Jopal in Australia to fulfil a dream

By NAOMI KALATE
BUTCHER Jopal Pingiwisa is travelling to Australia to help his family in Morobe and fulfil a dream of setting up his own business.
“Expanding my knowledge and skills as a butcher in the meat industry is my goal of joining the labour mobility programme in Australia.”
After completing Grade 12 at the Don Bosco Araimiri Secondary School in Gulf in 2016, Jopal, 36, never attended any tertiary institution. He is from Menyamya district in Morobe, the third eldest in a family of six.
Jopal learnt a lot when growing up from his hardworking father, a former village court magistrate. He and the family depended a lot on their father who was the sole breadwinner. So when he resigned as a magistrate, the family went through some tough financial times. The parents turned to subsistence farming.
Jopal tried his best to find a job to support his family. He applied and was accepted to be a casual worker by a company in Lae in 2018. He wanted to become a baker but was given the job as a butcher instead. After four months, he was promoted to production supervisor. He has been in that position for seven years now.
“Today, I am the family’s breadwinner with my younger brother who is starting as a teacher this year.”
In 2019, Jopal learnt of the labour mobility programme when the Tok Stret Consulting introduced it. The idea was brought up by Lae MP John Rosso to help young people in Morobe who wished to work in Australia.
Jopal decided to apply as it was a good opportunity to broaden his skills and knowledge in the meat industry, in particular the work of a butcher.
He contacted the Lae City Authority and then regularly checked on updates on the programme.
He was interviewed for the programme in 2019 but the Coronavirus struck and everything had to be put on hold.
The city authority however kept his profile in its database, with his contact details. They called him in 2022, for another interview, and again in March last year.
“I never gave up on the application. And in March 2023, I was selected.”

“ Though it will be hard leaving home, this is an opportunity of a lifetime which I don’t want to miss.”

Jopal was interviewed and selected by the Labour Solutions Australia to work for a company called JBS Australia on a four-year contract in the meat industry. He was among the 69 selected for the labour mobility programme in Morobe.
He finally received his ticket on Feb 24 this year to travel to Australia. It will be the first time to travel abroad and also the first time to leave his family.
“Though it will be hard leaving home, this is an opportunity of a lifetime which I don’t want to miss. I have worked so hard for this, especially getting into the programme. I will ensure to make use of it especially the training they will providing.”
And he has already planned to do something for himself and his family on his return.
“When I come back, I plan to start a piggery in my community and a butcher shop. This is my dream, to help my family and community.”
The words of Eleanor Roosevelt, a women’s advocate and wife of former US President Franklin, sums up Jopal’s ambition beautifully as he leaves for Down Under: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”