Security job paves way for Elijah’s education

Weekender
EDUCATION
“I encourage other students in similar situations or faced with other difficulties, to continue in the pursuit of their education. You have to start somewhere.”
Friend and colleague, Christopher Yunungo from Southern Highlands was always close to Elijah.

ELIJAH Swaiya worked as a security guard to pay for a diploma in business management. And last Thursday, Dec 3, the 28-year-old son of a pastor graduated with his class of 2020 from the Port Moresby Business College.
It was not always easy working in the night and turning up in the morning for lectures. Sometimes sleep took over and his friends needed to share notes with him.
Elijah is the fifth born of nine children born to Pastor Arnold Swaiya and his wife Maria who hail from Alisu village in West Yangoru, East Sepik.
Ps Arnold was a happy and proud dad to witness his son graduating with a second diploma from the same college. Two years prior, his wife Maria attended their son’s first graduation at which he was awarded a diploma in office administration.
This time it was his turn to share their son’s success.
“As a pastor, I had instilled in my children a sense of responsibility and hard work,” he said.
I told them that life had many challenges and they needed to really work hard to achieve what they wanted. I’m happy that they have worked hard and two of them are already working.

Elija receiving his diploma in business management from Freddy Manihoru, a guest speaker at the graduation on Dec 3.

Elijah’s graduation today is an important and joyful achievement for me as a father and also his whole family.”
Ps Arnold and his sister Margaret are serving God as ministers in the Assemblies of God Church. Ps Arnold, 59, was trained at the Ilingita Bible School and started ministry work since graduating in 1986. He has served all 25 years at his village church at Alisu.
Ps Arnold and his sister Margaret represented the family at Elijah’s graduation.
We’ll let Elijah Swaiya continue his story.
I COMPLETED my grade 12 in 2013 at Yangoru Secondary School. Unfortunately, in 2014 I was not given an offer from a tertiary institution and I flew over to Port Moresby in search of education and stayed with my relatives.
Fortunately, I found a school which was the Institute of Business Studies (IBS University) and enrolled as a self-sponsored student to study for a certificate in business accounting.
In early January 2015 it was God’s plan that I meet a pastor of the Dove Sanctuary AOG Church at Waigani, who lived with some youths.
I stayed with them and was engaged in the music ministry and began my studies in February at Port Moresby Business College. I had applied in 2014 for the two-year diploma in business studies programme.
It wasn’t going well in the first year because I had committed most of my time in ministry. In spite of those stormy days, I never took that as a burden but that caused me to strive harder.
I kept believing in myself and finally I graduated with a diploma in office administration in November 2018.
In January 2019, I was engaged by G4S and started life as a security officer. What really mattered to me was the positive mindset I had, to be simple. I know a lot of people are better than me but living a simple life, why should I worry for a job that suits my qualifications?
This line of thought motivated me and I stayed on the job. Interestingly, I met many university and college graduates who were also working as security personnel and that made me feel I was among friends.
While a probationary guard with G4S, I applied for several vacancies and had interviews with reputable organisation but was unsuccessful.
While still working as a guard, I met my nephew and because we worked together, we agreed to rent a place at in Gerehu Stage 1.

Elijah working his last shift as a security guard at the Hotel Hodava in Port Moresby..

A huge blow
We shared costs and lived happily but to our surprise my nephew fell ill and was confirmed to have TB in July 2019. That devastated both of us and it meant that the burden of our living expenses would be upon my shoulders alone.
It was an added burden when friends, family members and even university and college students heard about my nephew and came to spend two to three days with us.
That occurred when I had enrolled to do the second diploma (in business management). I managed to live with a positive attitude and strength that comes from God to tackle the challenges. The only problem for me then was the sleepless nights. Working for 12 hours in the night and attending classes for eight hours a day as a full-time student was never easy.
I earned K300 a fortnight, broke that up into K150 for rentals, K100 for food, K18 for power and K12 for other necessities in the house. I was left with K20 for my bus fare over two weeks going to and from classes. I still didn’t have enough to take me through to the next fortnight. But I saw that God’s hand helped me to work extra hours to meet other necessities. I paid 60 per cent of my school fees while the remainder came from my family members.
In the midst of every pain a saying by Abraham Lincoln reminds me to strive on: “Don’t worry when you are not recognised, but strive to be worthy of recognition.”
I keep challenging myself with determination and perseverance. This motivates and uplifts my spirit and places a bold decision in my life never to be afraid of encountering challenges. This makes me strong.
Moreover, one of the very things that transformed my life is discipline I learnt from my work. Discipline makes me to be very committed and punctual to my work and studies.
I do everything wholeheartedly to see progress and changes in my life. The most important thing I came to understand and know is to value my job and studies.
I acknowledge the Creator in finding my way out to test my passion level in both work and study. However, many graduates could hardly make a bold decision to build their lives from scratch and in fact have in their minds that sekyuriti em pipia wok (a lowly job). It takes a person with a lion heart to make bold decisions to live and accomplish their dreams.
Furthermore, I have had continuous support from my awesome landlords, Ken and Hennah Siminji whom I call mum and dad in the absence of my biological parents.
They are a very God-fearing parents who stood beside me and gave me support to pursue my education. They understood my situation and at times when I had trouble paying rent, they told me not to worry about it.
Regardless of these obstacles I faced while working, I managed to complete my final year successfully and graduated with a second diploma, in business management, on Dec 3, 2020.

Encouragement to others
I appreciate and acknowledge my God for being with me through my life. I want to encourage students who are in similar situations or faced with other difficulties, to continue the pursuit of their education.
You have to start somewhere, where it leads up to your dreams. Don’t listen to what is going around you. You are born to make your own dreams come true. No one will make it happen for you; it is yourself.
So continue to believe in God and yourself that you can do it. (Phil 4:19)

The future
Armed with a second diploma, Elijah is now a lot more confident he can find a job or make something for himself.
One thing he will no doubt cherish for life is his stint as a security guard. It was where he learnt the discipline that will be with him for the rest of his life.