Friendly Home Wal Festival is not just a cultural festival but a window of opportunity for locals, according to festival chairlady, Julie Kewa.

The Friendly Home Wal Festival is the initiative of Mrs. Kewa and her husband, James. The couple also run and operate a guest house called, Friendly Homes, just outside the Mount Hagen Kagamuga airport.

“Wal”, in the local Melpa language of Western Highlands Province means, “Bilum”. Mrs. Kewa said she and her husband have traveled the highlands region extensively buying and collecting artefacts, bilums, caps, grass skirts, bows and arrows, and carvings and displaying them at their accommodation facility.

“We are using this festival to open doors for local vendors where we buy products from them and also engage MSME to display their products during the event,” she said. Friendly Home Wal Festival was launched in February 16, 2022, but the show was opened on August 17, 2023 by National Cultural Commission executive director, Steven Enomb Kilanda, who committed K20, 000 towards the festival.

Mr. Kilanda said NCC is keen to work with the people at the community level and supports initiatives to establish cultural shows and festivals.

“Wal festival unique because all traditional products from bilums, caps, traditionally woven grass skirts, arts and crafts products and carvings are collected and displayed for the travelling public and tourists,” he said.

“These are your projects and I want the Western Highlands Provincial Government to work with its people to support and continue similar projects based on culture to drive other development agendas as well,” he said.

He said NCC has noted the keenness of the Western Highlands Provincial Government under the leadership of Governor Wai Rapa and would soon be partnering with the administration to deliver cultural services to the people of Western Highlands.

Mr. Kilanda made reference to Mount Hagen deputy lord mayor, Jacob Michael, and provincial administrator, Jacob Mangibal, presenting a K50, 000 earlier to the Parakamb Amb Guu Festival and a K20, 000 to the Friendly Home Wal Festival, adding it was encouraging to such show of support from the provincial authority.

“We are keen to work with the provincial government, they are key partners towards our efforts to deliver and drive development agendas through cultural programs. NCC is happy to work side by side to ensure our cultural programs and services reached the people at the community level,” he said.