There is wealth in writing

By ISAAC LIRI
ANY day in our lives can be inspirational, it depends on each and every one of us as individuals and what we allow to inspire us.
Many of us have our own experiences on how we’ve been inspired in life many or a few times and we are able to share those various tales of inspiration every now and then.
Now let me tell you a story of how an event that took place at the University of Goroka (UOG) in the Eastern Highlands province turned out to be an inspirational occasion for those who attended.
On Wednesday, Oct 3 at the UOG old library, many academics, students, doctors, professors and those that attended the launching of the PNG Journal of Teacher education were inspired by a presentation given by UOG Vice Chancellor Prof Musawe Sinebare.
The gathering was to launch the new journal which was put together by 10 academics and Sinebare himself. The ultimate aim of the journal is to improve education in the country starting from the grassroots up to the elite level.
In a way you can say it was UOG’s contribution to education in the country, with a vision that the journal will help those that abide by it to make a difference in our education system, and that is to see the quality of education in this country rise.
Incorporated with the launch was a presentation given by Sinebare about utilising the most precious gift human beings contain and that’s knowledge.
Every one of us is gifted with knowledge of many kinds and by using the knowledge we possess, we can create wealth to sustain our livelihood.
To narrow down or specify the presentation of knowledge creation into wealth creation, Prof Sinebare was urging Papua New Guinea academics or intellectuals to spring out of their comfort zones and start writing and publishing books of their own.
Speaking as an author himself of such books like the Melanesia Mathematics Dictionary and the book titled Path to Success, a compilation of his best speeches, Sinebare believes writing in PNG has a lot of potential but its’ a matter of each individual putting the effort into it to realise how powerful and beneficial it is in terms of wealth creation.
Sinebare then went on to describe Papua New Guineans as great story tellers however, transforming that into writing seems to be a challenge that most turn a blind eye on.
“PNG people are great story tellers but we must transform that into writing,” Sinebare said.
“Writing books will allow oneself to leave behind a legacy that will remain for future generations to read and gain knowledge.
“Today all you need is a laptop to begin writing and its creativity because its’ your own story. In the past we used type writers but now its’ very easy with laptops around.
Glancing through experiences faced by academics and intellectuals today, Sinebare said many graduates from universities and colleges were not earning enough to sustain their livelihood and end up borrowing or getting loans from informal operators.
Presenting a solution to those challenges, Sinebare talked about taking up writing seriously which can help them transform their knowledge into wealth apart from their normal salaries, in simplified terms you can say, using your hobby to earn a little extra to survive.
“Many academics are living by paying off loans from loan sharks, some have gambling problems and that doesn’t help. My advice is that if you are to get a loan, get it from a bank and do it for a worthwhile purpose,” Sinebare said
“I got a loan from the bank because I needed money to publish my book and you can do the same and as a writer you use your knowledge to earn wealth.
“I know that some academics have already written but now is the time to give momentum into your projects.”
In the business of writing its known that reading and writing complement each other, like husband and wife some might say.
“Papua New Guinea does not have a reading and writing culture but the potential is there so I want to encourage academics, students and the public to read and write more,” Sinebare said.
“People in PNG need to be encouraged to take reading seriously, read a lot of books, you can read newspapers which is okay but newspapers have errors and changes are made unlike books which can give you vast knowledge. Those that read a lot of books are able to expand their vocabulary.
“I can tell you that a lot Papua New Guineans get scared when they see big books but that shouldn’t be the case.
“Parents should encourage their children to read more books and I am talking about actual books not newspapers or other reading materials.
Sinebare also urged schools around the country to prioritise the purchasing books ahead of other school materials such as school uniforms or other equipment.
“When we put the money in the wrong place, we see that the quality of our education does not improve because when it comes to examinations we cannot compare uniforms with books,” he added.