Taller than Mt Giluwe

By MATHEW YAKAI
AT THE foot of Mt Giluwe, the second highest mountain in PNG is Wambul Village in Western Highlands.
Peter Andandi lived in that village since childhood.
He lived a simple life, married two wives, and raised number of children and grandchildren.
Andandi passed away at Port Moresby General Hospital at midday on Monday, Jan 7 after a long illness.
Andandi is no ordinary Papua New Guinean. He leaves behind a great legacy by which more than 2,000 students in Tambul-Nebilyer throughout PNG and overseas will remember him for years.
Gabriel Andandi, his son and director of Norman Finance Ltd, a nationwide microfinance company spent millions of kina since 1997 paying school fees for students to get a better education. This would not be possible if the late Peter Andandi had not sweated to farm tobacco and peanuts to sell and send off son Gabriel to obtain better education.
The late Andandi’s hard work has hundreds of tertiary students throughout PNG and overseas benefiting. This continues today.
Gabriel has taken his father to visit several countries and provinces in PNG to enjoy the fruit of his investing in education. But the trip on flight PX 84 on June 13, 2018 to Fiji via Honiara was special because it was to his last before his death last week.
Boarding at 9.30am at Jacksons International, this scribe sat at seat 5E and the late Andandi was sitting next to his son Sent.
The delegation to Nadi comprised of late Andandi and son Gabriel, his three brothers, Petrus, Sent and Tenis Niningi, Sent’s wife, late Andandi’s two wives and this scribe, to witness the launching of Norman Finance Ltd’s first overseas branch in Suva, Fiji, on June 14.
The trip was exciting but what lay ahead was a long three-hour flight from Port Moresby to Honiara, refuelling for another 20 minutes before travelling another three hours to Nadi, Fiji. From Nadi, we drove to Suva for approximately three hours.
The trip and its purpose reminded me of Martin Luther Kings’ Lincoln Memorial historical I have a dream speech before 210,000 Americans on Aug 28, 1963. King had the dream for black and white Americans to live together under the true spirit of brotherhood and democracy in appreciation of the principles of equality.
For the late Andandi, he wanted his children to live as free men and women in this globalised world where money and commerce matter above guns and wars. Martin Luther had the dream that his children and those of white parents could live under the true spirit of brotherhood and dine on the same table without racial segregation.
And so, late Andandi’s investment in his son saw Gabriel Andandi successfully obtain his Masters degree from Australia in Human Resources and eventually become a successful businessman after working with United Nations. Gabriel in return paid school fees for more than 2,000 students spending millions of kina. He plans to do the same for students in Fiji once his Fiji branch picks up business.
Martin Luther had the dream that, “…one day, every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”
Andandi in turn, had the dream that Giluwe and Mt Hagen, tow of the highest peaks in PNG shall be made low with Nebilyer and Kagul valleys running parallel with Waghi valley meeting with theMarkham valley where the torrential rivers, Kagul, Waghi and Ramu shall meander in joy meeting the tributaries in the coastal plains, eventually swallowed by the ocean.
That dream became reality when Gabriel Andandi paid more than 2,000 students’ school fees from his Tambul-Nebilyer electorate and other provinces attending higher institutions in PNG and overseas to realise their dreams tomorrow.
The senior Andandi was satisfied when seeing his son’s Norman Finance Ltd branching out to 22 provinces with an additional four branches totalling 26 today in PNG. This makes Norman Finance a truly national company employing 80-plus Papua New Guineans.
Andandi could not stand the long trip to Nadi and complained on the plane asking Gabriel why he was investing in Fiji and taking long trips believing Gabriel was well secured financially in PNG.
Where else could Gabriel invest after covering all the 22 provinces in PNG? He decided that Fiji was an ideal location given its well-educated and disciplined population with a healthy economy. With big dreams, Gabriel decided to complete the journey he started with a single step back in 2008 when Norman Finance Ltd was first launched in PNG.
Gabriel incorporated China’s popular philosopher, Lao Zhi’s ideology: “A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step.” The journey commenced in PNG in 2008 was a single step until he covered the entire Fiji Islands and reached out to other Melanesian countries in fulfilling the Spearhead Groups trade and commerce concept.
When the late Andandi thought that his son would confine business only in PNG where sons and daughters of both those known and strangers could benefit from Gabriel’s school fee assistance, Gabriel looked beyond the horizon to Fiji so that he could also help his Melanesian brothers and sisters in school fees when Norman Finance Ltd Fiji picked up business.
The launch of the Fiji branch on June 14 was a cheerful moment for late Andandi and his two wives.
“Fiji is like Port Moresby or Rabaul with the sea, coconuts, bananas, betel nuts and many similar plants. The climate is similar. But how come Fijians are tall and huge and their roads are sealed to travel on?” Andandi asked. While that question remains to be answered, the week in Fiji moved so fast that the group returned to PNG on the same route.
With the launching of Norman Finance in Suva and the successful operations of 26 branches in PNG alone, this scribe struggled to comprehend the amount of energy and time invested in making Norman Finance become successful within a mere 10 years since its inception in 2008.
I recall a piece of life-changing advice, unlike others I got from friends and parents, which I found applicable, wise and empirically valid to understand why Norman Finance is so successful.
My classmate in Japan, now a businessman, pronounced as he prevented me from running to catch a sinkansen (Japan’s bullet train), “I don’t run for trains.
“Snub your destiny. I have taught myself to resist running to keep my schedule.”
This may seem a very small piece of advice, but it registered. In refusing to run to catch trains, I have felt the true value of elegance and aesthetics in behaviour, a sense of being in control of my time, my schedule and my life – discipline.
That could be the business philosophy the late Addandi and his son Gabriel had adopted to see Norman Finance Ltd grow successfully within 10 years in PNG and then move to Suva, Fiji in June 2018.
“Missing a train is only painful if you run after it.”
So not matching the idea of success others expect from you is only painful if that’s what you are seeking.
For the Andandis, there was no expectation of success in business but their mere hard work, dedication and honesty is now of benefit to more than 2,000 students throughout PNG in receiving school fee assistances. And they wish to do the same in Fiji and other Pacific islands.
The Andandis stand above the rat race and the pecking order; not outside of it, and they do so by choice.
Figuratively, they stand equal with Mt Giluwe or taller!
Upon arrival from Fiji, the senior Andandi was confined fell ill and was taken to the Mt Hagen General Hospital, and later transferred to Port Moresby General Hospital. He sadly died on Jan 7 at midday, leaving behind a positive legacy.
Andandi’s last words to his LaulgaMundika tribe after returning from Fiji was, “Work together and support each other as brothers to promote peace and achieve your dreams to reach the peak of Mt Giluwe.”
His wisdom and dreams resembling Martin Luther’s shall live on so his positive legacy in impacting today’s education through his son’s school fee initiatives will be remembered in history classes tomorrow.
Rest in peace, Peter Andandi!

• Mathew Yakai is a freelance writer. For comments, email: [email protected] or text: 70747450.