Trying something new

By JUNIOR UKAHA
YOUNG people who are thinking careers should try ship engineering.
Abraham Gandhi, 43, from Bundi, Madang, said ship engineering was a relatively new field of study in the country and only a few nationals were taking on the challenge.
Gandhi, who was a tour guide at the Rainforest Habitat in Lae prior to becoming a ship engineer, said he was always fascinated about ships and how they moved big loads across the sea without sinking.
Despite being from Madang (a coastal province), Gandi’s Bundi tribe resides at the foot of PNG’s highest peak, Mt Wilhelm, along the rugged Bismark Range, bordering mountainous Chimbu.
Gandhi said his fascination about the sea and ships had prompted him to take up maritime studies.
“I am now working as the second engineer at the mv Ywam PNG medical ship,” Gandhi said.
“I have been with them for the last three months.
“I love my job as I am learning new things from the crew on this ship every day.
“The environment on this ship is not like the previous ships I worked for. In here, it’s a mission ship so you don’t get to chew betel nut, consume alcohol or smoke.”
Gandhi said there were three engineers on the ship – a chief engineer, himself and a cadet engineer.
They all have the job of ensuring the vessel sails smoothly without trouble during its voyages.
Gandhi said after leaving the Rainforest Habitat in Lae, he had decided to find some odd jobs until in 2005 when his dream of sailing came true when he secured a job as a crewman on board one of the P&O vessels.
He said he worked for the company until 2009 when the company decided to sponsor him to study at the Maritime College in his hometown Madang.
He said from 2009-2015 he was studying at the college; three years doing theory and two years practical.
Gandhi said he was now a qualified ship engineer and loves want he does.
“I urge young people thinking of taking a career to try ship engineering,” he said.
“Not many Papua New Guineans are employed in this field at the moment. Many people I have worked with are expatriates.
“The good thing about this job is that you can make a name for yourself and you have the chance to travel all over the world.”
Gandhi is now part of the 100 dedicated staff on board the mv Ywam PNG medical ship serving many  people in Papua New Guinea.