Fighter Lisa now lives in her own home

By MICHELLE AUAMOROMORO
LISA Akapu had no place to call home after her mum passed away in 2013.
But she resolved to work hard and never give up – until she has her own home.
Lisa, 26, is from Maipenairu village in Baimuru, Gulf. She is the youngest of six children.
She was in Grade 11 at Kikori Secondary school when her mum fell ill. So she had to leave school to take care of her.
He mum spent two weeks at the Kapuna Hospital before being transferred to Mt. Hagen where she spent two weeks. Then she was transferred to the Port Moresby General Hospital where she spent two weeks before succumbing to the illness on May 16, 2013.
Her dad and siblings decided not to return to the village because there were too many painful memories of her there. They decided to start a new life in Port Moresby.
“Life was not balanced anymore after mum left. There were so many struggles. Dad was no longer working too so I started looking around for a job.”
Looking for a job was hard because Lisa had only reached Grade 11. So she joined Ginigoada and took up short courses including basic computing, tourism and hospitality for two weeks from Aug 5 to 16.
After completing the courses, Lisa went to stay with her elder sister at Rigo in Central, who was the third eldest in the family and married to a man from Rigo.
“I stayed in Rigo and kept myself busy by making gardens, looking for coconuts and fish to sell in Port Moresby to buy food and other needs.”
After spending seven months in Rigo, Ginigoada helped Lisa secure a job as a data clerk at the Six-Mile Bookmakers.
It was 2014. Lisa was happy to get a job but needed accommodation in the city. One of her colleagues allowed her to stay with her in a room she rented at Hohola.
But later she locked her out, forcing Lisa to sleep outside.
“It wasn’t safe for me because there were many drunkards on the streets. I had to find a room of my own.”
Alas the fortnight rent was K300 and she was only earning K320 a fortnight.
“My concern was only rent and bus fare.”

“ All these experiences as taught me not to depend on anyone when I know that I can do it myself.”

She rented a house in Hohola for three months before her elder brother who had built himself a little home at Korobosea told her to come and stay with him.
“But he had his own little family and I had to consider their privacy. So I left and rented a room at Taurama.”
Providence intervened. She was promoted to data supervisor and had a bit more in her pay packet.
“Before that, I was just a data clerk who used to input data into the system. But I worked hard and completed everything on time, gave in my reports, went to work every day. I was honest and loved my job.”

After a year, the company provided a home for her which she lives in today. She did it.
She had thought after her mum died that she would not have a place to call home again. But she now realises that it had given her the strength and will to work hard and make things happen herself.
Looking back, Lisa sees her struggle for the past seven years as similar to a woman raising her children without her husband’s support.
“All these experiences had taught me not to depend on anyone when I know that I can do it myself.”