People with disabilities urged to take initiatives

By EHEYUC SESERU
A person living with a disability has challenged others like him to take initiatives and be involved in community activities.
Kepson Salom, from Wau, Morobe, challenged fellow persons with disabilities to remain positive and utilise their hidden skills when he was handed keys to his brand new PMV truck from Boroko Motors Lae on Monday.
“I can take part in sports, represent an organisation and do something for myself as well as for my family. If I can be like this, my fellow people with disabilities must also do something and utilise their skills,” Salom said.
“We all can do something in life but it’s just our mindset that is keeping us in bondage.
“If we just lie idle and ask other people to do things for us by using our disability as an excuse, we’ll not get anything good in life and not enjoy it.
“Start small and you’ll grow.”
Salom is a local gold buyer and now a PMV operator.
He represents Wau Rural LLG on board of the Bulolo district disability association and is a Morobe representative para-athlete.
He started his business as a subsistence farmer after leaving grade 10 in 2006.
Salom started growing and selling peanuts and then ventured into poultry farming and gold buying.
He saved up and after seven years, he now owns a PMV truck that will provide services to Wau-Bulolo people.
He is an amputee but has a family of his own and says his positive outlook as well as technical support from the district disability association have enabled him to achieve things for him and his family.
“I’ll represent Morobe in para shot-put, discus and javelin (at the PNG Games),” Salom said.