Celebrating Life in Veraibari

Droves of people, streams of branches and gorgeous flowers greeted doctors, nurses and primary health care workers as they arrived on the shore of Veraibari on Wednesday.
 
But beneath the surface of celebration, a great mourning was happening as well. Only hours before arriving an elderly woman in the village, mother and grandmother, had passed away.
 
Despite the sorrow that death brings in any stage of life, the fact that this woman had lived so many years in a place with very high infant and child mortality rates was truly something to celebrate.
 
Customs in this part of PNG would say that nothing happens in the village for a week as the family processes the death. However, the family got together that morning and decided that despite death, they wanted the health care workers to come into the village and bring life to those who are still living.
 
It truly embodied the essence of the motto, “I Want To Live.”
 
Men, women and children lined up outside of the village school to receive checkups and critical medical services they would otherwise not have access to.
 
In all one fifth of the village was seen.