‘Help without expecting anything in return’

EDUCATION

Young father speaks of his pain and joy in shouldering the burden of tertiary education. An enlighted mind is a blessing in many different ways, he says

By ALPHONSE BARIASI
ONE of two remaining members of the “gang of four” addressed the first session of the 67th graduation of the University of Papua New Guinea on Monday.
Sir Charles Lepani, a trail-blazing economics graduate of the university, was the guest of honour at the graduation of the university’s School of Business and Public Policy, witnessing the award of degrees and diplomas to serving and future accountants, bankers, economists and strategic managers. (The highest award on the day was a PhD to Hela man Hengene Payani.)
Charles Lepani, along with Rabbie Namaliu, and their now deceased colleagues Mekere Morauta and Anthony Siaguru – all graduates of UPNG – were that famous four. While still very much inexperienced, the were called to set the shape and direction of the public service of the newly independent Papua New Guinea.
The four and those immediately after them were called up to fill positions left vacant or created in the transition.
The university has faithfully stuck to that mission to train men and women into the workforce. However, soon enough jobs diminished in number. The number of graduates from UPNG and other institutions quickly overtook the rate of growth in the economy
Whereas Lepani and his cohort were simply called up, graduates of this day have to fight for the fewer jobs that are available.
Back then a UPNG graduate would have simply walked into an office waiting to be filled. The same university has in recent years produced hundreds of graduates who now compete for the limited number of formal jobs there are in the public services and private businesses.
It is in light of such as scenario that one family and clan in Madang would want to say: To God be the glory, great things he has done! Further, to the management of Pacific MMI Insurance Ltd, the family and clan also wish to express their greatest appreciation. For out of them came a son who was among those graduating on Monday. Fabian Apariga counts himself privileged and blessed in a day and age where formal jobs are hard to find. It has been expressed frequently in recent years, that the PNG formal education system has been in many respects, designed to produce employees, not employers, job seekers, not job creators.
And Fabian and his peers who graduated this week would have been knocking on doors with email and phone enquiries in their final year of studies. While perhaps a large number of them have yet to secure employment, he and others like him have or will be in the workforce already. Fabian is a graduate underwriter at the insurance firm.
That’s telling the young man’s story from end to beginning.
Like the typical village-to-city tale often told around the country, Fabian’s big day provided the opportunity for his dad Caspar and cousin Dominic Kulang to take their first airplane ride to Port Moresby from their little hamlet of Yapugor in the Mikarep area of Bogia, Madang.
Dominic said: “As the day approached for us to travel to Madang, I was hurriedly drying cocoa to pack and sell to make my way to Port Moresby. On the very day, the cocoa beans were still in the dryer when the PMV truck came by. With sweat pouring down my back, I loaded the still-warm bag of cocoa beans on to the truck and we were on our way.”
Arriving in Madang, the duo went to the Air Niugini office and booked seats for the afternoon flight on Friday, April 22. On the day, they arrived at the airport in plenty of time but were offloaded because apparently, a flight scheduled for the previous day had been cancelled so the airline had to offload some passengers.
They were then rebooked for the 7am flight on Monday morning.
Any further delay or cancellation would have been a disaster for those travelling purposely for the UPNG graduation.
The duo were among the first to check in and board their flight which was on schedule. As soon as they arrived at the Jacksons Airport, they were whisked away straight to the Sir John Guise Stadium for the graduation ceremony which was to begin in less than an hour.

Relived, they sat down among the hundreds in the packed stadium. As they heard Fabian Apariga called up to collect his Bachelors in Business Management from UPNG Chancellor Robert Igara, their hearts swelled in pride. Their job was done and one its fruits was unfolding before their eyes
Among extended family members and relatives who had been behind Fabian in his education journey, he is especially grateful to Dominic and his elementary school teacher wife Isabella. They couple had made huge sacrifices to ensure Fabian went through to his big day in Waigani on Monday.
That journey began at the elementary school in Ozangabang village and continued on to Mikarew Primary School, Holy Spirit Memorial Secondary School in Bogia, then to Aiyura National High School in Eastern Highlands and eventually UPNG in 2018.
University education is a lot more expensive than secondary school, the family were to realise. Making matters worse, Fabian and his elder brother Ignatius who had also completed Grade 12 at the newly opened Mesauka Secondary School outside Goroka had both won places at tertiary institutions – one at UPNG and the other at Kabaleo Teachers College in East New Britain.
For villagers wholly reliant on betel nut and small cocoa plots (which were by then decimated by the cocoa pod borer disease), the financial strain was great. But again they persevered, Dominic and Isabella taking the lead and bearing the brunt of the hardships.
All their hard workd has paid off. Ignatius graduated with a degree in primary education and is currently teaching at a new school on the banks of the Ramu River and Fabian was offered a job several weeks before his graduation.
Again, to God be all glory! I’m also aware and somewhat troubled by the fact that while some of our graduates have found jobs, many of their peers may take a while yet before they either find employment or realise their dreams in life doing something of their own.
That is a reality that we as a country are to live with and hopefully, economic conditions change for the better or some among the numbers graduating from our universities and colleges critically think about creating businesses and thereby opening opportunities for themselves and others.
Back to Frabian, his dad and cousin will return happy and satisfied. For Dominic especially, the success of his younger cousins has given him new strength and drive and he is prepared to help any promising student in future.
“I feel a new level of physical strength that I have not felt in the past couple of years. That tells me I can work to do more now,” Dominic says.
He says he is in a better place in terms of renewed strenght and news ideas to help whereever possible any student, to complete his or her education dream even to university level.
It was an eye-opener for the two village men as they sat watching and hearing the cheers and clapping as graduand after graduand walked up to the podium to receive their awards on Monday.
They might have realised then that education was better valued and appreciated in other communities than in their own. Out of clan and tribal pride, families in some parts of the country are possibly assisting themselves and sharing the cost of education.
Dominic has vowed to return home and repeat the same simple message to his relatives and community: They must begin to realise the value of education and invest in it. No child should be denied an opportunity just for financial reasons alone.
He is aware that village land and resources are limited due to increased population but with the right kind of education, people can make the best use of the available resources to improve their lives.
“I have been telling my people that our lives are determined by what’s in our heads. It is education that has taken me to the big city. I’m here to see someone who I had proudly helped to finally see this day.
“It is very imporant to help one another with school fees,” he says.
The sage of old said, “cast your bread upon the waters, for you shall find it after many days.” How true.