Terence’s passion for writing drives him on

By PETER WARI
THE passion to write was ingrained in Terence Kapipi’s mind since his younger days.
Terence, in his mid-20s, is a second-year journalism student at the University of PNG. He is from Kumin village near Mendi town in Southern Highlands. He is the youngest of five brothers.
He attended the Kumin Primary School before he was selected to attend the Passam National High. He studied Science – Physics and Chemistry – and completed Grade 12 in 2010.
“I applied for Journalism studies at the UPNG for the 2011 intake without consulting my family. But I could not make it as my Grade Point Average (GPA) did not meet the requirements.
“It was a blow to my self-esteem but I remained positive and upgraded my marks in 2013 at the Department Of Distance Learning of the Lae University of Technology.
“In 2015, I went to TAFE Queensland (technical and further education training) in Australia and pursued a Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (fitter and turner).”
On his return, he worked as a marketing officer, receptionist, carpenter, a security guard and shop assistant at a company in Port Moresby.
But he left those jobs and ended up selling betel nut, cigarettes and soft drinks on the streets in 2017.
In September 2018, he created the Rugby League Romantics Page. He did this while doing street sales.
The boys who did street sales with him became his editors for the Facebook page articles.
In 2019, he was accepted to study at the UPNG (Open Campus) in the School of Humanities and Social Science.
“I didn’t know I could write until 2018 when my partner left me with my son. I started writing as a way to ease the pressure on myself.
“I figured out by accident that I could be healed through writing and I have been writing ever since.”
Terence wants to help people improve their writing or who want to become a writer.
His interest in writing forced him to apply for Journalism Studies and was accepted in 2020 to study at the main UPNG campus.
Terence is currently in his second year studying Journalism and Public Relations, minoring in Social Works.
“I write better because I was a keen reader of books in primary school which my father encourages. My father bought me books every week.”

“ I didn’t know I could write until 2018 when my partner left me with our son. I started writing as a way to relieve the pressure on myself.”

The Wepio Rugby League Romantics Page on Facebook now has more than 150,000 followers. He is proud that the number is growing every day.
Terence knows he is still developing his skills as a writer, and to one day have his own style and attract his own audience to follow his writings.
“I have been writing about the Wepio Rugby League Romantics voluntarily for more than two years, hoping that the website brings some benefits in future.”
Someone once said: “The beautiful part of writing is that you do not have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.”
Safe to say that Terence’s writing is still work in progress.