Surprise on Kairiru Island
The girl from Kairiru Island, Papua New Guinea
I HAVE BEEN traveling for weeks around Papua New Guinea. Each time I changed my location, worries overtook my mind. I heard all kinds of stories of people being killed because they have trespassed someone’s territory without permission. And here I am at the beach of the beautiful Kairiru Island with nothing but my backpack and beating heart.
Somebody was watching me. I could feel this. In the tree crown of the nearby forest, the face of a little girl glanced. She approached me and offered to help. She was ready to ask the local chief to let me stay. This was remarkable, given that the little girl didn’t know much about me. In the Polynesian Island culture, each member of the tribe is equal to others. Even the small kids.
For an outsider, it is difficult to believe. As soon as one is accepted, one becomes an equal member of a family. The acceptance of the tribe allowed me to wander freely around the island and explore it.