How Onismas benefitted from missionaries

By BEVERLY PETER
ONISMAS Jossie Yalbai, 74, never regretted becoming a handy boy for missionaries 60 years ago.
He served them as a driver, hunter, carpenter and baker.
“I was really happy to live with the white people at the Nomane station and become useful to them. I was never tired of doing what they asked of me.”
Onismas, given the Logohu award in 2009 for his services to the community, is from Sirabulum village in Nomane, Salt Nomane-Karimui, Chimbu.
He comes from a family of five. His older brother and younger sister have passed away.
He never went to school and in 1964, at the age of 15, his parents allow him to work for the first missionary settlers from Germany at the Nomane station.
His job initially was to fetch water from the creek, look after their pets and tend to the flower beds. After six months, he helped carpenters from Germany build the missionaries’ homes. He learned the trade gradually and was commended for his work and good behaviour.
After two years, he was sent to attend the Bible College at Kewamulg in Kerowagi, Chimbu. After completing the course in 1967, he returned to Nomane to help the missionaries by translating their sermons into the local dialect during the Sunday services.
He was engaged in the building of homes and health facilities at the station. He was also taught how to drive, becoming the first from his tribe to drive a vehicle from Nomane to Kundiawa town. He was appointed the station manager.
In 1969, he married his beautiful wife Esther from Yowai village in the same district. They have six children, 23 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
“Apart from our children, my wife and I looked after many others. Most of them are successful and living happy lives today which we are proud of.
We believe that we are gifted to look after children and be parents not just to our own but to others who seek shelter in our home.”
In 1976, Onismas left his family and went to Bougainville when the Panguna mine was looking for tradespeople to recruit.
He was hired as a driver. His daily routine was to pick up machinery parts from the Bougainville wharf and deliver them to the Panguna mine.

“ I was really happy to live with the white people at the Nomane station and become useful to them. I was never tired of doing what they asked of me.”

He later took his wife and six children to Bougainville where his children attended school.
He was later promoted to transport manager for the mine.
In 1990, Onismas took his family back to Chimbu because of the Bougainville crisis. He continued his carpentry work in the village.
Onismas had a reputation in the area of being a great hunter. At times, he could feed the whole clan when he returned from hunting trips.
Another thing he learned from the missionaries was how to bake. He started a small bakery next to his house to bake scones which he sold to the villagers.
Word spread around the whole of Nomane about his baking and people would go to his bakery during their market days to buy scones.
From the income, Onismas was able to pay his children’s school fees and provide for his family.
“Working for the missionaries was never a mistake. I learned a lot. I am grateful that I was also recognised for a national award.”
Today, he lives with his wife in Kundiawa town, satisfied that he had used well whatever he was taught and blessed with by the missionaries.