Graphic artist encourages positive attitude towards problems

Local Madang graphic artist Robert Banasi is urging the people of Madang to develop positive attitudes towards ongoing issues and problems in the province.

Banasi said most times people just sit down and talk about issues affecting our everyday lives without doing anything tangible.

He stressed this after a recent initiative, which he spearheaded to help clean rundown ablution blocks at the Madang Provincial Hospital.

Banasi, aka MAM [Madang Art Maniac], continues to champion community initiatives, especially for the provincial hospital.

Early this month, Banasi reached out to the general public for support to clean the hospital's ablution blocks, which have been blocked and closed off for some time.

The response was overwhelming both from Madang residents and Madang indigenous living out of the province.

"We got support from families both in Madang and from outside who actually donated detergents, brushes, and other things we needed to clean the toilets. We had lots of fun, laughter and positive vibes, no one complained doing the work and we were really happy with that. We had youths from Kamba Village and Krangket Island who actually came along and joined us plus others like Pamela Eugenio and partner Siegfried Beschel," Banasi said.

He emphasised that this is the kind of support Madang needs in order to address a lot of issues that we can address at our level.

There are five ablution blocks within the ward area that needed cleaning, however; on the day of cleaning up, only one was opened, which the group got to clean.

Banasi said, "This single ablution block is being used by patients in all the wards in the hospital, so you can imagine the filth in it."

Through a similar initiative in 2023, Banasi managed to garner support for the purchase and installation of a tuffa tank for the children's ward when the hospital was facing water problems.

"In Modilon Hospital [now Madang Provincial Hospital], whilst working there, we see a lot of things, but we complain. We want to change that by bringing positive attitudes and a positive mindset to come out and help where we can. We see things, but we tend to ignore them. But now we are trying to encourage youths, communities, businesses, and everyone, including the government, to come and join hands with us and fix Madang, as this is where we all come to get help. This was not the first time we've done this. We've done it way before during the Covid pandemic and then being admitted at the children's ward without water, so we have to go around making initiatives to buy a 9000-liter tank that is now there supporting the entire hospital," he stated.

Banasi said this was not just a one of thing as there are other initiatives to help out where they can.