e-NEWS Caring For Kiriwina – Kamatokisi Kiriwina!
May 2023
Dear ,
After the recent unrest in Kiriwina, a real celebration of love and life was called for, and that is precisely what we got at the inaugural ‘Lawton Day’ celebrations held on the 21st of April 2023, combined with a CFK reporting trip.
We are incredibly pleased to report that
although we have not been able to visit Kiriwina for 3.5 years to run our annual VBA training events due to COVID and the lack of flights to Kiriwina, the training that we had managed to put in place before COVID and the other CFK projects have continued to grow and flourish due to incredible teamwork and tenacity of the Kiriwinan people and our wonderful sponsors and donors.
At the invitation of Bishop Agabu Entonio and the PNG United Church, a small group of dim dims from Australia, including all three of their children and families, recently attended the memorial and burial service of Rev Dr Ralph “Iyupalilaguyau Lotoni” and Marama Margaret Lawton, where their ashes were interred in a new memorial on Oyabia Station. Images and videos cannot truly convey these amazing celebrations, sights, sounds and emotions. The Kiriwinans really know how to celebrate life, and a sample of what we have managed to record of the proceedings can be found on the CFK website as well as a piece written by one of our intrepid life travellers and best friends, Daydd Kelly. As we
have grown to expect from Daydd, he has penned a unique perspective of the events he called Chairing for Kiriwina, to view CLICK HERE. We are in the process of creating a video of the event, which will be posted once completed :).
We also held productive meetings with VBA representatives to follow up on progress and discuss plans for our next training sessions, which we hope to run later in the year.
On this recent trip, Dr. Jerry Wong chats with our fantastic CFK VBA team to find out the specific training needs.
Head VBA Ruth and senior VBA Edith take delivery of all the donated birthing kits and hand-knitted and hand-sewn baby clothes from our donors at the Belrose Country Club Knitters and St Swithuns Church in Pymble. We have recently sent over another 40 solar lanterns, uniform material, and more birthing kits for the VBAs. Thank you, all you wonderful donors, for all your kindness and generosity!
Video 1: CFK Head VBA Ruth Boaz praises Margaret Lawton’s legacy.
Video 2: CFK VBA’s sing a thank you song to the CFK midwife educators Shea Caplice and Jacqui Andrews.
With the ongoing closure of the airport, deliveries to Kiriwina take perseverance and patience. All successful deliveries are to be applauded! These donations were sent via boat to Kiriwina from Alotau this weekend by our wonderful in-country manager Toks Bwaina.
Thank you again to all our sponsors and donors :).
The Strength of a Mother
A mother’s strength is like no other,
Through every hardship and every bother,
She keeps us strong and keeps us whole,
With love and care that never grows old.
We celebrate all midwives worldwide with a special thank you to our CFK educators and VBAs for their outstanding achievements over the past ten years. Here is a speech and photos from our LAWTON day reporting trip to Kiriwina held during the last two weeks of April.
Now the VBAs have been following the education now women are recognised, especially the VBAs. Women are counted now. A great legacy.
CFK head VBA Ruth Boaz speaks about Margaret’s legacy
Video: CFK Head VBA Ruth Boaz praises Margaret Lawton’s legacy
Video 2: CFK VBAs sing a thank you song to the CFK midwife educators Shea Caplice and Jacqui Andrews.
In keeping with CFK’s ethos to empower self-sustaining development, the VBAs are happy to start making their uniforms. We have sent funds to purchase the materials to sew their red skirts and new black Mary tops.
Thank you to our wonderful donors and supporters for allowing this good work to continue 👏
Thank you so much to Bronze Plaques Australia for their fabulous service :). This plaque is to take pride of place on the Memorial currently being built on Kiriwina; see progress images below.
“As women thrive, so will we all,” United Nations Secretary
-General Ban Ki-moon
“The world will never realise 100 per cent of its goals if 50 per cent of its people cannot realise their full potential,” General Ban Ki-moon told the UN Commission. While women bore the burden of conflict, war, discrimination and domestic violence, they were not just victims, but agents of progress. Empowered women and girls were the best drivers of growth, the best hope for reconciliation and the best buffer against radicalisation of youth and the repetition of the cycle of violence, he stressed.
Today is a day for celebrating women. Supporting women and what they can achieve is more important than ever. Please support our Caring for Kiriwina Village Birth Attendants Program to create Strong women = Strong babies.
“Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”