Girl and dad graduate as Grade 10s

Story and picture by JAMES APA GUMUNO
A 37-YEAR-old father of five graduated alongside his eldest daughter with Grade 10 certificates at Kitip Secondary School, in Dei district, Western Highlands.
Paul Kewa and his daughter Roslyn Paul, from Moka village, in Dei district, were among the 256 Grade 10 students who graduated on Wednesday together with 209 Grade 12 students.
Kewa and his daughter were boarding students but in different classes.
Kewa was in Grade 10C while Roslyn was in 10E.
Kewa’s wife Margaret and her two daughters attending Engkal Primary School, in Mul district, went to witness the graduation.
They shed tears of joy when they saw their father and elder sister come out of the graduation hall with the yellow envelopes in their hands.
Kewa said since he left Grade 6 at Kimanbuga community in Dei district in 1986, he worked with many companies like Burns Philip, Colins and Leahy and Brian Bell based in Mt Hagen.
But he always had a dream of going back to school.
He said he came to realise that education led to a good life.
He said he contested for the Moka ward 17 in the Muglamb local level government twice in 1997 and again in 2002 and came second in the two elections.
He said he realised that being a councillor might not be his career so he decided to return to school.
Kewa said he wrote several letters to the former assistant education secretary in the province to allow him back to  school but he was never given the approval.
He said that in 2008, when he wrote to former education principal adviser Hans Gima, he was given the green light to enrol at Kenta Primary School as a Grade 8 student.
He said at the beginning of 2009, he left his family members behind and enrolled at the school.
At the time his daughter was in Grade 8 at Engkal Primary School.
Kewa said at the end of that year, they passed their exams and Roslyn was selected for Paprabuk High School to do Grade 9 while he was selected for Kitip.
He said they attended different schools at the beginning of last year.
But at the beginning of term three, his daughter was transferred to Kitip, where they stayed together.
He said when he re-enrolled at the school, he did not look back.
Kewa said that he wanted to continue with his daughter where he left off years ago.
He said he had not received any support from his tribesmen but that was not a problem as he paid his school fees and that of his children from the earnings of his 15-seater PMV.
Margaret said she was happy about her husband and children going to school as she wanted all her family members to be educated.
She said she did not mind doing the hard work in the village while her husband attended school.
Margaret said many women in the village told her husband would leave her and marry a new wife if he found a well-paying job.
“I told them that I did not believe what they were saying.
“I want Paul and my kids to get education and I will continue to support him where he goes,” she said.
She challenged other women to send their husbands to school.