Ombun gets diploma after 20 years in the village

Youth & Careers

By TONY PALME
A man from Jiwaka who spent 20 years in the village has graduated as a teacher and thanks God for being good to him.
John Ombun was among 93 students who attained primary teaching diplomas from the Melanesia Nazarene Teachers College on Dec 1.
He enrolled at the college in 2015 after completing grade 11 and 12 at Fatima Secondary School from 2010 to 2011.
He was the student president at MNTC in 2015-16, and was presented with a leadership award at the graduation.
“I only did grade 9 at Fatima High School in 1989 and left school after some problems. For 20 years I stayed in the village.
“I had no hope and thought I had no future. But I thank God that he used my wife that urged me to go to school.
“Every day she would see my interest in reading newspapers and asked why not I go to school if I had the interest.”
He did grade 10 at the college of distance education in Mt Hagen in 2008-9. He also attended short courses at the Highlands Youth Training and Rehabilitation College at Banz.
He did some part-time teaching at the Kimil vocational centre.
Ombun has two children. His son completed grade 12 at Fatima this year while his daughter is in elementary school.
The 37-year-old learnt that education doesn’t stop for those who don’t give up.
He is from the Okulkanem clan of Sekaka tribe in the Warakar area of North Waghi district.
His plan is to teach in one of the most disadvantaged schools next year and reach out to unreached communities.
The motto of the college is “Reaching the unreached” by sending out pastor-teachers to children in the remote communities with Jesus’ teaching and preaching ministries.
Ombun thanked the European Union for paying his school fees for three years.