Joy Amidst Hard Times
If you saw my last newsletter, I announced the discovery of a descendant of one of Caroline’s paintings titled “Kai-Kai”. A magnificent man from the Torres Strait named Robin. We just recently received a photo of Robin in his older years. Provided by the granddaughter, Gwen and her husband, Tom. This is such a gift to continue a story that is still relevant today!
It took a very long time for Caroline to finish the painting and she wrote about her experience searching for the ocean colors where Robin stood for the portrait. Caroline had to wait to find the sparkling turquoise and reef colors in Java. Out on the reef, a large wave struck her and the painting and although retrieved and finished with such beauty, she expressed she was tired from her journey and did not feel like painting anymore. It truly was not the end of her work and she remained a portrait artist for the rest of her life.
During this pandemic, every country on our beautiful planet and humanity is being severely impacted. I realize we all have various fundraising asks to help marginalized communities. It’s difficult to think “why should I worry or can I even afford to donate to people I don’t even know?”
I have an annual budget for charities and I have many I personally choose to donate. Instead of feeling guilty, I feel good about donating even $10 and spread my budget around to my chosen causes. That is why I am continuing to run the Go Fund Me – Vital Help for Tufi Villagers.
There have been many supplies delivered to the villages and the needs grow. I recently heard from my friends, Linda and Tony Honey, that after visiting several villages to check on the people, it broke my heart to hear that two young women gave birth around the same time. Sadly, one young mother did not survive.The maternal mortality rate in Papua New Guinea is very high. The other mother is now breastfeeding both babies. We’ve decided that baby supplies were now high on the list of vital items and will strive to purchase them.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have an amazing life and experience much of PNG. I will be celebrating my 71st birthday this month, so please think about supporting my campaign. That would be the best gift of all.
There are so many wonderful webinars and online lectures to choose from. Recently, I was asked and gave a talk through ADEX – Asia Dive Expo. Titled “Decades of Discovery – Melanesia” you may just understand why I am so passionate about this part of the world. I hope you choose to enjoy spending an hour of your time to watch the recorded session. Thank you to the entire team at ADEX for the honor! Watch the recorded session by clicking on this link: ADEX PIXEL VIRTURAL EXPO
I continue to work with many talented Melanesian contemporary artists and hope to bring a story in the near future. If you have NOT seen the full documentary –
Order Film Here
“IOMAI” by C. Mytinger
