Selfless James a leading light

Story and pictures by TONY PALME
JAMES Ginsing, 37, is an inspiration to his people because of his strong Christian upbringing, and altruistic nature.
He is a devout Catholic Church member and an ex-seminarian who puts the needs of his community before his own.
James is the fourth eldest in a family of five – four brothers and a sister. The only sister has passed away.
Elder brother Daniel Malie is the ward councillor for Bung One. Second eldest brother Simon Gising is the deputy principal of Minj Secondary School. Younger brother Elijah Gising is a subsistence farmer.
Their father has died and their mother still alive but disabled. They were subsistence farmers in North Waghi, Jiwaka.
“She’s wheelchair-ridden but a prayer warrior of the Legion of Mary in the Catholic Church. We were brought up in a strong Christian background and were taught to respect others and serve people with humility.”
He completed Grade One to Grade Six at the Blessed Peter Torot Sigri Primary School before going on to Fatima Primary School for grades seven and eight.
Then he completed grades Nine to 12 at the Fr. Peter Fatima Secondary School in 2004 before his preparatory at St. Fidelis Seminary in Madang.

“ My aim is to work for the common good. I wish to create a community-based government with good structure to sustain rural communities for development and work for common good as a public officer.”

From 2006 to 2008, James studied at the Good Shepherd Seminary in Fatima. He did his one-year pastoral at the Kuli Parish in the Anglimp-South Waghi electorate in 2009. In 2010, James went back to the St Fidelis Seminary for his one-year spiritual studies.
From 2011 to 2013, he attended the Catholic Theological Institute in Bomana, before continuing with his pastoral year at the Fatima parish in 2014, then Kol and Ambullua parishes in 2015.
From 2016 to 2021, James has been actively involved in voluntary community service which saw the founding of the community development association, of which he is the president.
He also plans to achieve more academically.
James sources his blessing and inspiration on God and his parents.
People in Bung One community in the Banz local level government of North Waghi electorate love him for his selflessness.
He is a student of the pioneer Catholic priest and missionary late Fr. Peter Van Andrichem who founded the Fatima Catholic Mission station in Waghi Valley.
He took seriously the late priest’s motto: Choose life and not death.
The people of Bunum Wo in the Kulaka tribe, known for their frequent tribal fights involving guns, have now laid down their weapons arms and opt to live peace.
Young men involved in armed robbery, fighting, hold ups, and took illegal alcohol and drugs have stopped.
They have changed their ways, got baptized and given their lives to God.
He and members of his community formed the Mountain M Rural Community Development Association in 2019.
The association recognises culture as important to life and must be revived and preserved in the face of westernisation.
The association registered a cultural group known as the Jiwaka Mountain M Festival which held its second annual festival celebrations in August. It has been certified and listed in the national events calendar by the National Cultural Commission.
Whenever a tribal conflict or family dispute arises, James is the first person to intervene.
He advocates for good governance and protection of the natural environment, education, preservation of indigenous cultural identity.
He teaches Religious Education at the Waghi Valley Secondary School and Fr. Peter Fatima Secondary School.
If the other 43 wards of North Waghi electorate each has a James Gising, we would expect a district which is the envy of many.
“My aim is to work for the common good. I wish to create a community-based government with a good structure to sustain rural communities for development and work for common good as a public servant.”