The Ama people live above the swamps that surround the junction of the May and Sepik Rivers. They plant gardens, hunt, and eat what they can gather from the jungle. Their staple food is starch from sago palms, which they gather by pounding and soaking the palm hearts. Sago is a largely flavorless food that can be prepared in various ways. It is my understanding that the Ama only make enough sago for one day at a time.

As a student missionary in PNG, I ate dry, roasted sago a few times. However, the Ama usually boil sago into a gluey, gelatinous paste that they flavor with other foods. Needless to say, with a diet of mostly starch and little protein, vitamins or minerals, Ama children often suffer from malnutrition.

It is my desire to teach the Ama how to improve their diets by showing them natural ways to improve the quality of their soil and by helping them learn how to cultivate different crops suited to their area. We are eagerly looking forward to the time when we can go and meet these people and introduce them to the Bread of Life.

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