Michael helping others have a second chance in life

By ELIAS LARI
MICHAEL Goro set up a college to help young people who for some reason had fallen by the way side or simply lost their way.
The man from Nondugl, in the North Waghi district in Jiwaka is married with children.
In 2001, he set up the Highlands Youth Training and Rehabilitation College in Jiwaka, targeting drug addicts, school dropouts and those who are illiterate. He later set up 16 centres around the country.
His records show that more than 12,000 people had gone through the college attaining certificates and diplomas in various fields and are now employed.
One of them is Max Paul from Mendi, Southern Highlands. He had left Grade Nine in 1991 and stayed in the village.
In 2009, he enrolled at the college and received a certificate on sales and marketing.

He got a job with CCJV (Exxon Mobil) at the PNG LNG project in Hela. He later formed his own finance company and a guest house.
“If I didn’t attend this college, I would be at home doing nothing. I thank God for bringing me this far.”
Michael says Max is a testimony to what the collage can do and is doing.
“Creating somebody important from nothing is my calling and I will live to it and see what I can do to help the people.”
The college has helped drug addicts reform, school dropouts given a second chance at education.
Students can do a six-month certificate programme or a one-year diploma course.
It offers courses in accounting, business management, sales and marketing, human resource management, tourism and hospitality management, government studies, public administration, occupational health and safety, information technology, office management and early childhood (phonics).
It offers courses too to those already in employment to upgrade their qualifications.
“The aim is to help people especially youths. Law and order can be reduced through such colleges offering people a second chance in life. People are not failures but it is the system that fails them.”
The college enrols around 800 students a year.
He wants to maintain his operation so that more people can benefit.

“ People have a chance of living a better life if given an opportunity to try again after they fail.”

He believes everyone was born with a God-given talent.
“All good things will happen to a person who redeem themselves and ask God to show them a new path in life.
“We need to help our people and the country and this is what God wanted us to do while living on this planet.
“Since 2001 and now I can see that my time, money and resources were not wasted but borne much fruit.
“People have a chance of living a better life if given an opportunity to try again after they fail.
“We should not ignore them but help to make him or her a better person.”