The remote Malamata community nestled on the border of Enga and East Sepik Provinces has finally seen some changes and developments through the initiation of the Malatamata Yapo Cultural festival. Malamata or Malamanda village is in the Karawari Local Level Government with a population of over 15,000. It is truly the last frontier where not many people from that part of the country are exposed to the rapid and evolving transformation.
The lifestyle is a much more simple village way of living. There is only one community school in the area serving the entire villages in both the Enga and East Sepik Provinces. The place is isolated due to its geographical location and the environment is very much connected to the nature.
The beauty of the place is naturally diverse with the exotic species of animals that fill up the mountainous forests. The endangered Bird of Paradise and other species is also found there where you rarely get a glimpse elsewhere. However, the only means of transport into or from Malamata is via foot through the bush tracks or a light airplane.
Not many people get to see the nature and beauty of the people in this remote community. Malamata is the last frontier, and the people there are some of the hardest working, and resilient in their quest to access better services reaching their communities. There aren’t natural resources or any economic activities that they would be able to venture to sustain their livelihood.
However, they rely mostly on the forests for their food and basic needs for survival. They live a nomadic lifestyle in an isolated community for decades but, one thing they keep close to their hearts is their culture. Nevertheless, the people of Malamata never let go of their culture and it is one thing that keeps them intact and connected to nature and its surroundings.
Their culture is unique and authentic thus, it takes one person to seek ways to promote, preserve, protect, and safeguard their culture. Johsua Norman, the Malamata Community school head teacher is one of the elites from that area who strive hard to find means and ways to connect its people to the culture and unleash the beauty and unique culture of the people of Malamata Yapo. He is the brainchild behind the formation and initiation of the Malamata Yapo Cultural Center.
The community rebuilt the Malamata Cultural Center after 30 years of dormant and that ignited the fire to establish a cultural festival in the area. Fortunately, they intention to register a cultural festival with the National Cultural Commission, a government agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Art, and Culture. On August 13, 2023; the NCC issued the Malamata Yapo Cultural Festiva a certificate of registration and recognition to host a cultural festival in the village.
Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas and NCC Executive Director Steven Enomb Kilanda were on hand to officiate at the inaugural Malamata Yapo Cultural Show. Sir Peter Ipatas officially commissioned the revived Malamata Yapo Cultural Centre and the Malamata Cultural Festival. He announced various projects and pledged K200,000 to the Malamata community school.
He pledged a further K80,000 funding for various development projects including upgrading of the Malamata airstrip with fencing, a sawmill for the Malamata school, and others. Sir Peter Ipatas said: “National Cultural Commission is doing very well by going rural thus, Enga Provincial Government is committed to working in collaboration through the partnership with NCC to drive cultural programs and development in the rural areas. “Hence, through the cultural shows and festivals, we will identify the area of need so that we can step in to support and it’s a proper way to go about delivering on the services mechanism.
” He praised NCC for working in partnership in a more collaborative and constructive approach to deliver cultural services and roll out cultural programs and incentives like setting up cultural shows and festivals in some of the remotest places where government services are lacking. “I applaud NCC and Mr Kilanda leadership in identifying, recognizing and establishing cultural development initiatives such as this remote cultural festival that unleash the authentic and uniqueness of Enga’s intangible cultural heritage. “Enga is a province that is built on its strong and vibrant cultures and, we proud ourselves on the richness and authenticity of our cultures.
“Hence, we are happy to partner with the NCC to forge a way forward to drive cultural development and deliver services on the foundation that is already being established,” remarked Sir Peter Ipatas. He emphasized that such cultural events and programs pave the way for other development and services to reach the people at the community level. “I want to thank the NCC for capturing Enga province as one of its key partners in promoting, developing, preserving, protecting, and safeguarding our intangible cultural heritages.
The Governor also pledged K10,000 to the Malamata Yapo Cultural Festival. The Enga Government will forge a partnership arrangement through a memorandum of Understanding with MAF to begin services to the remote community in Malamata when the airstrip upgrading and fencing are completed. NCC CEO Steven Enomb Kilanda in his remarks said culture is the right vehicle and platform to drive other development agendas.
“It can reduce law and order issues and it can also pave the way for other basic services like health, education, and infrastructure like roads and airstrips. So, we don’t take culture as just a cultural show but, we take it as one of the essential approaches to drive other development, and also, we take it as a project for communities in the rural settings like Malamata,” he said. He appealed to the people of Malamata to take ownership of the projects and changes happening in the communities.
“You don’t need money to host the cultural festival, you are hosting your festival in the village. This is a community obligation so you have to take that initiative and take ownership. This should attract outside people, tourists, our development partners, stakeholders and Government officials.
They will come and see you through this cultural festival.” The community must work together to maintain that cultural center and they must work together to make this cultural show alive,” the CEO said. “In most of the cities we are replacing most of the traditional attires with modern attires but, in remote places like that we are fortunate to have pure traditional attire and authentic culture so we must showcase that and not long many tourists will come when the airstrip is complete,” he said.
NCC committed K10,000 to the Malamata Yapo Cultural Center to go towards maintaining the center. He vows to continue its support in whatever way possible as the agency responsible for the preservation, promotion, protection, development and safeguarding of Papua New Guinea’s intangible cultural heritages. The Malamata Cultural Festival held its second edition of the show on Wednesday August 7, 2024.
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