“THE award is not for me. It is for Papua New Guinea.”
That was how Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu reacted to her recognition as the Pacific Person of the Year by the Island Business magazine.
The Fiji-based magazine bestowed her the award for her fighting spirit, her never-say-die attitude, her sheer grit and determination to take on the might of Melanesia’s largest and most vibrant male-dominated society and for being the face and voice of the poor and down-trodden.
Dame Carol told The National that she did not know what the award was for but she believed it might be for her fight against domestic violence, child abuse, HIV/AIDS, poverty alleviation and community empowerment in the country.
She said she humbly accepted the award which was good for Papua New Guinea on the regional front.
She thanked all her Moresby South voters for giving her the mandate to become a politician and ultimately the recognition.