Different Clans and Villages in Koare (Current 2011).
- Kuri clan live in three main villages that include the following: Kilipimi, Kaluake and Karapere.
- Marepa clan live in two villages: Kolopi and Lepirini
- Ekerepa clan live in two villages: Rindane and Tangoloma.
- Mandiripa clan live in several villages: Kaimare, Kusayo, Koare station, Poreanda and Waluanda.
- Eparepa clan live in Mungiri village.
- Kuwi village is composed of three major clans called Pasa, Sau and Rungita clans.
- Yaki and Kalapo clans live in Ata, Kupia, Yawireanda and Kolere villages. The people from Kusa village are also called Yaki as they come from the same clan.
- Amburepa, Kepirepa clans live in Lapongo village. There are several clans that make up Lapongo village but I can’t name them at this stage as I don’t know their specific names.
- There are other clans that live in Kalawira, Yango, Epabini, Rakunapi and Karanda villages which is part of Kagua/Erave electorate. However, they are part of Koare sub-district.
Contemporary Social Groupings in Koare.
The people of Koare have recently developed contemporary conceptual boundaries as a distinct means of categorization and grouping of the different clans/tribes. Political agenda, recognition and gain are major driving forces towards the development of such groupings. For instance, the people who come from Waluanda and Kusa villages towards Lapongo village, regardless of their origins of tribal or clan groupings, they currently go by the name “Angakera”, which means they are people who produce the pandanus nuts (pandanus tectorius). Their basic intention is to fall under one umbrella grouping for unity, team building and social cohesiveness and in so doing it gives them greater leverage, upper-hand, and higher chances for lobbying. This gives them higher social standing and status in the society. This same principle is advocated by the different clans that live between Lemako river and Lepirini village and they go by the name “Ipa Lekamako Rombo”. It simply means people from the boarder of river Lemako. Other similar groupings also exist such as “Ipa Una Rombo”, which refers to people who come from Karapere village to Una river. These are contemporary social groupings for the purposes of lobbying, status and recognition.
Politics and Administration of Koare LLG.
Those of us who come from Koare often take things for granted by not reflecting, analyzing and looking at where the predicament is in terms of administration and development of Koare LLG. To me, Koare has not been developed to date simply due to political and the PNG Boundary Commission’s sheer blunder. Hence, confusion, ignorance and passing-the-bug mentally has been instilled over the years between the Kagua/Erave and Pangia/Ialibu Electorates and their so-called Members of Parliament (MPs) and Administrators. Over the years political and administrative confusion has been created due to this professional negligence and blunder.
I have done some research and have found that the PNG Boundary Commission has divided Koare into two parts (and this is a common knowledge of course as we have seen). One part of Koare falls under Kagua/Erave Electorate and the other part has been allocated to Pangia/Ialibu Electorate. This has led to playing the blame-game and shifting the administrative and developmental responsibilities to one another. Ironically, it is pathetic to find that none of these two electorates have had the sheer guts to take responsibility in terms of allocating funds which rightfully belong to the people of Koare LLG. Hence, we have missed out over the years on development and administrative funding and better governance. You can verify this data from the two maps I am provided below for your information
You will also see from the two maps that in fact researchers at the PNG National Research Institute (2010) have pointed out clearly that politically Koare is not part of Pangia/Ialibu electorate (see the details I have provided). So we can ask ourselves; if Koare is not politically part of Pangia/Ialibu electorate as opposed to rhetoric, why have we been part of that electorate and part of the election process over the year? It is therefore, evident that Waigani recognizes Koare to be part of Kagua/Erave. Though in real practice we fall under Kagua/Erave administratively, as far as Waigani is concerned we still come under the same electorate politically, as shown by the boundaries. Someone needs to do a thorough reality and rhetoric check to place Koare in one electorate. Otherwise we will always be at the losing end by way of missing out on fiscal, political and administrative function execution.
This political and administrative blunder has created sheer confusion, hardship, ignorance among the so-called elected leaders and administrators. Hence, us Koares had been at the losing end all these years even to this day and the many years to come. Who is there to rectify this once and for all for the common good and benefit of the children of Koare? One way or another we have to come together and blend these two maps so that Koare can either come under one Electorate or we can decisively seek political, administrative and fiscal autonomy which will be highly beneficial to the people of Koare
I would encourage you guys to write more and throw more ideas towards this so that we can do something about it. We have to rectify this sooner so that our children will not suffer from this predicament over the years to come. No one will do it. Peter O’Neil will not do it as he has not done it and he does not care who exists in Koare. Someone from Ialibu will not do it as Roy Yaki has not done it and he did not care though he did contribute something in terms of the Koare road maintenance; at least once a while and the road was passable unlike today. A Koarean blood needs to stand tall among the many poor, among the uneducated, among the illiterate, among the innocent children, among the weak and poor mothers and fathers, among the different clans which make up the core of the population; rise up among the fores and upheavals and intelligently challenge this predicament and status quo once and for all. It is not only one person’s effort that will matter, this battle belongs to all Koareans, belongs to all children, belongs to every young and old, belongs to everyone who has a Koarean blood and flesh. If we can purposefully and genuinely team up, consolidate our dreams and aspirations, visions, mission statements and aims, and reflect on our past struggles and let-downs and conned days, and build an astute and authentic team to be reckoned with and be counted among the elite, I am sure we can rise up and stand tall for the benefit of our innocent children and poor papa mama and lapuns. Some of our lapuns will not even see the benefits of what we are struggling for, the true essence, values and colors of what the white men called it “development”, what you and I went to school for; but I see a small bright light that is shinning in the far distance, though it is hard and unimaginable and gloomy, though it belongs to the wealthy, though it belongs to the well-to-do, I can see a Koare Konda Kid coming forward with radiant lights full of shimmering happiness and smiles one good bright day. Those moments when our poor papa mama and lapuns will say; this is it, “YES WE CAN”. Only then we can politely and ambitiously proclaim to the world that our “beke-piri” carrying days from Koare to Tindua, all the way to Ialibu when there was no PMV to get on, are truly over. When I see those days from my overseas travels, seeing huge buildings, travelling in huge planes and fast moving trains, which my forefathers and mothers had never seen or even dreamed off, eating good food and enjoying all the developed world’s beauty and dance to their song and music, I think of my Koare Konda and it makes me cry. May be one day if God’s willing we will be there somewhere someday. God bless you Koare Konda Kids. ….John Rombo, Middle East.
