Imagine a land full of wonders; a land where the mountains goes on and on beyond the horizon, and the water so clear that you can see fish swimming at the bottom of the lake. A land so rich with minerals and nutritions that you can just throw any kind of seed and it will grow. A land of many untouched places and mysterious secrets. That is, the land of the West Papua.
West Papua itself is located at the easternmost part of Indonesia. It boasts a vast amount of natural resources and never ending supplies of gold. Which, sadly, was never actually enjoyed by the local indigenous population. Industrialization and heavy machineries came knocking on their door a couple decades ago, bringing new knowledge and opportunities for many but a select few. Retail stores and many businesses sprouted here and there; but none of them were owned by the locals - they were all owned by migrants who were looking for big opportunities in new places. Hence, more and more indigenous people are left behind with little money or business knowledge. In fact, most of the locals still do not have the luxury of having an access to electricity and clean water up until today.
A couple months ago I had the opportunity to visit a small town called Waghete on an assignment for a charity event. Waghete is located at the centre of West Papua and it can only be reached by a car from the nearest 'metro' city (Nabire) which is about 255KMs away. The road itself was rough and full of perils; There were many cases of cars got swept away in a landslide or a flash flood. Furthermore, there were also gunfights and sudden ambushes by the local liberation army which added to the risk of travelling there. People would often bring as much livestock and goods as possible to minimalize the need of frequent travel. Hence, you will often find yourself surrounded by live pigs, cattles, chickens and calves on your way there.
Living in Waghete itself is quite challenging. The town is located about 1,800 m.a.s.l and the temperature is moderately cool (around 10-16 degree celcius) throughout the year. People are always busy gathering food and firewood just to survive the day. There are no electricity or even a proper bath/toilets. They would just go on around some bushes and do their own businesses. Local cliniques/hospitals are inadequately equipped and the mortality rate is very high. There was even a man who had 10 children but only 5 survived past the age of 10 because of poor health and hygiene. Children would often develop lupus and leprosy because wounds would often get untreated for weeks and even months. The cool weather also contributed to the spread of cold and flu. People also often bring their pets (including pigs) into the house and sleep with them, which does not help at all.
So why Waghete? Because in recent years the pastors and volunteers from the Society of Jesus (S.J. - Or Jesuits as we often call them) have started to build new schools and brought in a lot of positive changes into the region (In case if you have not noticed, our new Pope is also from the Jesuit order). They would often go beyond their call of duty and help the people in need; even under the threat of death sometimes. The teachers would walk miles just to help to treat children's wound, and educate them about the importance of hygiene - which often means giving baths to the children as well. I also had the chance to actually teach the children of Waghete in school and I was deeply moved at how hungry they are for a proper education, and how their eyes are brimming with joy and hope for the future.
Truly it is not an easy feat to volunteer for such work, but their spirit really motivated me to give more in what I truly love. After all, it is not about how many awards/recognitions that we can achieve in life; but it is about leaving a legacy for our future generations.
Please remember to support these volunteers by any means possible. You can help by contacting the nearest Jesuit order and mention about the Waghete region in West Papua. Any clothing/medicines/books that can be used to support the education and wealth of this region would be greatly appreciated.
