BAN FRIEDA MINE AND PROTECT SEPIK RIVER – I MEANT IT WITH MY HEART AND MIND

“PROTECT SEPIK RIVER, I MEANT IT WITH MY HEART AND MIND. At times, I usually go back and watch the videos, several times, I literally cried because our people in some of the remotest villages are still suffering from basic services. Their only hope for survival it’s their natural environment. I am not God and I will do miracle, I’m not a politician and I will use my political capacity to help those people. I am just an ordinary citizen who’s very much privileged to live in a location that I have access to almost all basic services in life. I can only imagine my life if I was living in one of those villages I had visited.”

You are reading Solomon Aplas Motivation | 25 May 2021.

I GOTTA DO WHAT A MAN GOTTA DO – BAN FRIEDA MINE & PROTECT SEPIK RIVER, I MEANT IT WITH MY HEART AND MIND

Somewhere tonight, there are children sleeping with uncertain future with their parents. They had hopes for a better future, a school or a health facilities, but are still waiting. In 2018, I traveled the entire Upper Sepik river, I slept with some of them in almost 32 villages for a duration of 21 days.

I had experienced what it’s felt like to never tasted salt, sugar, rice, etc. Even a simple bath with soap or wear a slipper.

I had seen very sick children whose only medication are herbs from the Bush and fresh food from gardens and rivers. I had seen parents working from 5am to 7pm late just to put food on the plate.

I had experienced a cashless society where people live in peace and harmony among nature, and are still waiting for many good promises made by MPs in 2017.

In some villages I visited, people still have 2017 NGE posters with the candidates objectives to serve people. I heard stories from villagers still having hopes for a time their elected leaders will fulfill the promises made to them. I took photos and videos, had with me a good collection of the 32 villages I visited.

At times, I usually go back and watch the videos, several times, I literally cried because our people in some of the remotest villages are still suffering from basic services. Their only hope for survival it’s their natural environment.

I am not God and I will do miracle, I’m not a politician and I will use my political capacity to help those people. I am just an ordinary citizen who’s very much privileged to live in a location that I have access to almost all basic services in life. I can only imagine my life if I was living in one of those villages I had visited.

With such experiences, every day to me is a day worth fighting and voicing out to protect the livelihood and the interest of those people. Those are my people, my province, my country men&women;. We all came from the same Melanesian ancestors.

As long as I am breathing, I will still be the voice for my Sepik river people. Every time I spoke about Protecting Sepik river, it’s not about me or my interest. It’s about all those people who are neglected by their elected MPs. The people whose lives greatly revolve around the Sepik river and it’s environment for daily survival.

I am doing this now so my people’s future generation will not have to do what I do now.

” I gotta do what a man gotta do.” To me that’s a life of being a man. So when I said BAN FRIEDA MINE & PROTECT SEPIK RIVER, I MEANT IT WITH MY HEART AND MIND.