Mustard Seed grows in Pangia

EDUCATION

And He said to them…. “for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.” – Matt 17:20 NAS

By ALPHONSE BARIASI
THE tiny mustard seed holds the potential of a nine-meter bush, says a motivational article.
“The seed is about one to two millimeters in size. Yet, the brush can grow upwards six to nine meters tall and wide. The picture the Lord painted in the above text for the disciples was one of hope.
“Faith doesn’t need to be outwardly large to have a large impact,” the article goes on.
Robert Norombu from East Pangia in Southern Highlands is driven by such faith. He is building an institution basically from scratch on his family’s land to offer an alternative education pathway to out-of-school youth.
Like the proverbial seed of the New Testament analogy, the Mustard Seed Education Institute is a seed sown and that will, over time, become a fully operational training ground for children and youth of the future.
Norombu told The National Weekender during a meeting last Sunday that he had served his community and province for many years and has now settled down to doing something else to leave behind a legacy, something he would be remembered for.

“The school is intended to provide an alternative education to children and youth. It will be a permitted school that will use the PNG education curriculum and cater for Grades 8, 10 and 12 leavers who have been pushed out of the education system.”
The academic lessons will be for school ‘dropouts’ to upgrade their marks to advance to higher grades. As the intitution becomes operational, there will options for classes to be run using the Flexible Open Distance Education (Fode) mode.
There will be a major focus on technical skills training, girls education and ethics based on Christian principles. Learning will be both theory and practical lessons.
“Morals and ethics will be an important part of education at Mustard Seed Education Institution,” the founder, a man of strong faith says.
Staff will be drawn from those that have a teaching background and meet National Department of Education standards and requirements.
The first lot of buildings to have been erected so far – using no external funding but the community’s own resources and expertise – are a double classroom and a two-storey girls’ dorimitory.
The second phase of development will include a boys’ dormitory and another double classroom which will be built this year.
“I have been taught by expatriates who have instilled a sense of self-reliance, discipline, commitment and hard work,” Norombu says.
For him there are no free handouts.
“From the expats I have learnt to do things myself.
“We have to discourage dependency and be more self-reliant. We need to look within ourselves and make use of the God-given talents and abilities.
“We also have to make the best use of resources around us; whether it is a river, the land or the environment.
“I have two mobile sawmills and the community used them to produce timber for the buildings. And they will do the same for other buildings in future.”
In the long-run the institution will fall under the private-public patnership as a permitted school that will be recognised by the national education authorities.
“The institution hopes to provide a second chance education for out-of-school children to advance their education to be better people of our society.” At the Mustard Seed Education Institute, the intention is to make students feel better, as productive and respectabel citizens in the community.
Norombu, who was drawn to the idea of setting up a private learning institution, is well versed with how the national education system works and in partnering with the Department of Education, hopes to provide an alternative education.
Mustard Seed Education Institute will enroll its first students in 2023, based on the number of applications and their interests. Before then, the institute will be marketing its courses to attract applications, initially from the local area and eventually from outside the district and province.
The venture is fully backed by the local community, some of whom Norombu has engaged as builders to erect the first buildings.
“The community is behind me because the institute is going to serve a felt need which prompted me to do this,” Norombu says.
“Our kids go out in search of education – to Lae, Mt Hagen, Port Moresby or wherever. And some get into trouble. And I throught, why not bring education to our door steps so our young people get education here first and then go out when they are better equipped with academic knowledge and life skills, if they want to.
“I have lots of ideas but will get the infrastructure in place first. I know God is helping and I will do it.”
And with a sparkle in his eyes, Norombu looks to the three of his sittting at a table in a Waigani Drive kai bar and says: “If you dream of doing something, just do it.
“Whatever your dreams are, never limit or underestimate capabilities to do something. God has given us to power to excel or do extraordinary things.”
There’s truth and excitement in that because he speaks from experience.
A tiny mustard seed can barely be seen when held by the thumb and forefinger yet it can grow into a bush nine meters tall.
Robert Norombu believes wholeheartedly in the power of mustard-seed faith. When his Mustard Seed Education Institute enrolls the pioneer students next year, it will be the best proof of such faith at work in him.