The Art of Basket Exchange

I was privileged to witness a basket exchange ceremony recently held by the Gemsao mama’s in Lae.

Basket Exchange is an event that was created when mothers in various churches throughout PNG saw the need to raise funds and at the same time bless each other. Sometimes it is within the same church group or at other times this event takes place with ladies in the towns and cities and ladies who fellowship in village churches.
This is the reasoning behind the exchange and usually it is for fund raising event to assist renovation or build a church so what takes place is ladies buy various goods to the worth of a ceiling amount usually not strict and you can go beyond this amount if you feel like it.
Then the groups come together and exchange goods and the money is given to the worthy cause. In the traditional times goods are placed in a basket and then exchange thus earning the name “basket exchange”.

In the recent event I witness this group of ladies from a village in Bukawa wanted to attend a Lutheran woman’s conference in Madang and so they organize with interested ladies in Lae to exchange basket with them. Each basket with be exchange with a K20 given towards the fund raiser. The ladies from the village brought garden food of bananas, taros and greens with coconuts and string bags and the ladies from the town bought dishes, plates, cutlery, rice, tinned fish, soap etc etc, essential store items to give to them.

These are some of our many Melanesian ways which I feel we should preserve as we continue to develop and grow as a society. The exchange of food and money brings joy but also a sense of happiness and goodwill to those who participated in the event. Exchanging of food has always been a significant part of our Melanesian society and one that we can continue to do so with future generations. For those of you who read my blog I do hope when you are given the opportunity to participate in such an event do so and see what joys it will bring you.

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