Malalamai in Papua New Guinea

Introduction / History

Garingei and Garpunei people live in the villages of Malalamai, Bonga and Yara on the east coast of Madang Province. The villages lie along beautiful white beaches scattered with shells, and it takes only about 45 minutes to walk between the villages with the warm sea lapping at your feet.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The people all speak Malalamai which is an Austronesian language indicating that their ancestors settled on this coast having originally come from Southeast Asia. With outsiders in other language communities, they speak Tok Pisin, a trade language that shares a lot of vocabulary with English. Children also learn to read, write and speak English at the Primary School just outside Bonga.

The people grow food in gardens in the hills inland and also eat plenty of seafood. Typical businesses include collecting seashells to make lime and producing copra and betelnut for sale to trading boats that ply the coast. Some people also travel to Madang town by boat for business.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Most people are Christians although people still fear the traditional magic and sorcery that continues to be practiced in the area. Pastors use the Tok Pisin Bible because there are no scriptures in the Malalamai language. This means that people do not have the opportunity to read the Bible themselves in their own language.

What Are Their Needs?

A workshop is currently being planned to help the community develop an alphabet in their language. At this time, no further work is planned for the Malalamai language.

Prayer Points

For a hunger to know Jesus more
That pastors would have wisdom to correctly interpret and teach the Bible to the community
That the fear of sorcery will be broken
For workers to help them so that the people can know Jesus from a Bible in their own language

Text Source:   Anonymous