How things worked out for Raphael

By MICHAEL PHILIP
WHEN he was growing up in Goroka, Raphael Mondurafa wanted to be either an accountant or a lawyer. It did not happen for him.
And when he later applied and was accepted to be a police officer, his dad, knowing his “attitude” problem, talked him out of it, saying he would not last long there.
Last week, Raphael, 65, was among the 22 employees of the Agriculture and Livestock department farewelled after reaching the retirement age.
The 65-year-old from Eastern Highlands had spent 46 years in the department.
He wants to manage his real estate business in Goroka fulltime.
Raphael is married to Anna from Unggai-Bena district. They have six children.
One is now a surgeon, another is a civil engineer, one an automotive electrician, another a banker, and the youngest studying civil engineering at the University of Technology. One died.

“ I could not be an accountant or a lawyer but I am intelligent. It’s just that I joined the wrong peer groups that influence me badly. But no regret.”

Raphael attended the North Goroka Primary in 1970 and the Goroka High School from 1971 to 1974.
After realising that he did not do well in Form Four, he applied to be a policeman.
“I didn’t do well in the final form so I was unable to make it through to any college.
“I applied for police training and was accepted.
But because I had an attitude problem, my dad told me to quit because I might not last in that job.”
On May 24, 1975, he joined the Department of Agriculture and Livestock.
“In those days, jobs were easy to find once one reached Form Four.
“Even if you fail Form Two, you can still have a job.
“Jobs during that time was not a problem. Honesty and faithfulness were what the white man wanted.”
In 1977, the department sent Raphael to the Popondeta Agriculture College (now UNRE Oro campus) for a two-year study. He graduated in 1978 as an agriculturist specialising in livestock production.
He joined the Prime Ministers Department in 1979 as a field technical officer.
In 1984, he returned to the agriculture department.
“In 1988, I won a scholarship to study at the Massey University in New Zealand.
“I went with my family. We returned home in 1990 and I worked with the New Zeeland Public Investment Programme in PNG.
“They told me to look after the highlands region. So I always travel from Goroka to Enga. I looked after livestock production.”
When the NZ-funded programme project wound up in 1996, the PNG Government took it over.
Now Raphael knows it is time to go home and concentrate on his real estate business in Goroka.
He is also assisting farmers on agriculture matters on the side.
Looking back, he failed to become a lawyer, nor an accountant, nor a policeman. But he had made his contribution to the nation in agriculture.
“I could not be an accountant or a lawyer but I am intelligent. It’s just that I joined the wrong peer groups then who influenced me badly.
But, no regret.”