By DALCY LULU
SEVEN (7) teachers from Walagu Primary School in Bosavi, Southern Highlands Province, who found themselves caught in between a risky situation involving armed men, have escaped.
The teachers and their families witnessed and experienced this terrible situation and travelled for five days and nights to reach Moro and safety.
In fear of the danger, they had traversed through the thick forest to save their lives. Their ordeal coincided with the recently-reported incident in Bosavi, where 15 female students and two married women were kidnapped, raped and held captive by more than 40 armed men.
Head teacher Jeffrey Ero, in a phone conversation, told this paper that they almost lost their lives. He said ordeal was strenuous and traumatising. “After kidnapping the 17 females, they then targeted the school and teachers,” Ero said.
“They attacked at night at around 11pm.“We were caught by surprise and only managed to escape with our lives through the windows. “There were armed men everywhere. “Once we made our way out the windows, we went straight into the bush. “Along the way, some students joined us and we escaped together, without knowing where to go.
“The teachers and their families were traumatised, hungry and lost in the jungle. He said not everyone wants to serve in the remote places except a few who, with kind hearts and courage, sacrifice their lives to do so. Among the teachers was the only female teacher, Joyce Nelson, who was pregnant.
Mr Ero said she was injured while traversing the jungle. “We travelled from Bosavi to Komo in Hela and from there we went to Moro in Southern Highlands Province,” he said.
“It was only God who protected us on that long journey.” They are now in Moro and are seeking the government’s assistance for repatriation.
