INTRO Kailape Airstrip is a government proposed project located at the boarder of Auga Ward 5 [Woitape LLG] and Ivani Ward 1 [Tapini LLG]. This proposed airstrip aims to service the people of Fuyuge speaking tribes in Kailape, Kone, Garime and parts of Belavista and Popore and Minaru and Tanipai, and Tokyo people.
Kailape Village – Google Map – Photo credit: Bruce Mamando
INITIAL WORKS Under the reign of then Representative for Goilala people Honourable John Gaibi in 1981, people mobilised and cleared forest and began digging the land for the airstrip. From 1981 to 2015, progress on this airstrip has been pain staking slow.
Local Leaders or Councillors asked people to work but usually stop primarily due to payment issues. Although slow, during these 34 long years [1981 – 2015] locals by using locally improvised tools covered a distance of 350 meters.
A civil Aviation requirement for an airstrip is 600 meters. So they need another 250 meters to satisfy that requirement – 600meters.
TRIBUTE TO BRUCE MAMANDO Local businessman seeing the plight of this people from Kailape, assisted to speed up the building of this airstrip. Mr Mamando topped up the Kailape people’s contribution of K4000.00 and bought wheelbarrows, spades, knives and earth clearing tools from Brian Bell & Co.
Bruce Mamando at Kailape Airstrip – Photo Credit: Team Bruce Mamando
They were faced with another problem. And that was to airlift these tools bought by Mr Mamando to Kailape via Fane mission station – airfreighting of these tools.
These Kailape people went to Tolukuma Gold Mine site and pushed wheelbarrows asking for donations of cash. They ended up making K2000.00 from this wheelbarrow push.
Using this money they airfreighted the tools into Fane airstrip and then carried that to Kailape to work on their airstrip.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Open MP Honourable William Samb, been a local, knew of the plight of Goilala people in this section of Goilala flew into Kailape, accompanied by Tapini LLG President Honorable Keleto Kope and Woitape LLG President Honorable Joe Geru and Rural Airstrip Engineers, to see how he can help make their dream come true.
Kailape people told Honourable MP, their reasons for choosing to have their own airstrip are”
Distance from Fane to Kaliape – Fane airstrip is too far.
Unsafe – Law and order at Fane airstrip is out of control.
Weight – Too far for carry load and walk to Fane from Kaliape and vice versa.
NEXT COURSE OF ACTION. A D4 dozer will be airlifted from Port Moresby directly into Kailape to speed up the earth moving next week.
POTENTIAL. Just like any other Goilala land, Kailape is full of potential. The soil is rich for fresh vegetable farming. And there is huge potential for commercial coffee farming too. Alluvial Gold mining is also another attractive factor about Kailape.
CAUTION TO THE WIND. While assuring the people of Kailape of the support from his Office, local Member of Parliament, Honourable William Samb reminded his people that, his government is “helping those who are not sitting around for help but helping those who are working to help themselves.”
KAILAPE AIRSTRIP – FROM PAST TO PRESENT DAY INTRO Kailape Airstrip is a government proposed project located at the boarder of Auga Ward 5 and Ivani Ward 1 .