Good & Bad things about chewing betelnut in Papua New Guinea

Betel nut chewing has good and bad. It is one of the cultural norms and widely chew by many Papua New Guineans. The betel nut is commonly grown in the coastal areas for commercial purpose as well as other local growers own consumption.

Good things about betel nut.

Social friendship. 

Betel nut can open up new friendships and strengthen existing social friendship with betel nut chewers. 

Betel nut sharing is caring. So, sharing betel nut, mustard and lime is common practice amongst the chewers. The chewers gather together in betel nut selling venues, they buy betel nuts, mustard and lime, so they chew together.  In this way, they build social relationships which are unbreakable,  and it's a very strong social network.

Door to opportunity.

Betel nut culture can open lots of jobs, businesses and political opportunities. Recruiters can easily be influenced through betel nut sharing culture. It can open up business opportunities such as bank loans, or contracts.

Make money

Betel nut is the biggest gold mine in Papua New Guinea. Millions of kina are circulating in the betel nut industry. The local farmers from the coastal areas sell their produce to the highlanders.

The highlanders travel everywhere in search of betel nut in the coastal areas. The transport operators make money by transporting the betel nut up to the highlands highway.

The local farmers, transport operators, wholesalers, major retail sellers and small hamlets villages and roadside sellers make money through betel nut.

The betel nut industry is huge and the benefits spread across Papua New Guinea households. 

Betel nut- stimulant.

Betel nut is a stimulant and chewing it can keep the cheers awaken. Those disciplinary officers, security guards find betelnut as the best options that keep them awake during the night or day at their locations. 

Even those working in offices chewing betel nut does a better awakening job than the cup of coffee.

Self social confidence 

For some people, chewing betel nut rewards them social self-confidence to mingle around with people in betel nut social culture. So, those who lack social self-esteem can chew betel nut to gain self-confidence about themselves hanging out with friends chewing the betel nuts.

Social qualifications.

The young kids gather together in the name of a social betel nut spirit that builds and strengthen peer social friendship. Such friendship lasts for a long time.

Bad things about betel nut.

Poor personal hygiene 

Chewing betel nut can contribute to poor personal hygiene that includes betelnut stains on the teeth, shirts, and all over their bodies. Betelnut chewing makes them look hugely before the public eyes and truly their social appearance is not good.

Cost money 

Chewing betel nut can be a costly exercise and in fact, it cost lots of money chewing betel nut. Reading more on how much money betel nut cost by clicking this link.

Health conditions 

Chewing betel nut can cause many health conditions such as high blood pressure, mouth cancer, tooth decay. 

For those who have high blood pressure, chewing betel nut can increase the high blood pressure and can cause fatal accidents.

Unhygine social health environment.

It's common knowledge and evidence on the streets of Papua New Guinea that the chewing betel nut contributes so much rubbish in major cities, towns, rural district stations.

The splitting of betel nut stains can aid the spread tuberculosis and coronavirus etc. Both betel nut cells and stains contribute to lots of rubbish which the authorities spends lots of money to clean up..All the public rubbish bins are filled with betel nut stains and cells, which is public eye sore.

Travel health risk.

The betel nut traders travel far and wide at the cost of their lives. They travel on the road, water and in the air looking for betel nut trade. It's not an easy task looking for quality betel nut, mustard and lime.

Bribery & Corrupt practices.

Betel nut builds social relationships that can easily facilitate bribery for jobs, business contract deals etc.

So betel nut chewing culture in Papua New Guinea is part of human social survival. It has been there for many generations and it's here to stay.

SEVEN SLEEPING TIPS.

If you do not sleep well tonight, automatically, it will affect your tomorrow. Isn’t that a common sense? So, sleep constitute a very important element of living a healthy and happy working life.

The body needs a good amount of time (6- 8 hours) to go through the repairing process so that your body and mind is restored fully for the next day use. If the body is not given sufficient rest, it will fail and the condition is called fatigue.

 Seven sleeping tips.

 (1).Keeping the sleep time.

O'clock.

You must have a fix sleeping schedule. It’s like programming your body so that it knows when to give you the complete rest the entire body needs it. If you change your sleeping schedule, it will affect your body’s sleeping time pattern. So, sticking to your bedtime to gain the benefit of good sleep.

(2).Bedroom set-up.

Healthy bedroom set-up.

How you fix your bedroom will give you a peace of mind for bed. If your room is untidy and everything is all over the place, you will not have a peace of mind to rest. So, ensure the room is neat and tidy so that it creates a very comfortable sleeping environment for a good night rest.

(3).Stop work.
Stop working physically and mentally. Get your mind and body to one focus that is to sleep. Do not go into your bed with anything hanging on your mind, or just straight after physical activity then you run into the bed, you will find it difficult to sleep. So, stop all the work because it's bedtime.

(4). Cooling the body system.

If you have sleeping problem, following activities that might be of help to you. Get a warm bath before bed to prepare your body for sleep. The warm water causes your body temperature to rise. The higher you go the lower you come down, similarly, when you cool off your body temperature, the body enters into sleeping mood, which reward you with quality sleep.

 A good deep breathing exercise before sleep is helpful practice. Sit in a quiet room, relax your body and mind like in meditation position, then take a deep breath either through nose or mouth and exhale either way. The continuous exercise leads you into yawing, which body signals feeling tiredness thus ready to go into sleep.  

 Listening to music works for some people. Do not take in stimulant produce to assist sleep because that might even lead to sleep dependency life.

(5). Stop clock guide.

O'clock.

If you are using O’clock as guide to sleep, simply build up lots of stress. So, do not keep your eyes on the clock before it will put your heart on the race between sleep and the task you are doing.

When you practice your sleep time well, the clock will have no use because your body and mind knows when to go to sleep.

(6). Daily work.

Getting good physical active work during the day can help you get a good night rest.

(7).Food & drink.
Healthy eating good foods and drinking enough water can also help you get a good night rest. Avoid overloading your stomach with food, water and coffee before bed.

TAKE HOME POINT
• Life rebirth through sleep, so give your body what its deserves for a quality of life.

How to prevent Coronavirus

Coronavirus has significantly impacted the lives of the World in many ways yet it’s manageable. Those with underlying medical conditions like asthma, tuberculosis, diabetics, high blood pressure, cancer (etc.) should take extra preventive effort, or require complete isolation.

 Coronavirus is not killing people, 98% infected with coronavirus can easily recover.

 Followings are simple Coronavirus preventive measures individuals needs to employ to stay free from Coronavirus.

 Masking your face.

The face must be worn when you are with one or more people. It is safe to remove a face mask when you are alone at home or driving in your car. Individuals do not need to deprive themselves of fresh oxygen for good health.

 Social distancing.

In many incases social distancing will be difficult but it does individuals best to live with it. Where there are lots of people and movement is limited, you must wear a mask, wear a hand glove, avoid touching people or objects and short stay and leave the place quickly.

 Hand washing.

It is important to wash hand regularly. Our hands touch anything anytime every day.  Hands are always the first contact point for infections to enter human bodies, so washing hands is good for overall health.

 Reduce social interaction.

Everyone must reduce social interaction with other human beings. The more you interact with people, the more chances of you contracting coronavirus are very high.

 Reduce public gatherings.

Cut down unnecessary or non-important meetings and only attend important ones with health protocols like face masking, social distance, and hand wash.

Reduce families, and friend’s visitation

Families are important but use other communication mediums to keep in touch with families’ members.

Homemade treatment.

Some home treatments like streaming your body or families, live in a warm environment, eat spicy foods, having a hot bath or regularly engaging in sport will be of benefit to good health.

The urgent need to address unhealthy family violence and mental crisis in Papua New Guinea.

F1. Ruby Anne Laua

In response to the overwhelming crisis of unhealthy family violence-related mental health issues in Papua New Guinea, urgent action is needed to address and alleviate the suffering endured by victims. The lack of effective social and legal support systems, coupled with the influence of money, social power dynamics, and societal disregard for such issues, has created a climate where relief and justice are elusive.

It is essential to recognize that the mental health challenges faced by victims are not isolated incidents. Their suffering is known to the victims themselves, their immediate families, relatives, friends, spouses, and the wider communities. This crisis is occurring right before our eyes, yet even law enforcement agencies fail to address it, dismissing it as a "family problem" that should be resolved at home.

Furthermore, the families of the victims, particularly their parents and blood relatives, often downplay the severity of the situation, ignoring red flags that indicate danger. The victims' hope for relief is continuously suppressed, leaving them trapped in fear and unable to advocate for themselves due to their shattered confidence and lack of support.

F2. Jennelyn Kennedy 

The attached photos (figure 1, 2, & figure 3) depict the tragic consequences of family violence. Figure 1 murder has been sentenced to eleven years of hard labor by the national courts for murder, figure 2 culprit received a life sentence, while the case of figure 3 is still pending or in authorities hands.

F3. Imelda Tupi Timanda 

Many cases go unreported, hidden beneath the influence of social power and wealth. It is critical for parents and communities to be aware of following highly dangerous warning signs indicating a need for immediate intervention, and to respond urgently to help the victims.

• Bruises all their bodies and their faces.

• Kitchen or bush knifes have been used to attack the victims.
• Tiring the victims legs and arms with rope or wires.

• 

  F3. Imelda Tupi Manda

  
  Locking the victims for long time in the house.

• Taken the victims in the dark places and attacking them.

• Guns or any sharp instruments have been used to attack the victims. 

• The person frequently on alcohol and watching violence movies.

• Telling the victims that I will kill you.

• Naking them in the houses in front of their children and others.

• The attackers is always in possession of sharp or dangerous weapons.

• Pushing the victims over the running vehicles. 

• Pouring hot waters and dangerous liquids all over the victims bodies, or throwing flame on their bodies.

• Pushing sticks or sharp instruments into the vagina or anus or mouth. 

What to do!

1. Concrete steps that can be taken include immediately removing the victims from their abusive environment, ensuring their safety by isolating them from their attackers, and promptly reporting the matter to the police. It is equally important to remove the children from harm's way and provide them with the necessary protection and care.

2. Physical health and psychological support should not be overlooked. The victims must receive medical attention from doctors, therapy from counseling psychologists, and support from social workers. Creating a protective and nurturing environment for the victims within their families is vital to their recovery and well-being.

3. In order to address this crisis effectively, education and awareness within the community are essential. It is necessary to educate individuals about the devastating impact of family violence and cultivate a shift in societal attitudes towards this issue. Moreover, advocating for stronger laws and policies against family violence, and collaborating with local and international organizations, can help facilitate effective intervention and support for the victims.

4.Finally, providing economic support and resources is crucial in enabling victims to regain their independence and rebuild their lives. By addressing this crisis comprehensively and collaboratively, we can work towards creating a safer and healthier Papua New Guinea for all its citizens.

Counselling Interventions Works

Papua New Guineans are not seeking the benefits of professional counselling services. It plays an important role in saving the lives of people and also improve their quality of life. Furthermore, it assists people to navigate their future with full of confidence.

The government-private sectors and the public are not aware of the benefits of counselling services. How these services can contribute to the worker's wellbeing and improvement of the business goal.

The workplace managers lack mental health leadership skills. They should be well placed to rise the corporate leadership bar. 

The business should focus on mental health interpersonal leadership skills training. to drive the organization's business objectives, and achieve the overall business goal.

Both private and public (health)  institutions should start creating psychotherapists positions in their structure. The medicine alone will not treat patients’ conditions, most patients admitted into the hospitals are with mental health conditions so to treat the cause, such services are required. On the other, the Workers are silently suffering from the mental health crisis as well.

If your organization is experiencing the following issues, it’s an indication that mental health issues require higher management’s urgent attention.

Stealing from the organization; coming late to work; not attending meetings; not attending to work; Increase in injuries; not wearing work uniforms neat and discharging unhealthy behaviours at work are some of the workplace negative signs.

Imelda Tubi Tiamanda

Even in family homes, many young mothers are losing their lives at the hands of merciless men.

The attached photo is the latest addition of Papua New Guinean women who have lived and suffered the worse pain no words can explain.

This known domestic violence is not an isolated case, it's happening in the eyes of the communities, parents, leaders, churches, and everyone, yet we see nothing is happening in our communities. When there is continuous violence, it’s an indication of risk so, through the counselling sessions, lives can be saved. 

The victims themselves are also not taking proactive steps seeking support that can save their lives. They are living, sleeping and walking on flames of fire yet, they ignore it. 

Recognizing significant mental health needs in Papua New Guinea, we have established the Healthy Living Business- Counselling Works unit to provide counselling support.

Please, do feel free to contact us @  workscounselling@gmail.com