Helping people to help others

Weekender

By ELLEN TIAMU
THE Human Development Institute has launched the a programme in Port Moresby to help identify people who are doing things for themselves and helping others at the same time. The institue promotes holistic human development programmes to develop a person physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and financially.
The institute’s founder and chairman, Samuel Tam Snr, said that by supporting one inspired person, the organisation hopes to reach out to 1000 people who are struggling in life.
“One of HDI’s core purposes is to develop human resource and human potential into human assets (or human capital) that will in turn develop the family, community, organisation or institution and nation.”
The meeting held at Laguna Hotel was attended by guests, some of whom had taken part in the institute’s human development and personal viability training programmes.
Tam, known as Papa Sam to his students and followers around the country, said resources are scarce and HDI, a private organisation that deals in human development training, needs to initiate programmes to maximise outcome.
“We should not waste valuable resources. In our experience, an inspired person is already motivated to act, to do something worthwhile.
“An inspired person is a self-starter who initiates ideas and projects. Inspired people make things happen, they don’t wait for things to happen. The main ingredient of sustainability and success in any undertaking is an inspired and viable person who knows how to use resources to add value.
“Onlythe human resource has the power to make things happen – not money, not knowledge or other resources.”
Former students such as Major Ridia Nenewa (Salvation Army and House of Life), Rosa Koian (Leprosy Mission), Josephine Mamis (The Living Light Four Square), Barbra Nenewa (HDI alumni)and Jacobeth Kamana (TST Group of Companies) explained  how their association with HDI helped them to help others in the community.
Correctional Services also had two representatives at the meeting – Stephen Kaspou, of CIS headquarters, and Den Tom, an inmate of Bomana.
The speakers were chosen because they had proven that they had been inspired to make a difference and come from organisations that consisted of people who had been helping other people.
Tam said the speakers help others in the community because HDI has taught them how to become prosperous, self-reliant and financially independent) and that knowledge will  trickle down to the grassroots level. The outcome, he said, will be more self-reliant and financially independent people.
There were 130 guests from all walks of life at the launch. They included inspired people, recipients of inspired programmes, businesshouses, institutions, churches, HDI alumni, human resources managers and members of CIS Bomana, including officers and inmates.
“We received many good inspired feedback and support for our community projects and training programmes,” Papa Sam said.
He says there is still a lot of work to be done to move Papua New Guineans away from a handout mentality to one that helps them take charge of their own lives and make a positive difference to themselves and the people around them.
“Our aim is to reach out to as many people as possible to develop them holistically and to support them to improve their living standards,” Tam said.  The institute is inviting corporate citizens and like-minded people to network with the organisation and the Papa Sam Foundation to support the community that supports businesses and institutions.
“It is a golden opportunity to contribute effectively and meaningfully to those who are disadvantaged in society. To make a difference.”