry their produce for market in Arawa. Many that have left home to look for better pastures are now looking back home to Avaipa.

Siuema is where the road is heading for. Our soccer pitch (photo) is subject to improve. Pandadesi Mountains (background) borders Avaipa to Tumpusiong Valley

Such changes are created a obvious paradigm shift never before experienced. In the area land disputes are high; many people without a mythological link into Avaipa are even out there roaring like a lion with make-up oral histories and identities.

Siuema elementary school will improve once the road arrives. Sylvester is resting after a 3 hour walk from Tumpusiong

At the total costing of K300 000 for surveying (people stories) and K2-5 million for the road construction from the MP, Hon. Jimmy Miringtoro (people stories).

But all in all, Avaipa is in for a change; change that many leaders hope should be the guide for Bougainville as it was during the conflict.