July 18, 2013
Kelly Smith, from Blackbutt, needs just $600 and he’ll be “the happiest bloke in Australia”; the money will allow him to freight a container-load of much-needed medical equipment to a tiny hospital in Papua New Guinea.
Kelly and his wife Margaret, who are members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Nanango, have been working on the project for 2 1/2 years.
The superseded medical items, which have been supplied by anonymous donors from the South Burnett, are being shipped to Fugwa, a town in the Southern Highlands of New Guinea about 750km west of Lae.
The couple has collected sufficient equipment for a 10-bed hospital, including cots, beds, mattresses, pillows and linen, slings, wheelchairs, walking sticks, baby scales, a cardiograph machine and an autoclave.
All the items have been loaded into a blue shipping container which is now awaiting transport to the Port of Brisbane to begin its slow six-week journey by sea to Lae.
Kelly volunteered to help the hospital, which is currently little more than an aid station, after hearing a talk by Wesleyan missionary Don Floyd in Goombungee.
“He spoke about the need … and my weakness in the church is missions,” Kelly said.
When Kelly first started working on the project, he costed the freight and worked out that he required $8000. He set about fund-raising by holding flea markets, garage sales and a garden party. There were also lots of anonymous donations of small amounts of cash.
“I would come to church and find an envelope on my usual seat,” he said.
However, over the intervening time period, the cost of freight has now risen to $11,500.
“The biggest surprise was the cost of shipping in Papua New Guinea,” he said. “Transport by road from Lae is costing more than shipping it from Brisbane to Lae.”
He had hoped that some of the many Australian companies active in New Guinea may have been able to help, but he has been sadly disappointed.
“I sent 161 individually written letters; three were returned to sender and the rest I haven’t heard anything from,” he said.
Kelly has now organised a variety concert in Nanango on Saturday (July 20) to help raise the remaining funds.
The concert, which will feature live music, singing and dancing, will begin at 4:00pm at the Nanango State High School Hall.
Entry is $10 for adults, $7.50 for pensioners / high school students; $5 for primary stiudents or a family pass can be bought for $30.
A door prize has been donated by Nanango Foodworks.
On stage will be the Blackbutt Singers, local flautist Leah Noll, Jeff Hancox (Elvis), Irish singers Nuala and Rebecca Black, Zumba dancers and line dancers and a Barber Shop Quartet Minus One. There will also be community singing throughout the evening.
Kelly is hoping 200 people will turn up but “anything over $600 will put me in the black”.
He will also have “okkies” for sale for $5 … little French-knitted octopus dolls that he makes in his spare time as “comfort dolls” for sick children.
Kelly isn’t ashamed to say that he’ll be glad to see the back of the container when it finally starts its journey.
“It has totally dominated our lives over the last 2 1/2 years,” he said.
“I’ll be the happiest bloke in the world when it goes.”
UPDATE November 20: It’s gone! On Friday, November 8, a semi-trailer hauled the container-load of equipment out of Nanango on its way to Brisbane and then a ship to Lae.
