PEOPLE

Former sprint champ in command at Bialla

By JAYSON KOAMA
THE passion and the drive that take a person to become someone depends on how he/she strives to achieve in life.
Born in, Kiniambo village, Yangoru-Saussia district of East Sepik, Emmanuel Mack was once a hard running athletics gold medalist who has set records during his days on the tracks nationally and internationally.
I recently met with him and a heard a few stories of his sporting career as an athlete which he enjoyed not only to his persnal pleasure but as a representative of his country.
In the late 1990s which he can recall clearly, while in primary school, he usually ran from his home village Kiniambo to Kusambuk and it takes a day’s walk to get to Kusambuk. Growing up running to school motivated him and he knew he had the needed speed to become an athletics champion one day.

In 1983, he commenced training himself while doing his higher education. He then was selected to attend Goroka Technical College where he spent time studying and training himself.
He knew within himself that he was going to be a success story in the future when his dreams would come true. Eventually he made it through into the PNG team in 1984 running alongside some big names of the sport like Takale Tuna, John Hou and Ferdinand Nongkas.
In 1984, he was selected to partake in the World Junior Championship in Athens, Greece, in which he successfully finished on a high note representing Team PNG . From there he became a figure which the PNG athletics officials kept a close watch on and had his name shortlisted in any events that took place nationally and internationally.
In 1989, he eventually made his big break at an international athletics championship in the Pacific Mini Games in Tonga where he finished first in the 100 meters sprint to claim a gold medal for his country.
Along the years of his commitment and training in athletics, he unfortunately encountered some bad news; he had food poisoning that would eventually cost his athletics career in 1991.
He was so depressed that he lost form in his training and couldn’t finish races in his own record times that he had set over the years in his athletics career.
Seeing and knowing that it would be the end of it, he had to make some important life decisions to get a job and so he successfully enlisted into the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary academy in Bomana in the following year (1992).
Graduating from the academy he was posted to Goroka, Eastern Highlands and then to Kimbe, West New Britain where he lived all his life serving as an officer in the province up until now. He is the rural police station commander in Navo, Bialla.
Having had a good conversation with him I asked his views in today’s society and the lifestyle as a sporting icon once and here’s what he said: “Sports is a gift that some of us are born with and if you have the dream to move forward, anything is possible. It’s your time management and commitment to push harder to the extreme to one day earn a gold medal for you, your people, your family and the country as a whole.
“Earning a gold medal was the greatest thing I have earned in my life to put my country on the world map and I knew I can go further with more medals as I have beaten all odds to be there.
“I didn’t give up my sporting career but due to circumstances in which my body could not continue, I had to make a choice. I am however always grateful now that I have once been a gold medalist and have become a disciplined police officer and have also once in my life time represented my country and earning a gold medal adding to the tally with the others,” he said.
“I would like to encourage any young sportsman and woman today to keep your training and commitment and you will always one fine day earn a place in representing your country and also win the gold medal that you have worked hard for all your life.”

Women entrepreneurs look to better days

By IWAKS KAWAGE
WOMEN entrepreneurs under the umbrella of Simbu Women In Business (SWIB) have a clear pathway aread of them to prosper as they put their hearts and minds to their endeavours. The organisation was established by mothers from small business operators in the province in 2012.
Founding president Christina Nime Urka said the group’s vision was to support and promote women in small business activities especially in line with the Government’s small to medium enterprise (SME) policy.
SWIB is recognised by the World Bank which has given a direction for PNG Women’s Micro Bank to nurture SWIB’s Meri Plus a financial inclusive services was seen by the women as a bank operating but slowed down following the country’s bad economic situations faced over past years.
SWIB is registered as a cooporative society and is ready to take on major activities as a women organisation in the province.
Last Thursday, SWIB president Christina Nime Urka led the provincial executives and met Governor Michael Bogai Dua who spoke positively about the organisation and described SMEs as a gold mine which needed government support.
“Supporting mothers is like supporting a house,” Governor said when committing K100,000 to the women through SWIB.

Dua said mothers have played a vital role in the society and were full of wisdom.
“If they can manage a house, we can try them in the development of this province through establishments such as this.
“We have a heart to work with mothers with the little money raised through registrations but that is not enough to cater for everyone.”
Nime in turn thanked the governor for his backing.
“I must thank Governor Dua because he can actually see the need mothers are facing at this time when country is hit hard time with financial difficulties affecting us.
“The K100, 000 committed has given us a huge boost and we can work something better for our mothers and this is in fact a good news from the governor of the province,” Nime said.
The mothers have been assisted with soft loans in their respective businesses including baking, sewing, poultry, piggery, mini goods, weaving, floriculture, guest housed and trade stored but are affected by the current financial crisis faced in the country, she said.
Nime also thanked Kundiawa-Gembogl MP William Gogl Onglo for allowing SWIB to continue sharing an office space at Wara Market with the district which former MP Tobias Kulang had given as the district’s support for its women.
She said former Kerowagi MP Camillus Dangma had also supported women in his district and Chuave MP and Minister for Environment and Climate Change Wera Mori has supported his district women.
SWIB currently has 10, 000 active financial members which comprise: 1,000 in Kerowagi, 3,000 in Kundiawa-Gembogl, 450 inSinasina -ongomugl, 1,000 in Chuave, 400 in Karimui-Nomane and 500 in Gumine. Thousands more are yet to be financially registered, said Nime.
An open invitation is given to Chimbu MPs who have supported and those planning to assist women in their respected districts can kindly asked to do so that mothers can help themselves.
The SWIB held its general forum on July 30 and the annual general meeting was held yesterday (Thursday, Aug 6) at the Mount Wilhelm Tourist Hotel in Kundiawa.
Nime has called on the financial members and those of whom are members and interested members to come for this very important gathering.
Women were challenged to repay loans taken from the SWIB business arm Meri Plus during its public forum aimed to revive operations at a gathering last Thursday.
Meri Plus was set up as a micro bank in 2012.
It was giving out soft loans to small business women in both rural and urban areas through its registrations fees and support given from some districts in the province.
President Tambagle reminded the mothers of the vital role they played both in the family and in the society with the wisdom they possessed.
“We have a heart to work with mothers with the little money raised through registrations but that is not enough to feed everyone.
Nime also thanked the penal including Anton Goiye and Luke Pandum both consultants while Philip Kai a social worker and Joe Gandi, chairman of Simbu Indigenous Business Council and Pastor Lari and those attended made forum a success.
Interested individuals, groups and organisations both in government and private sectors willing to assist in any way can contact SWIB President Christina Nime Urka on mobile 71128286 or email: [email protected]