05/06/2021
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=327475102382864&id=115096180287425
FINDING SATISFACTION IN GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
(Feature Story)
By Mim
SIMON Mark was terminated from school for some reason when he was doing grade 11 at Tarlena Secondary School at Bougainville in 2009. No Secondary School wanted to accept him again to continue his secondary education. He sought spaces at Buin Secondary, Arawa Secondary and Hutzena Secondary but all three schools closed their doors on him. This made Simon lose hope in himself and in his education.
“I was a bright student. I had all Distinctions in my grade 10 certificate but I was not accepted in any of the schools that I enquired at. I lost hope after trying to look for a school for two years (2010 and 2011). I gave up trying. I felt that there was no way left for me.”
Simon, who comes from a mixed parentage of Bougainville and Milne Bay Province decided to leave his home in Bougainville and go look for a school at West New Britain in 2012. He was accepted into one of the secondary schools there but that same year, the school was closed due to conflicts over the land.
“I returned to Bougainville and stayed home doing nothing the whole year. I had already given up looking for a school in Bougainville so I didn’t even bother to try again. I continued to stay home in 2013 as well.”
In 2014, Simon saw an advertisement of Kumul Training Institute. His father was living in Port Moresby then. He called him and told him that he wanted to go back to school, any school that would accept him. His father agreed and Simon flew over to Port Moresby where he took up Diploma in Human Resource Management at Kumul Training Institute. Simon returned home to Bougainville after completion of the diploma program.
“I left my father behind in Port Moresby. After returning home, I received news that he was getting sick often. I was so worried about him because he was the person who had paid my tuition fees in my education journey so far. At that same time, my mother, who was teaching at Arawa Secondary School was on auto suspension- she was not getting paid. My parents’ situations made me so depressed.”
Simon’s father passed away in 2015 at Port Moresby, leaving him behind with his mother and three siblings. He was broken hearted and torn apart emotionally. He was even more worried because his mother was not getting paid and they did not have the funds to bring home their late husband and father’s body.
“God intervened and we were somehow able to fly over my father’s body. We laid him to rest at his home in Siwai.”
Simon could not accept the fact that his father was gone so soon. He regretted and even regret today that his father left without him repaying what he had done for him.
“But I can’t complain because he was taken away in God’s timing. However, I was still in grief so I did not want to do anything. I did not want to even find a job. I stayed home doing nothing for two years (2015- 2017). Then I realized that I had to come out of my grief and do something to help my mother.”
Simon started looking for a job in 2018. He was offered one by Arawa Secondary School as a Library Specialist. His job was to help students do their research, both offline and online. Simon was happy that he had found a job but he was not satisfied with what he was doing because he felt that he wasn’t giving back to the community in a big way.
“I wanted to do something that would have a big impact on the community. I wanted to do something for the community.”
Simon had a friend from Australia whom he only communicated via email. Her name was Christine. She asked Simon if he was thinking of giving back something to the school he was working in, which was also his former school where he did grades 9 and 10 and also the school where his mother was teaching in.
“I told Christine that I wanted to give back something to the school and I asked her if we could work together. She agreed. I suggested that we could set up an offline library at the school. Christine did some research and sent me what she discovered- it was a device called RACHEAL (Remote Area Community Hotspot for Education and Learning). She bought one which cost about 400 Australian Dollars and she also bought some tablets which she sent over to me.”
Simon donated the RACHEAL device and the tablets to Arawa Secondary School. That was his very first project in giving back to the community and it was a great experience for him.
“I felt the satisfaction of giving back to the community and I also realized its importance.”
Simon decided to continue learning. He took up online studies and completed various courses including Diplomas in Web Design, App Development, and Business Management to name a few. In total, Simon completed 35 diploma courses online, for free.
“I did not pay for any of the courses. This experience made me realize that we can actually be educated in anything, given the internet.”
Simon applied to a local NGO called Equal Playing Field in 2019. He was recruited as a Facilitator of a program called Generation Found. This program dealt with communities, especially on how to build youths up without giving them money, to change their mindsets, to change their perspectives about things in their communities, goal setting and simple things that they could do to accomplish at community level.
“I personally leant a lot of things through this program. I also saw that such programs had so much impact in people’s lives. My contract ended that same year (2019). I was unemployed afterwards but I was fully equipped with so many things that I had learnt while facilitating the Generation Found program. I decided to start something for myself.”
Simon started doing his own things by creating a page called Arawa Online Market where he sells products which he orders from overseas. He started doing this after realizing that most of the products sold overseas where not sold in Papua New Guinea. He orders some of those products and sells them in Bougainville.
Simon currently is also the President of Arawa Urban Youth Association.
“I am now implementing what I have learnt through the Generation Found program and from the 35 courses that I took up online. I want to impart all that I have learnt to all the youths in Arawa town. I know that I can do it with God by my side.”
Simon, now 29 years old is married and has two sons. He was neglected by the schools and he lost his father but those had taught him one important lesson.
“I have learnt that when bad things hit us in life, expect good things in the future.”
Simon came out to share his story to let other young people know that education does not end.
“There is no stop to education. I can always go back and complete my secondary education but first, I want to give back to my community, even if it means just volunteering. I have a heart for my people and so with all my heart, I want give back to my community. I know and believe that there are many blessings in store for us when we give back to the community.”
Ends…//
Picture: Simon Mark with his beautiful wife and two sons- PICTURE SUPPLIED.
