Being a hero

The National Letters

IT is almost eight years since a tragedy struck that captured the attention of the nation on the murder of the school principal at blank point at St Francis High School in Nuku, West Sepik in early 2012.
Since then it really affected the students of Nuku-Yangkok and the neighbouring Ambunti-Dreikikir who benefits from this school.
I was in grade 10 business studies class of Loislyn Yanamba, the wife of my unrecognised hero.
I thought my education had come to stop because my parents were poor and could not afford to finance my education further in another school out of my home district.
I know, other student victims out there today would have felt the same as I had.
Out of nowhere, he came in to rescue us, the poor and hopeless students.
He planned, mobilised out of his own local resources and within just four months (from August to December 2012) Pamaya High School was established which catered by the affected grades 9 and 10 students of St Francis High School and the new intakes of grade 9 in 2013.
The news of and establishment of ‘a bush material high school’ triggered the Mamose secondary school inspector then David Moide and a senior personnel from the implementation and monitoring section from the TSC to travel to the heart of the school and questioned the due compliances and systematic processes of applying for and establishing such a new school.
In his (Philipson Yanamba) capacity as the district education in-service training officer then, he was so convincing that the two education personnel were convinced by his arguments for such an individualistic and heroic approach to take a bold stand to save the victims and create an extra school to cater for the bulk of grade 8 students within the district who were most likely to be affected come 2013 due to the indefinite closure of St Francis High School.
St Francis High School had been the only school that accommodated for many years, the students from Nuku-Yangkok and parts of Ambunti-Dreikikir.
The officers guaranteed him that the school would be registered in mid-2013.
Pamaya High School was granted its registration on late June of 2013, which made it another victory for this person, proving his critiques from the Sandaun education division and district education services and even all the educated elites of the district wrong with the set belief that it takes quite a while to establish a school and the school will not get its registration because all due processes were not followed.
As an eye witness myself and a pioneer grade 10 student of Pamaya High School, I would like to say that without this person, I would not be here in this prestigious institution.
I will be completing my studies next year and hopefully get a good job. On behalf of my parents and all the other pioneer students of 2013 Grade 10 graduates, I would say that you are an unrecognised hero in the eyes of the education authority and our leaders because:

  • You risked your life whilst the tension of revenge was still in the midst because one of your tribesman, murdered the innocent school principal;
  • you sacrificed your professional office duties to stand on the project site until enrolment day without administrative and financial support from your immediate bosses;
  • you even stood in whenever there was staff-shortage and taught in the classroom day in and day out, putting your office duties second in priority and at risk;
  • you went for the 2013 grade 9 selection yourself, when the position of the new school principal was still in question; and,
  • You became the first interim school BOG chairman for three years, who took the school to a very rough journey, yet produced almost three quarters of students selected for grade 11 in 2014.

What a hero you were for us; you had no money, yet you built an institution that will leave for years, producing year after year, the human resource population of Nuku-Yangkok.
When the tide was against you, you masterfully sailed through rough and high waves to achieve your goal and that is, hope to the hopeless; indeed, a true optimistic character of a person, it is.
The mystery still and will remain unknown, only to you, as to how you managed against all odds to establish a school; from planning, preparation to registration, teacher recruitment and students enrolment just within four months.
Though your achievements may now be a dream in the minds of the authority, your humble efforts should not be left unrecognised.
You are forever my hero Philipson Yanamba.

PIONEER-PAMAYA HIGH