THE house on stilts was painted a faded white. It measured 30 meters square, with a roof of corrugated tin, walls constructed of wood and a little plastic to patch things up. The bathroom was an outhouse located next to the house. “I pay a rent of 10 kina per month for this,” said Vien Norrotouw, 50, who lives in Port Moresby. The amount is equivalent to Rp34,000.

Her husband John Norrotouw is a senior civil servant who earns a salary of Rp2