Narewec urges family, learning, and peace this Christmas
As the nation celebrates Christmas, a season of hope, reflection, and renewal, Morobe's new Wau Waria District's first member of parliament, Marsh Narewec, also delivers his Christmas message to his people.
Leading the new district for 3 years in 7 days [January 1st, 2026], known for his slogan, "Let's make Wau Waria Great Again", the MP is urging his people to embrace peace, rebuild families, and invest in education as the true gifts needed for a safer and more prosperous future.
The Wau Waria district, back then, when it was still connected to Bulolo as the 'Wau Bulolo district', was
A world-famous historic gold mining town, especially during the Gold Rush in the 1920s to 1930s, attracted fortune seekers and served as the vital economic hub for PNG's early development, ultimately leading to the country’s independence.
In his heartfelt Christmas address to his people, Narewec acknowledged that 2024 has been one of the most challenging years since the district’s creation. Law and order, he said, remains the district’s greatest and most painful struggle, but together this can be overcome.
“The cost has been enormous,” he said, noting that beyond financial losses, the district has suffered the loss of innocent lives, destruction of property and the theft of hard-earned belongings, tragedies that continue to scar communities.
Yet even in the midst of turmoil, the Narewec went on to highlight several historic milestones achieved during the year.
Wau Waria proudly joined the nation in celebrating Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence Anniversary. For the first time, the remote Biaru area received mobile network coverage, linking communities to vital communication and emergency services. Road access reached Tori and Biaru Kasangare villages for the first time, while a pilot track road was constructed into Garaina Station. The district also secured a major €9 million (K40 million) European Union grant for the Wau Town Water Supply and Community WaSH Project.
“These are achievements that we should all be proud of as a district. But sadly, they were overshadowed by this ongoing law and order problems," Narewec said.
The MP stressed that crime and violence did not appear overnight. He pointed to decades of under-investment in education and the steady breakdown of the family unit as the root causes. The children of yesterday, he warned, have become the troubled youths and young adults of today.
Repeating a message he delivered during PNG’s 50th Independence celebrations, the MP used Christmas to issue a renewed call for action, beginning with the rebuilding of strong families.
“A child must grow up with both a father and a mother living together,” he said, emphasizing the sanctity and seriousness of marriage. He urged leaders at every level to speak openly and firmly to young people about responsible relationships and parenthood, calling out men who father children without the means or commitment to support a family as weak and irresponsible.
His second point was focused squarely on education, describing it as the key to breaking the cycle of crime and poverty, stressing that sending children to school is not optional but a core parental responsibility.
Education, he said, creates employment opportunities, teaches right from wrong, and keeps young people engaged during the day instead of drifting into criminal activity. Parents who fail to send their children to school, he stated bluntly, are failing in their duty.
"On a note of unity and faith, my wife Leonie, our children Maria, Mitine, Worickec and I wish the people of Wau Waria and PNG as a whole a Merry, Safe and Peaceful Christmas, and a prosperous and secure New Year. God bless Wau Waria District and Papua New Guinea," he concluded.