Skills training gives Samuel a chance to help village youths

By Lemach Lavari
A SMALL village businessman says the skills learnt from the Small and Medium Enterprises Corporation’s (SMEC) garment and textile programme will benefit people back home.
Samuel Maila, from Gabagaba village in Central, said he would pass on the skills he acquired from the programme to youths in his village.
Maila runs a small business with his brothers called “One Mile Production” where he provides practical life-skills training to villagers.
He won five awards at the garment and textile training graduation ceremony last Friday.
He won first prize in sewing machine repair, garment construction and pattern designing.
He was among the five men and 25 women at the graduation held at the SMEC headquarters in Gordon, Port Moresby.
“I can’t wait to go back to my village and transfer the skills I have learnt in the programme to young people,” he said.
“It is something they can use to sustain themselves. We are not focused on making money. We are about helping the community. We want to bring skills to our people in Gabagaba.”
Samuel said the programme was empowering.
“This programme has given me the opportunity to change my life. It has motivated me to set even bigger goals. I want to promote our PNG designs overseas,” he said.
The main challenge for him is the lack of capital.
“Even though with the skills, I lack the resources and the funds to attain them. We are always keeping an eye out for possible donors to our programme back in the village.”