Girl 13, wants to open bank account with prize money

Mercy Agais, 13, is a grade seven student at Lae Christian Academy. She won The National’s masthead competition last week. Agais plans to open a sumatin account with Bank South Pacific with the K250 prize money. Entering the competition for the first time, she said she was surprised she had emerged the winner.
“I could not believe it when my father told me that I was the winner. I was overwhelmed and plan to save the money and pay for some of my school equipment.
“I am planning to buy some exercise books and new uniforms,” Agais said.
She said her father bought the family’s favourite newspaper each day. “I am a (The) National reader and what I like most is the children’s corner and politics,” she said.
Agais wants the paper to continue such competitions.
Meanwhile, in Port Moresby a former special education teacher who resells the newspaper for 50 toea to street vendors at the 9-Mile market after reading it, also won K250 in the masthead competition last week.
Joshra Ivaroa, 55, from West New Britain said the main purpose of the newspaper he bought was to read about education and the happenings around the country.
“After I read it, I sell it to street vendors, especially those who are selling meat and sausages because they need it a lot to serve their customers, ”Ivaroa said.
He said he was also a street vendor who made and sold food (aigir), soft drinks, betel nuts and cigarettes at the 9-Mile market.