21 February 2017 – The Right Pitch

By Gorethy Kenneth, Post Courier 21/02/17

DRIVEN for success and looking to expand her knowledge base at Draper University, this 27-year-old lass that you will read about is reaping the benefits of following her dreams.

Roberta Morlin, 27, from Manus and Bougainville, is an exceptionally talented and driven young woman with her very own Papua New Guinea story.

A young entrepreneur, Ms Morlin, just straight from Divine University after studying International Relations from 2008 to 2012 ventured into something else, another profession that gained her an international scholarship.

“I pitched a startup company for connecting doctors to patients, an online medical consultation platform,” she tells her story.

“After that I was still working and recommended to apply to Draper University and in July 2016 I was accepted into Draper and the scholarship was fully funded by Sir Brian Bell Foundation and Kumul Game Changers.

“I studied innovative technology at Silicon Valley and was working on building the application, but then I ended up starting a health app,” she said.

“Being back I have now pursued other interests, while assisting Sir Brian Bell Foundation as well. I freelance and do market research as well as helping other people as a market research consultant.

“I don’t work for anyone, but while going through building this application, an artificial intelligence to help solve issues in PNG – medical consultation, I also assist wherever I can to help build other young entrepreneurs.”

From the Sir Brian Bell Foundation it was obvious, they had and still do have the desire to inspire the people of Papua New Guinea.

This inspiration is driven from a historical connection to both Health and Education.

Sir Brian had a long association with Health in PNG, and this will continue via support to individuals and organisations with the same values and ideals.

Sir Brian Bell Foundation CEO Bronwyn Wright said: “We all have heard the stories of great women from around the world, and how they started from small beginnings, they challenged the normal, they didn’t accept this is how you do it, and they have treated us to many amazing successes and triumphs.”

Mrs Wright said that Papua New Guinea has one of its very own success stories, and Ms Morlin is currently expanding her dream and following her heart with a desire of delivering a health solution to the women of PNG.

“This exceptionally talented and driven young woman was the finalist in 2015, The Kumul Game Changer program,” she said.

The Kumul Game Changers initiative, launched by UNDP with the support of the Australian Government in 2014 is aligned to the PNG National Government’s SME Policy.

Ms Morlin’s idea, to deliver an app that will allow women direct access to an online medical consultation with a doctor, won her a scholarship to pursue her dream.

Ruth, First Papua New Guinean Woman To Own Planes

PNG aviation’s first woman owner

Among many women entrepreneurs from around the Pacific and Papua New Guinea, Ruth Undi is one among them. Emerging from the rich area of Ialibu in the Southern Highlands.
42 year old Ruth, commonly known as “grassroots” mother is the frist Papua New Guinean woman to own and operate an aviation company, Niugini Aviation, which has fleet of three planes.
Despite having no aviation background, brave Ruth bought her first plane in 2011 because she saw the need to service the remote areas not accessible by road. She bought her frist plane, 206 seater aircraft from the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The plane was used to transport medical supplies to remote areas. Mining companies also hire the plane for private charters.
As the demand grew she went ahead to approached New Zealand and bought two more air craft. The mother of four doesn’t want to be branded as a trailblazer for women in the aviation industry. She said “she is not there yet.”

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Ruth attributes her success to a supporting husband and employees. “When you employ the right people and properly compensate them, they will perform to the best of their ability. My husband has always been there for me when I was taking the risks, she said.
Ruth has bigger plans for the future – one of which is the upgrade of her fleet to 19-seater Twin Otters to service other parts of PNG. This will mean the upgrade of the airline’s operating license.
Ruth also owns a construction company, Kana Construction, in Port Moresby, while her husband Ron operates an insurance company.
Ruth committed K1 million as seed capital to Ialibu-Pangia Mama Halipim Mama Financial Services to help them venture into agriculture and start-up small business to sustain their livelihood.
Rarely will you find people like Ruth, who generously gives back something worth K1 million back to the community. As a woman growing up in the village and seeing the struggles and hardships of her mother and other women faced in the community, she was inspired to contribute something profitable back to her people.
Her Husband Roxon Undi and her family and relatives were shocked to hear her K1 million contribution to the Mama Halipim Mama Financial Services.
“For me, the sky is the limit. I will tell my story once I have achieved everything that I have dreamt,” Ruth said.

Go to this link for more: https://www.pngfacts.com/news/ruth-first-papua-new-guinean-woman-to-own-planes 

Late Iambakey Okuk's Family in USA

Post on facebook page- The Informationist

PNG's "most colorful and controversial politician" Sir Iambakey Okuk died in 1986 but his legacy will live forever throughout ages.
Okuk was a popular political figure in PNG. Described by many as the man with 7 brains, his name lives forever in the history books of this great nation.
Okuk was the mastermind behind what is now the Air Niugini Airlines, the famous highlands highway, RamuAgriSugar and a few other Orginazations still existing today.
Iambakey Okuk was one of the greatest minds and leader in PNG. He served as Deputy Prime Minister, the nation's first Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, and repeatedly in the capacity of Minister of Transport, Minister of Primary Industries and Opposition Leader. He is known as PNG's "most colorful and controversial politician".
Iambakey first led protests against unfair labor practices, and then once elected to office, worked to reserve sectors of the economy for citizens as a method of returning a complex economic role to Papua New Guineans.
In the post-independence decade, Iambakey built a coalition of minority political factions which forced the successful change of government, in which he became Deputy Prime Minister.
Okuk was raised in Mt Hagen but he contested elections in Wabag, Simbu, and then Ungai Bena in Eastern Highlands during his active years. This made him the most popular political figure in the history of PNG.
During his glory days, he married American Lecturer Lizabeth Ryder. Lizabeth is the mother of Okuk's last daughter( her only) Niki Okuk. Behind every successful man, there is always a strong woman and in this case Okuk gets all the glory but Lizabeth was the mastermind behind Okuk's political career.
Okuk was a smart talker, Lizabeth was a great thinker, together they had great plans and visions for PNG and worked together with the rest of our founding fathers.
If Okuk was still alive, this nation would have seen greater changes in terms of development. Lizabeth a very faithful Christian from USA was the advisor of her husband Okuk and they aimed for Prime Ministership. They planned to develop PNG into a greater nation. Unfortunately Okuk's life was short lived when he died from liver cancer in 1986. His legacy remains forever.
Lizabeth Ryder and daughter Niki Okuk left for US after Okuk's death. Lizabeth has never married. The 65 years old is presently a Lecturer at California State University in Los Angeles. She has been teaching in various State Universities in USA ever since.
Daughter Niki Okuk grew up in Los Angeles and majored in economics at Columbia University. After working in development with the office of Joseph Stiglitz and working in finance in Korea and Singapore, Okuk completed her MBA with Nanyang University in Singapore, including a sustainability certificate at Sloan School of Business at MIT.
She is currently working to create social and economic justice and worker dignity in California, USA. She believes that when workers own companies, the economy is more resilient. Her objective is to create more worker owned businesses in USA.
Niki Okuk founded Rco Tires in 2012. They've since recycled more than 300 million pounds of rubber, diverting 70 million gallons of oil from landfills with 16 employees, making it one of southern California's largest sustainability plants. Rco creates alternative uses for trash tires, turning them into new products. Because of Okuk's progressive hiring and management practices, it provides stable jobs for local black and Latino residents who struggle to find employment because of past criminal convictions or legal status.
Niki is a very proud Papua New Guinean breaking barriers and making headlines in the US. She travels all over the world but home town Kundiawa is her favourite destination. She often travels to PNG bringing gifts from USA to her Gembogolg people in Chimbu Province.
She recently visited PNG in October 2018 and before that was in September 2016.
Niki is an inspirational PNG women representing PNG at the world stage. She is touching the hearts and lives making differences in the lives of many individuals in America and Papuan New Guinea.

Go to this link for more: https://www.facebook.com/369941363590558/photos/a.370146063570088/413878942530133/?type=3&theater&ifg=1