Miracle unfolding in Manus

EDUCATION

FOR the first time since political independence in 1975 some 44 years ago, in the smallest province of Papua New Guinea with a population of approximately 65,000, a minor miracle took place last Friday, Nov 8.
So says the founder of Human Development Institute (HDI), Samuel Tam, known to many as Papa Sam.
At the graduation of the first Manus Autonomy roll-out training programme, 95 HDI Personal Viability (PV) participants decided to become pro-active to realise the Manus dream of economic independence. Instead of asking for free handouts from national and provincial governments to secure a prosperous future for their children and bubus, they collectively invested K16,790 of their own hard-earned savings in the Manus Economic Autonomy programme.
And by the end of the day the total amount reached K31,850 and many more Manusians are queuing up to invest.
The 95 PVBS participants include community leaders, politicians, senior public servants, church leaders, members of the chamber of commerce and ordinary men and women from villages. The youngest participant was 19 years old and oldest was to 65. Their level of education ranged from “very little primary education” to university degrees.
In an unprecedented turn-around, Manus people have decided it is time to take back PNG with the bottom-up approach. They are no longer waiting for things to come. They now realise that if Papua New Guinea is to become the richest black Christian country in the world, they must rise to the challenge and make it happen.
Papua New Guineans must unite behind the Prime Minister and become pro-active in development. And Manus people, led by Governor Charlie Benjamin, have decided to lead the way for other provinces to follow.
The graduation ceremony was conducted open-air at the central market of Lorengau, in front of market vendors and customers. The message was “Ask not what Manus is going to do for you, ask what you are going to do for Manus”.
Governor Charlie Benjamin was guest speaker because it was his provincial government that commissioned former premier Stephen Pokawin, in 2018, to find a suitable pathway for Manus to achieve economic independence by 2032. During 12 months of research and consultations, the Manus Autonomy Technical Team, under the leadership of Pokawin, searched far and wide for a suitable development model for Manus to adopt and implement to achieve economic independence. The Pokawin Report was delivered to the Manus PEC on Oct 31 this year.

Model for economic independence
Governor Benjamin, Manus Open Member and Speaker of National Parliament Job Pomat and Provincial Administrator Oka Nungu signed an agreement with HDI to commission Papa Sam of HDI to implement the alternative economic development model for Manus to achieve economic independence by 2032.
In his speech at the graduation ceremony, Governor Benjamin, on behalf of the Manus government, pledged an initial K500,000 to invest in Manus autonomy programme and he urged all Manus people and institutions to join him to invest in a better future for the province. The target is to raise a capital base of K100 million to develop commercial entrepreneurs and economic projects.
The second Manus autonomy roll-out training commences on Nov 28, which is the HDI corporate training programme to prepare public servants of the provincial administration, led by Nungu, to re-structure the administration to deliver better services to Manus people as per the Manus Corporate Plan 2018-2022.
This will be followed by the third Manus autonomy roll-out PVBS Level 1 training programme which will commence on Dec 8 for 100-plus participants.
At the commissioning ceremony, Manus leaders elevated Papa Sam to Papu Sam.
“I was told the title “Papu” is reserved for people who are considered wise, so Papu Sam literally means “wise godfather’”, Tam says.
“Economic independence is possible when people learn how to work smart with business-class knowledge, mindset and thinking to deliver economic goals within a specific time-frame,” he points out.
“The key to economic independence and success is to develop commercially viable entrepreneurs and commercially viable projects. This means people need to learn or acquire business-class knowledge, mindset and thinking, which is very, very different to academic knowledge. Economic independence is highly unlikely with working-class academic knowledge because academic knowledge is designed for people looking for formal employment. Business-class knowledge is designed for entrepreneurs to create successful commercial businesses and employment opportunities.”
Papa Sam, through HDI, has developed the world’s first unique, PNG home-grown, innovative, inclusive, performance-action learning, alternate business-class education system over 25 years of research and development.
The HDI alternative (mind development) education system will be established on Manus Island for Manus people, Papua New Guinea, Pacific Island nations and the world.
During the graduation in Manus, Women’s Micro Bank representative Albert Lei helped 31 course participants open accounts savings accounts.
The micro bank will be going wherever the HDI conducts training in the country so those trained can immediately open bank accounts to benefit from the partnership between the bank and the training institution.

Yvonne Popon’s testimony
Yvonne is married to a very loving husband and they have two children. She graduated from the University of PNG with a degree is social works and geography. She also holds a post graduate diploma in education from the University of Goroka.
Yvonne was employed as a community development officer in the West New Britain provincial administration then taught for two years as a secondary school teacher.
She is currently acting executive manager for the division of community development with Manus provincial administration. She plans to do amaster’s degree in two years’ time. Masters in what?
She is at the crossroads to decide which field to pursue.
On Oct 28 this year, Yvonne attended her first day of PV training. In her mind, it was just another government training.
However, she did not know that this would be the first step to her self-discovery. Yvonne is a typical Manusian – full of pride, thinks she knows everything and anything to do with her profession and life generally.
On Wednesday, Oct 30, after completing assignment number two on personal stock take, the balance sheet of life, Yvonne realised where she stood in her life and the next day, there came the miracle, a miracle which was always there but Yvonne failed to see. She realised her self-worth. Yvonne is the miracle herself!
Yvonne now knows what it takes to achieve here master’s degree, which is herself. She will be the master’s degree herself.
“To achieve my masters, I have to be the best wife, the best mother, the best public servant, the best child, the best friend, the best colleague, the best of myself in everything and anything,” she says.
“To all my fellow participants, Mathew, Mark, Luke and John gave up their lives to follow Jesus and today, even in these two weeks we are still reading their gospel. It took 12 people to change the world.
“My fellow participants, these two weeks is a transformation. Manus autonomy, if reached, will be an economic revolution in the history of Manus and PNG.
“Don’t you want to be part of the revolution? Like Mathew, Mark, Luke and John who transformed the world through Christianity? Well, for me, I want people to write a book about Manus economic revolution so my grandchildren will read it later.
“To the philosopher Papa sam and to you all, I have bought shares already.
“If it comes back, good. If it doesn’t come back, good. For when I sleep I will sleep peacefully knowing in my heart that I have given my uttermost strength in doing something for my home Manus and most importantly, to God.”