Gasmata Expedition
In October 2020 our founder Ange and her team embarked on an expedition to the small coastal village of Gasmata, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
The goal of this expedition was to engage with and build relationships with the local villagers of Gasmata, whilst also providing education on basic hygiene practices and providing medical aid in collaboration with the West New Britain Provincial Health Authority.
Paramedic Connor providing first aid
Medical Aid
Throughout the two-week expedition, the team managed to visit a total of nine villages, acting as a mobile wound clinic to treat villagers who were suffering from various medical ailments. Tropical ulcers and yaws, a tropical infection of the skin, bones and joints, were some of the most common ailments treated. During their expedition, the team managed to treat a total of 275 patients, whilst also managing a widespread scabies outbreak.
Education
Education was also a major point of focus for this expedition, where the team selected one local girl to shadow and assist them with medical aid, providing her with training and education. Many educational discussions were held with the villagers, centred around sanitation and hygiene practices and its role in preventing future illnesses and disease.
In addition to donating soccer balls, volleyballs, nets and pumps, the team hosted daily soccer and volleyball workshops, as well as daily fitness and boxing sessions. In total, the team trained for thirteen days and engaged 230 young men and 30 young women.
Community Sports
The team also engaged local youth to participate in community sports programs. The goal of these programs was to establish strong relationships with the community youth, specifically deterring young men from “trouble”, engaging young women to participate, and to promote health, team building, community spirit and pride.
Findings
90% of patients…
…treated were children, with most communities lacking a basic understanding of sanitation and personal hygiene practices. Sanitation was also a major issue, where very little rainwater is collected in homes and community buildings for toilet use and drinking water.
80% of locals…
…asked our founder, Ange to deliver 30-minute sessions on community education to address the noted health issues. Mothers in particular were primarily interested and discussed their concerns on issues such as high rates of unwanted pregnancies and a lack of medical assistance for pregnant women.
Observations
The sporting workshops determined that sports is a high priority within the community, where locals currently partake in a weekly Community Sports competition. Women also showed a keen interest in more sporting attention, whilst soccer training proved paramount in strengthening relationships with young men in the community.
Overall, the expedition was a successful one and provided the team with valuable insights into the current social issues within Papua New Guinean communities. It also provided feedback as to how these issues can be addressed in order to improve the community’s wellbeing as a whole.
