Building Luman Hipakoko
Luman Hipakoko was designed pro bono by an Australian architect, Amber Guarde, by arrangement with our PiCCA partners in Brisbane.
We were able to turn the project into a training exercise when a licensed builder, a Plumber and 2 handymen from Australia self-funded their travel to Haku to assist the youth with their donated tools, power tools, experience and sweat equity. All the on site catering to the full building team over two months construction period was from our HWC women using the haus kuk.
We were able to turn the project into a training exercise when a licensed builder, a Plumber and 2 handymen from Australia self-funded their travel to Haku to assist the youth with their donated tools, power tools, experience and sweat equity. All the on site catering to the full building team over two months construction period was from our HWC women using the haus kuk.
Obstacles
Original attempts to build had begun in March 2017 and laying the foundations with 20+ tractor loads of ‘karanas’ (coral gravel) hand dug from the gravel pit was affected by stop / start legal preventive orders placed upon us. To allow the foundations to proceed for the Luman Hipakoko Phase 3 building, we required the inclusive support of all the women’s groups of Haku, the local community who provided all the labour, the Village Clans and chiefs who defied a small group of men who opposed the project. This group had been blocking women’s participation in government and had refused to support any funding for women's projects for 10 long years.
Our Village landowner chiefs had to front up to the Village Court Magistrates who sat 14 times to address claims for compensation from two men who challenged the community, the clan and the women to give us the right to build. By August, the whole Haku community was alarmed at the opposition HWC women faced. Senior chiefs, Village Court Magistrates, Judges in Buka town and numerous supporters began to take an interest in the battle of wits and counter measures taken by our opposition.
HWC quietly researched our rights with regard to ABG and PNG gender equity laws and how these might support our cause, as HWC is an IPA registered CSO with legal standing and government recognition in AROB. Chiefs came out onto the road in droves and met in a significant Land Dispute Meeting. They cooked pig to override the Village Courts and ordered the Magistrate to acknowledge landowner chiefs rights to grant the land to the Hako Collective women’s group – and so we at last obtained permission to build.
In the end the Village Court Magistrates imposed a PROTECTION order for the HWC and the building, and whole site including all overseas visitors!
Original attempts to build had begun in March 2017 and laying the foundations with 20+ tractor loads of ‘karanas’ (coral gravel) hand dug from the gravel pit was affected by stop / start legal preventive orders placed upon us. To allow the foundations to proceed for the Luman Hipakoko Phase 3 building, we required the inclusive support of all the women’s groups of Haku, the local community who provided all the labour, the Village Clans and chiefs who defied a small group of men who opposed the project. This group had been blocking women’s participation in government and had refused to support any funding for women's projects for 10 long years.
Our Village landowner chiefs had to front up to the Village Court Magistrates who sat 14 times to address claims for compensation from two men who challenged the community, the clan and the women to give us the right to build. By August, the whole Haku community was alarmed at the opposition HWC women faced. Senior chiefs, Village Court Magistrates, Judges in Buka town and numerous supporters began to take an interest in the battle of wits and counter measures taken by our opposition.
HWC quietly researched our rights with regard to ABG and PNG gender equity laws and how these might support our cause, as HWC is an IPA registered CSO with legal standing and government recognition in AROB. Chiefs came out onto the road in droves and met in a significant Land Dispute Meeting. They cooked pig to override the Village Courts and ordered the Magistrate to acknowledge landowner chiefs rights to grant the land to the Hako Collective women’s group – and so we at last obtained permission to build.
In the end the Village Court Magistrates imposed a PROTECTION order for the HWC and the building, and whole site including all overseas visitors!
