Family shows up in place of late student

The National National
Late Ian Hailai’s mother Cathy and brother Steven, with a framed photograph at the graduation reception at Hilton Hotel. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI

A GRADUATING class of 49 from the Port Moresby Technical College (PomTech) were acknowledged on Monday for completing their National Certificate Three, minus the late Ian Hailai.
In the place of Hailai was his mum Cathy and brother, Steven.
Both turned up at the Hilton Hotel with a framed photograph of their loved one to attend the reception.
The 49 students were recipients of the Papua LNG TotalEnergies E&P PNG (TEP PNG) scholarships.
Mum Cathy said of her late son: “I am proud of Ian’s achievement.
“Ian was our family’s pride and hope after his father died.
“He had just started working with the PNG Power Ltd in Kerema when he passed away.”
Ian passed away in January after a short illness.
TEP PNG biodiversity, societal, environment director Marie-Alix Dognin acknowledged the late student’s family for attending the reception.
Dognin said of the TEP PNG scholarships: “We want to help young men and women overcome the financial barriers that many students face today.
“We also want as many students as possible to participate, and we want to demonstrate that we are here for the long term supporting young people,” she said.
The 49 students would receive their certificates in the fields of heavy equipment fitting, fabrication welding, electrical and instrumentation, and plumbing and refrigeration.
Papua LNG had been in partnership with the technical college since 2019. Of the 49 graduating students are 13 females.
TEP PNG acting managing director Arnaud Berthet said the Papua LNG project was about sustainability, and the scholarship programme was aimed at setting a future for PNG and the project.