Janet fights on, never gives up

By ROSELYN ELLISON
SINGLE mother-of-one Janet Thomas has been through a lot.
She could not go past Grade 12 because of a fees problem, thus dashing her goal to become a lawyer, she had two failed relationships, struggled to pay for her education by joining the informal market vendors, cleaned toilets and wiped people’s shoes at a hotel as part of her work there.

Janet, 30, is from Kureba village in Hela. She is the manageress of the Mapex Training Institute in Mt Hagen after serving in the same position at its Kokopo campus in East New Britain.
She was born and raised in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands where her parents were working. She comes from a family of six.
“My parents supported me but since I have other siblings, I didn’t want to burden them. So I decided to work hard to look after myself.”
She attended the Toguba Secondary School in 2011 in Mt Hagen. She was planning to take up a course in Humanities to pursue her dream to become a lawyer.
“It did not eventuate due to financial constraints faced by my parents at the time. I was not able to continue after Grade 12.”
In 2012, she went to Port Moresby and stayed with relatives in order to attend the International Training Institute.
“Again I did not complete it because of school fee problem. I left school and used my little skills and knowledge to weave bilum and make dresses to earn a living.”
In 2013 she enrolled at the Kumul Training institute taking the same course in human resources.
“From my small marketing business, I was able to pay my school fees and graduated.”
Janet started work at a hotel in Port Moresby as a receptionist.

“ Seeing students go to school then go back to find work makes me so proud.”

“I accepted the work as I wanted to learn more. I made people cups of tea and wiped their shoes. I started helping out in housekeeping too. I never thought that one day I will be washing toilets and weeding around the hotel compound.”
In 2015, she worked at another hotel as a housekeeping coordinator.
In 2016 she joined the Asia Pacific Institute as a marketing officer. She served in a remote area of Sandaun where there were no government services.
“But I was happy that students got educated and are now working. Some of the disabled students came to school and graduated.”
In 2018, she went to Rabaul and Bougainville.
“(Then) I was suspended for no good reason. So I went home and continue selling the small items I made.”
She went through two failed relationships, leaving her bitter and betrayed.
“The country is talking about gender-based violence. I have been there as a victim. I went through a lot of abuse by my partners.”
Last year, she joined the Mapex Institute Port Moresby branch as a marketing officer.
“Seeing students go to school then go back to find work makes me so proud.”
Janet is a single mum with a daughter. She has no interest in men or getting married again.
Her interests are in soccer, boxing, hair-dressing, hand-crafting, jewelry, bilum-weaving, and fixing damaged shoes.
She hopes that one day she will enough money to again pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer.
Her advice to others: “Never give up quickly. Hold on and strive for excellence and move forward with a heart to help the needy. Be your own boss, make your way up the ladder as you cannot just go and grab somebody else’s chair.”