by KEVIN PAMBA
Good Samaritans rally behind Joshua’s need for an education
JOSHUA Yawa, the young school-leaver
from Wagol settlement in Madang, whose plight over the lack of
school fees featured in The Notebook last week, made it to Lae
Technical College last the weekend.
It was possible through the warm hearts of some readers, who
willingly contributed up to 80% of his school fees – the immediate
requirement to enrol at the college.
If the readers had not responded immediately, Joshua would still
be at Wagol settlement on the edges of Madang town, not knowing
what to do.
I saw Joshua last Friday before he left for Lae the next morning.
He was a proud young man and lost for words.
Joshua did not know what to say or how to express it but he went
away with the greatest of respect and appreciation for the
generosity heaped on him during his time of great need by people
he may never meet.
These ‘strangers’ have set the course for young Joshua.
If they did not respond, the future of this bright young Papua New
Guinean would have been ruined.
This was a bright boy who scored Bs in Maths A, Physics, Chemistry
and History and a C in Language in his final Grade 12 certificate
at Tusbab Secondary School in Madang town. (Not Cs in Physics,
Chemistry and History as reported last week).
He only had K450 out of the K3,050 required to pay for his
enrolment at Lae Tech.
His background as a boy from a settlement just did not permit him.
Those generous Papua New Guineans, in my view, have rescued a
bright young boy from becoming a brilliant rascal, and there a
lots of them these days.
The first call I received on the day the article appeared was from
the office of one very high profile Papua New Guinean.
His staff called me to say that the leader was contributing K400.
I gave them the account number of Joshua’s mother and sure enough
the K400 was deposited the next day. The leader wants to remain
anonymous, so I will not name him.
The next call came from the owner of Hela Fuel Distributors and
Tari BSP Private Agency in Tari, George Tagobe.
Mr Tagobe deposited K1,000 for young Joshua.
Mr Tagobe said he read the article and felt sorry for Joshua,
especially when he and his family had tried all they could but
could not meet the very high fees at Lae Tech.
A mother, Scholar Bogg, working at James Barnes cannery in Madang,
was so moved by Joshua’s story that she rang Dr Julienne Kaman, a
DWU staff colleague and co-fundraiser that she would help.
Ms Bogg did a quick in-house fundraising at her workplace and
before the week was up, brought K500 to Joshua’s mother last
Friday.
Dr Kaman contributed K100 while Br Pat Howley, her colleague at
the DWU’s Faculty of Flexible Learning wrote a cheque for K200 to
Joshua’s cause.
Larry George, the director of City Mission in Port Moresby and Lae
has offered to help.
Sepik mothers in the National Capital District also called saying
they were fundraising for Joshua and will call when they were
ready.
Apart from those who gave and pledged support for Joshua, there
were
others who identified with his situation and expressed sympathy.
They said they realised Joshua’s need but they could not help as
they too were facing similar problem.
Dr Kaman and I have decided that the pledges for Joshua can go
towards the fees for the next semester.
We have advised Joshua’s parents to open a passbook account for
him so that the next semester, fees can be deposited and accounted
for.
Joshua has only paid 80% of the fees for this semester, which
translates to K2,450 and he has to meet the balance of K600 in the
remaining time. Joshua will have to look for his funds for his
second semester while studying for a diploma in Science
Technology. His plan as noted last week is to further his studies
at the University of Technology.
The immediate response to Joshua’s plight shows there are Papua
New Guineans who care about their countrymen and women in need.
Irrespective of which part of the country they come from and who
they are, these generous Papua New Guineans willingly gave.
Joshua is originally from Pagwi in East Sepik province. But his
school fee has now been paid for by generous people from New
Guinea Islands, Highlands, Momase and even expatriates.
Joshua went to Lae Tech with an advice from his parents that his
fees had been paid for by Papua New Guineans who have no personal
contact with his family.
So he has to do well and return their favour – succeed in his
studies and be an educated and responsible citizen contributing to
the development of the nation.
Anyone wishing to contribute to Joshua’s second semester fees can
contact Dr Kaman or this writer at Divine Word University on
telephone 8522937.
