User:Yvonne Hani/sandbox

 SAMBIO  The Sambio are a group of people from the Mumeng Local Level Government (LLG) of the Bulolo District of Morobe Province Province. The Morobe Province is situated on the north east coast of Papua New Guinea. According to the Papua New Guinea (PNG) National Census of 2011 there was a total population of 674,810 for the province and, the Mumeng Rural LLG had a total population of 23,656 consisting of 12,301 (52%) males and 11,355 (48%) females. The 2011 Census recorded a total of 382 households and a total population of 2,137 persons within Sambio, of which 1095 were male and 1042 were females. Sambio comprises of five villages including Vaign (also known as Dusty), Lesilekalu (also known as Lesilek), Kangpwapoupnei, Zeilnei and Geivegn. All five communities fall within Ward 16 known as Sambio.

 Language 

The Sambio speak the Kapin language which has two dialects within: (i) Kapin, Taiak, and (ii) Garawa. McElhanon distinguished Kapin as a sub-family of Buang. The larger Buang language family is an Austronesian language spoken throughout the Snake River (Zenag) valley in the Mumeng Rural LLG. The Kapin, Taiak and Sambio speak the same dialect (Kapin) with slight differences to Garawo. Kapin speakers can understand some or quite a bit of the neighboring dialects of Mumengtein, Leklu, Pelenkwa, Bangalum, Kumalu and Dambi. The term Buang is not locally accepted by the Sambio to distinguish themselves due to dialectical differences. The Sambio also prefer the use of the name Sambio to refer to the dialect they speak rather than Kapin.

 Existing Situation 

'Health Services''

There is an Aid Post currently in operation that is located at Dusty (Vaign) and serves all five Sambio communities. A Community Health worker runs the aid post. For serious medical cases, patients either travel to the Health Centre in Zenag or to the Bulolo Hospital. There are three elementary schools and a primary school within the Sambio area. Two of the elementary schools are located at Dusty while one is located at Sambio. Sambio Primary School is the only primary school in the community. For secondary education most students go on to Baiyune Lutheran Secondary School at Baiyune.

Transportation

It is a two-hour vehicle ride from Lae to Bulolo on the Lae-Bulolo Highway and a twenty-minute ride from Dusty to Bulolo and vice versa. The highway runs adjacent to Dusty (also known as Vaign). Most parts of the highway are sealed with few spots that are unsealed. The three villages of Geivegn, Zelnei, and Kangpwapoupnei have two road access points: one along the steep cliff face from Bangalum bridge, and the other via a water crossing from Sunshine across the Snake River (also known as Zenag River). These are one lane dirt roads. There is also a foot bridge connecting Lesilekalu to Dusty. Public transportation is available throughout the day with different fare rates charged for each destination. The nearest airstrip is located in Bulolo town. It was built in the 1930s. It is only serviced by chartered flights for the local timber and mining companies with the occasional privately chartered flights.

Electricity

There is electricity supply that runs through all five villages within Sambio sourced from the Upper Baiyune power station. Some households have connected to the power lines however, the cost of installation has kept most houses from connecting electricity. Other houses utilize solar energy for lighting.

''Water

There is piped water that can be sourced from community water taps for cooking, drinking, washing and bathing. Taps are not available in all the five villages of Sambio. Some households depend on rain water, creeks and rivers.

Law and Order

There is a village court system which functions within the five Sambio communities. Any law-and-order issue is referred to the village court officials to settle. If it is unresolved, it is then referred to the Bulolo Police for further assistance. Often land disputes are referred to the Local Land Court and or the Bulolo District Court.

Religion It is unclear when missionaries first arrived in the Sambio area. Locals trace encounters with early German Lutheran missionary Reverend Georg Pilhofer and Reverend Leonhardt Flierl accompanied by carriers from other parts of the province back to between 1912 and 1914. This is confirmed by a version shared by three of carriers of Pilhofer and Flierl’s party. Souter also mentioned an encounter Pilhofer and Flierl had in 1913 in the Bulolo Watut River valley before reaching the Markham. The Sambio recall a story similar to that encounter. Thus, the Lutheran Mission has been present in the Sambio area for over a hundred years. Today there are seven church denominations spread within the five villages of the study area. These include the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Lutheran, Lutheran Renewal, Association of Local Churches (PNG), PNG Renewal, Kingdom Ministry and PNG Revival church. All these churches, except Kingdom Ministry, have church buildings located throughout the Sambio area.

Main Economic Activity The most important primary industry in the Sambio area (and the Bulolo District) is alluvial small-scale mechanized mining (ASM). Alluvial mining is done individually or in small family groups all along the Bulolo and Watut Rivers which which flow past the Sambio area. Different methods are used by individuals including sluice boxes, panning and dredging. In the past only men would engage in alluvial mining activities. However, these days some females, especially the younger women, engage in alluvial mining activities as well to support their husbands and families. On average an alluvial miner can make between 0.6 grams up to 1 gram per day when the water level is high. When the water level drops, a miner can make up to 0.2 grams a day.

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