FLOOD AFTER DROUGHT - The Tararan Story

Dominic Kipi and his family resides at Clean Wara in Tararan village of Huon Gulf, Morobe Province.

Continuous rain in the previous week caused flooding in the nearby creek and destroyed most of their food gardens.

What Dominic is contemplating at the moment, is how he is going to feed his family, now that his gardens have been washed off.

Clean Wara after the flood

"Long 8pla mun olgeta mipla bin kisim bikpla bagarap long strongpla sun na nogat kaikai. Nau tasol rain I pundaun na mipla I planim ol kaikai nogat bikpla wara ia kam na bagarapim. Bai mipla kisim kaikai long we nau na lukautim ol pikinini blong mipla?"

( We have suffered 8 months of El Nino induced dry wether and all our food crops were destroyed. Just recently the rain came and we started planting new food crops, however all were destroyed by the flood. Where are we going to get food to feed our children?)

Part of the garden being covered with mud and debris

Young banana trees being destroyed by flood

Dominic’s father has spent 60 years growing up and living in this area. He never saw a flood of this nature running through the village.

"Bipo bipo tru me no save lukim displa wara is tait olsem. Nau wara I tait kam long taim blong em yet na I bagarapim olgeta gaden blong mipla." (I haven't seen this river flooding like this in my life. It normally floods at around November and December, but now it took us by surprise.) says Dominic's father Kipi.

Dominic's father Kipi hasn't seen this sort of flood for almost 6 decades

Waiting for government assistance through the Provincial Disaster Office takes a long time for people affected by natural disasters.

"Mipla no save lukim halivim blong gavman or disaster office taim mipla I kisim bagarap. Nau yet mipla ino kisim wanpla halivim inap nau, maski mipla bungim bikpla hevi long taim blong san."

(We haven't received any support from the government or the disaster office, despite being badly affected since the El Nino drought) says Dominic.

Dominic is concerned about how he will feed his children after the drought and flood have destroyed their food gardens

 Dominic’s family is an example of families who are affected daily by the course of nature. While waiting for the flood to subside, they rely on coconut to sell and pay for food to eat.

Part of the banana garden that got destroyed

Banana stems covered with debris washed off by the flood



Peanut garden destroyed by flood