Hard work pays, says lawyer Hogta

The National People
Hogta Enge during the ceremony to admit lawyers to the bar at the National and Supreme Court.

By KENNEDY BANI
WHEN she was admitted to the bar to practise law on Friday, Hogta Enge thought about all the sacrifice and hard work she had put in to achieve her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer.
Hogta and her group of legal trainees completed the required programme at the Legal Training Institute two weeks ago. And Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika reminded them when they were admitted to the bar to practise law on Friday that it was a big jump from being a trainee to becoming a lawyer.
Hogta, 23, is from Enga but her family has been living in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands ever since she was young because of the frequent tribal fights in her father’s village of Kepak, Enga.
She becomes the first in her family and tribe to become a lawyer.
Hogta is the second eldest in a family of three. Her achievement has inspired her two siblings to also pursue a career in the legal profession.
It was hard for Hogta to leave her family in Mt Hagen to come to Port Moresby for her university studies but in the end, it was the best decision she made for everyone.
She rates as the three most important persons in her life her father, mother and uncle who had supported her throughout her life to be where she is today. She regards them as her “support system”.
She also acknowledges her faith in God as a member of the Seventh Day Adventist church.
Most of her upbringing was in Mt Hagen which includes her education.
Her parents run a print shop in Mt Hagen and paid for her school fees. Her uncle helped out at times.
She completed her schooling at the Hagen Park Day Secondary School in 2015 and took up the law programme at the University of PNG in 2016. She graduated with a Bachelor in Law degree in 2019.
She enrolled at the LTI last year for the one-year prerequisite legal training programme.
Hogta thanks the LTI acting director Angelyn Paranda and the staff for inspiring her group of trainees to persevere when the Covid-19 hit the country last year. All of them came through relatively unscathed.
Hogta plans to repay her uncle for his support by helping out in his law firm. She wants to fulfil her desire to use her legal skills to serve everyday people.

“ My advice to girls is to study hard as nothing comes in this world for free. You have to work hard. There may be some setbacks but I encourage them to seek God’s guidance all the time.”

“Later I plan to spend time as a State lawyer with the Public Solicitor to help people.”
“My advice to girls is to study hard as nothing comes in this world for free. You have to work hard. There may be some setbacks but I encourage you to seek God’s guidance all the time.”
Yes, all the hard work and sacrifice had certainly paid off for Hogta. Her dream to become a lawyer did not become a reality through magic. It took sweat, determination, and hard work.