Businessman supplies 20 tonnes of rice to people

By REBECCA KUKU
A MAN from East Sepik who started his business with just K24 has supplied over 20 tonnes of rice for people in the Moresby North-East electorate, National Capital District (NCD).
Derrick Mara, who distributed 2,000 10kg bags of rice to the people, is the owner of ID 24 chain of shops.
Mara said he felt compelled to act after receiving pleas for help from people in his community who had been impacted by the state of emergency and lockdown.
“As a businessman, I felt the pinch of the SOE (state of emergency) on my business when the Government first ordered a 14-day lockdown,” he said.
“When it was extended for another two months, things got a bit difficult, but I had something to fall back on.
“But then a couple of my neighbours from where my shop is started asking for assistance.
“Some of them were laid off, a couple of them, who depended on the informal market couldn’t continue their trade and they needed food.
“So I helped my community.
“Word got out and people, communities, started reaching out for help. I started helping them through the SOE period, through the ID 24 foundation.
“I donated 10kg bags of rice from my shops to communities around where my three shops are. So far, I’ve given out over 2,000 bags of rice that cost around K60,000.
“The last of the bags were issued last weekend to communities at the 5-Mile and East Boroko areas,” he said.
Mara said he believed that if you helped others, God would double your blessings.
“I started my business with just K24,” he said.
“Back at Kabuifa Adventist High School, when I was doing grade seven, I bought six packets of seedlings for K24 and made a garden.
“I sold the produce back to the school mess and local community and saved the money.
“At university, I ventured into providing laundry services for fellow students and sold biscuits and coffee in the school area.
“By the time I left school, I had saved about K50,000 in my account.
“Hard work, sweat and determination, and that is why my shops are called ID 24.”
And Mara did not stopped there, over the SOE period, while donating bags of rice to communities, he saw that many communities did not have access to clean water.
Last Sunday, Mara launched a newly-built water pump with taps for a community at 6-Mile that cost him K5,000 and has promised to do the same for other communities in the areas where he operates.