Carolyn follows father’s foot step

By ZACHERY PER
SPECIALISED technical skills of panel beating is usually considered a men’s job in a small town like Kainantu, Eastern Highlands, until 21-year-old Carolyn Enoch turned that around.
She worked her way out of Maria Hilf Vocational School to be Kainantu’s first female panel beater this year.
After years of being discouraged by her parents from going to school to pave way for elder brothers to get formal education, Carolyn felt she would have a lot of catch up work to do.
She left for Lae to be with her uncle’s family.
“When I was left out of school, I felt so unhappy and went to Lae,” she said.
“When I saw female motor mechanics going to and at work, I was inspired and thought I could one day be like them to fix cars.”
Enoch from Raipingka village – 3km west of Kainantu town –  dropped out of primary school but her determination persuaded to pursue her dream until she enrolled at Mt Hagen Technical College.
She studied  there for three years to become a motor mechanic.
After completing her motor mechanic training at Mt Hagen Technical College, she worked with PNG Power at Yonki for nine months before joining Maria Hilf Vocational Centre’s Elmer workshop
“I pursued on to study panel beating and am now a panel beater at Elmer workshop at Maria Hilf Vocational Center in Kainantu,” Enoch said.
She attributes all her skills to her father – Enoch – a panel beater in Kainantu.
“My father’s job was a real motivating factor that drives my interest forward,” she said.
Caroline is happy she had made it to Mt Hagen Technical College for a mechanic training and now she is a panel beater as well.
She said she will use her skills and expertise to do her best to follow the legacy left by her father.
She encourages other women to make the sky their limit and not to look back at their disadvantages but be always positive and focus always to make a difference.