Hela Provincial Education Division Launches Free Toll Numbers for Public to use to Report Teachers

By FM 100 News

The Hela Provincial Education Division has officially launched its toll free number 79500048 at the Digicel head office on Tuesday this week.

Provincial Education Advisor Ronny Angu says this is the number the public can use to report sightings of teachers roaming around freely during working hours when they are supposed to be in the classroom teaching.

HE says the Provincial Government has allocated a lot of money in the Education sector so teachers must be in the classrooms , faithfully discharging their duties.
Angu is encouraging the public to make use of this number to report teachers.

HE adds under his leadership, tougher actions will be taken for those Teachers missing out in classrooms and those found to be roaming around doing nothing.

He also stresses that there will be no time for all the ghost names and lazy teachers who are paid for doing nothing.
Mr Angu says they must work harder to get quality output or leave Hela to get another job elsewhere.

He says his department would like to work with every stakeholder to increase the quality of education and making a difference in the future generations of Hela.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Provincial Education Advisor also pledged his commitment to improve the education standard of Hela Province.

Mr Angu continues under his leadership education will be reformed and improved.

He says it will start with investing in Teachers by placing them in appropriate levels that will enable them to be competitive to provide quality education.

Teachers will have to improve their expertise in delivering quality curriculum based on their training and qualifications, he says because he believes investing in Teachers reform is the way forward in building quality output of students graduating in each level of education.

The Hela Provincial Education has already started working on creating a data base to screen qualification of teachers from elementary to secondary schools and of course the TVET.

He adds that Teachers with a Degree in Education, with subject specialists will all be required to teach in secondary schools while all those who have a Diploma in Teaching , will be teaching in primary schools.

He says Teachers with fake certificates will be identified and dealt with accordingly and as a way forward no Vocational and TVET trained Teachers be allowed to teach in Primary Schools in the Province.

(PICTURED: Mr Ronny Angu going through a presentation with a BSP Officer after taking office as the new Provincial Education Advisor for Hela.)

Go to this link for more: http://kalangfm.com/news/provincial-education-division-launches-toll-free-number-for-public-to-use-to-report-teachers-310?fbclid=IwAR0FKkbZ4w9I_88KNXnGxRDK8FS5UmYdf5mwLGDOkVr6jw0pRSvWfhr18OI

Carolyn fulfills dad’s dream, wish

 

Right: Bomai after her certification as a practising lawyer at the Waigani Court House on Dec 13 – Nationalpic by JASON KAVAN

By ZEDAIAH KANAU - The National

IT was around noon on Dec 13 the Waigani National Court welcomed 75 new lawyers into the legal fraternity.
Among them was Carolyn Bomai, who had similar emotions as her fellow students who had just received certificates to practise law.
Coming from a Chimbu-Eastern Highlands parentage, Bomai, 24, had achieved two goals on the day.
She had just fulfilled her dad’s wish and dreams for her to become a lawyer.
Bomai is the second of five children, all grew up at Morata One, Port Moresby.
Dad Cletus grew up in one of the remotest parts of Chimbu at Kuleka village, Gumine district, where vegetation is overruled by the a rocky landscape, making gardening difficult.
Dad’s struggling background has always been Carolyn’s inspiration.
He is a mechanical engineer while mum is self-employed??.
“My role model is my father because he comes from a very poor background and his struggles will always be my drive and motivation,” Bomai said.
“Because of the struggles he had gone through, the only way I could make him feel better is through education which is his emphasis towards us, his children.”
Dad was beaming with pride on April 26 when Bomai graduated from the University of PNG with a law degree after four years of hard work.
“If there is no hard work and support, then expect nothing. You have to work hard and put effort into what you want to achieve,” Bomai said.
“Education is the key to all doors. This is what my father used to tell me all the time.”
Bomai started her journey in 2001 at Noblet Catholic Elementary School and then proceeded to Carr Memorial Adventist to finish her primary schooling.
In 2010, she went to Kabiufa Adventist Secondary (in EHP) for grade 9 but returned to Port Moresby and enrolled at Jubilee Catholic Secondary where she had her secondary school education.
Bomai took up studies at UPNG in 2015, making it through to her final year. She was the vice-president of the Eastern Highlands Students’ Union in 2018.
“Most of the leadership roles during our school years were taken up by males so I decided to take up that role to involve the females and prove that women are capable of leading too.”
Bomai did her postgraduate legal training last year at the Legal Training Institute.
“My interest in becoming a criminal lawyer grew stronger due to one of my instructors at LTI, Vasiti Mauta.

“ My role model is my father because he comes from a very poor background and his struggles will always be my drive and motivation.”

“After attending all her classes and seeing how she conducts herself motivated me to becoming a criminal lawyer. She always tells us to believe in ourselves and know our worth, which is what I stand for.”
One of Bomai’s ambitions is to one day see that all PNG citizens versed in law and know their rights.
“The enforcers of the law have to do more awareness and educate the people. People need to know their rights and when they know their rights that’s when they do things in an acceptable way in the society,”Bomai said.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/carolyn-fulfills-dads-dream-wish/

Alice has certificate in motor mechanic

 

Founding principal of the Hela Hewate Multi Skills Training Institute David Angobe with Alice Agobe and her daughter Florida after the graduation last Friday
at Tari.

By ELIAS LARI - The National

MOTHER of six Alice Agobe, from Hela, was the only female who graduated with certificate in motor mechanic at the Hela Hewate Multi Skills Training Institute last Friday in Tari.
Though many women considered taking up this male-dominated course, few opted for it but Agobe, 35, from Hewate village in the Tari-Pori electorate, decided to give it a crack.
Agobe dropped out of grade 10 in 2000, becoming a housewife and mother and believing that was her future.
However, after struggles and pain in depending on her husband’s income, Agobe felt that she had to do something to change that for the sake of the famly.
In 2016 she applied to the Hela Hewate Multi Skills Training Institute in Tari and was accepted to do motor mechanics.
She completed it the following year and so decided to spend another on schooling – taking up basic computing at the same institution.
She completed that last year.
Last Friday she was among 101 students who graduated with certificates.
Agobe received two certificates – motor mechanic and basic computing. The institution informed Agobe that she was accepted to further her National Certificate (NC) studies at the Mt Hagen Technical College.
She described her achievement as “a miracle from God”.
“I want to encourage every mother and young women who are at home to look for such opportunities because God created man and women the same.
“I’m happy that finally my dream for the last six years has come to a reality,” she said.
“Many women nowadays have forgotten that they are important and can live a life without depending heavily on others or even their husbands,” she said.
Agobe said she wanted to continue her studies.
She was thankful to the Hela Hewate Multi Skills Training Institute for giving her a second chance in life.
Founding principal of the Institute David Angobe said that his vision to establish the institution was to help the unfortunate because education was a right for people. He said Hela, despite having so much bad publicity, could change and promote the province for positive living.

“ I want to encourage every mother and young women who are at home to look for such opportunities because God created man and women the same. I’m happy that finally my dream for the last six years has come to a reality.”

Angobe said the institute was level-four and it also offered FODE studies used for upgrading marks as well graduate pupils for grade 12 certificate.
He said to help people like Agobe, the institution had to struggle with farming and fishery to maintain its operations.
“We are here to serve and support people who feel that they do not have a hope of facing a new life,” he said.
Angobe said his plan was to extend the institution and make sure that those who had lost a chance could come and make a fresh start.
“If people like Alice can make her up from a housewife to a mechanic and computer person, then why not you?
“It all depends on how you plan your life because a hard-working person will always have food on the table,” Angobe said.
“If you want to make a change in your life, then there is hope and it is about time you get committed to make your way up.”

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/alice-has-certificate-in-motor-mechanic/

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Life teaches Helen empathy

Helen after her admission at the Waigani National Court in Port Moresby on Dec 13.

By ZEDAIAH KANAU - The National

In a country where leadership is commonly associated with patriarchy in almost every aspects of life, one young lass is breaking barriers by inspiring the next generation of Papua New Guineans moving forward.

TWENTY-four-year old Helen Yurus is a proud Papua New Guinean with an enduring passion to help progress the nation in any way she can.
Helen recently graduated from the Legal Training Institute (LTI) and was admitted to the bar of the National and Supreme Courts on Dec 13. Born to Margaret Yurus and late William Yurus, Helen comes from East Sepik where dad is from Turubu Village and mom is from Boikin. She is the last of four children.
Helen’s dad was a telecommunications engineer while mom was a primary school teacher before she assumed a teaching role with the Red Cross special education centre in Hohola, NCD where she teaches special-needs student’s (hearing and speech impaired) sign language.
“I’ve always look up to my dad because he was a man of integrity. Regardless of his job and his role he always wanted to do the right thing which was important to us growing up,” Helen says.
“I have two older sisters and a brother. Dad always instilled in us that as women in our society we (my sisters and I) must be independent and not depend on others too much. He raised us to be strong and independent and that’s why I admire my dad.”
Helen began her schooling at Lahara Pre-school in 2001. In 2009 she completed grade eight at Korobosea International School and enrolled at the Port Moresby International School (Pomis) the following year. While in grade 10 in 2011, her late dad switched jobs and was unable to complete her fees for that year.
Helen transferred to Jubilee Secondary School in 2012 to do grade 10 again and remained at Jubilee until she finished her secondary education in 2014.
But a month from her grade 12 exams, Helen’s dad William passed away and her life came crumbling down. Before his passing, Dad William had always dreamed of her daughter (Helen) becoming a lawyer.
“I never wanted to apply for law; I wanted to become an economist but because dad died, all my family expected me to choose law.
“My big sister Wilma Yurus is a very important person in my life. She and her partner Matthew Tade are like my second parents. They practically looked after me when my dad passed away.”
Before travelling to Wewak for dad’s funeral, Helen changed her school leaver form selection from economics to law at the very last minute and was selected for law at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) in 2015.
Whilst at university, Helen heard about The Voice Inc.
“I’m always passionate about contributing to the growth of the country so I heard about The Voice Inc PNG, which is a platform for young people to be engaged, like a youth programme to help build your leadership skills and to know how you can give back as a young person.”
Helen was an active member of the Law Student Society (LSS) and in her second year at university, she became class representative for all second year law students in 2016.
“In 2016, in order to help my mother who was struggling to pay back the loan for my fees, I applied to the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited Scholarship scheme and was a successful recipient and as such they have met my fees from my third year of studies till the completion of my education at LTI this year.”
Helen’s journey took another turn when she got pregnant while still in university.
“I got pregnant when I was in third year and I didn’t know how to tell my mother about it. When I did it took a lot for her to come around and accept that I was pregnant.”
The year 2018 was an eventful one for the young lass. Before registering for her final year of studies, Helen was shortlisted for the 2018 Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF) Archer Leadership programme and was selected for 2018.
The KTF is a non-governmental organisation that contributes to education, leadership and health in the country in order to keep the spirit of Kokoda alive through its team headed by Dr Genevieve Nelson.
Concurrently, Helen has recently completed an inaugural three-month internship programme with Transparency International and applied for the KTF programme prior to finishing her training. As an Archer leader under the KTF, Helen was selected to travel to Australia. On May 11 that year, a month before travelling, Helen gave birth to her daughter Tehillah Azure-Mira Wariambu before marrying the father of her child Percy Wariambu.
“It was a complicated birth so I had to recover within two weeks and then come sit for my first semester exams.”
Helen and other KTF recipients visited Sydney and Melbourne in their two week trip which centred upon adaptive leadership.
“In Melbourne we went to visit Newcrest and spoke with the vice president. While in Sydney I went to Dentons which is one of the biggest law firms in the world and was fortunate to do a one-day work experience with them in their Sydney office.”
While away, Mum Margaret and Sister Wilma and her husband Matthew stepped in and raised Helen’s daughter which became the norm leading up to her final days of studies.
Upon returning, Helen managed to complete her formal years at university level awaiting graduation the next year (2019). Helen was also presented with a K1,000 grant through her KTF scholarship. While prepping for husband Percy’s graduation at the University of Technology in Morobe, Helen consulted the KTF about doing her community project in an elementary school in Morobe, located in her husband’s village.
Using her grant money, Helen liaised with an organisation called Library for All which is based in Australia that provides culturally appropriate books directed for Papua New Guinea children.
“Comprehension is really important; your foundation is really important. Teaching them (children) at an early age when they are trying to comprehend should be culturally appropriate in their context so that they have a better understanding,” she says.
Helen bought 32 brand new A5-sized books written by PNG authors for children aged three to seven years old.
“Shipping was really expensive so I had to ask the KTF chief operating officer Mike Nelsen and CEO Dr Genevieve Nelson to bring the books when coming to PNG and thankfully that’s what they did.”
Helen went to donate the books to the Puseka Elementary School for their library in Puseka Village, Huon Gulf in Morobe on April 7. She hopes to continue to give back to the community anyway she can. Last April 26, Helen was able to achieve what her late dad had wished for her by graduating with a law degree from UPNG.
“The four years was a real struggle but I was happy that I was able to make my mum proud because my dad wasn’t there. So my sister and mum, those are the two people that told me to never give up when things got tough and when I wanted to withdraw from school.”
Helen then went through another six months at the LTI for a practicing certificate whilst at the same time was chosen (unanimously) to lead as the female class representative of the LTI 2019 trainees. She earned the respect of her colleges by treating everyone as equals regardless of gender.
Balancing the duties of being a mom and student at a young age wasn’t easy but fortunately for Helen, husband Percy with the support of his family, father Gregory and mother Abigail were able to assist her with that.
On Nov 29, she graduated from LTI and was the recipient of the female class leader award.
“Going through the KTF Foundation, going through the adaptive leadership programme teaches you to take a step back and look at what is happening in front of you.
“It has taught me to be innovative and to stand firm on my values and have empathy for other people. You don’t know what other people are facing every day.
“I’ve been through situations that brought me down. You are not what you are without the experiences you go through. I don’t pretend to be anyone else but myself. I’m not going to pretend that I wasn’t pregnant or I had the perfect life after uni because I didn’t.”
“We all have a story to tell and that’s my story. That’s how I lead having empathy and putting everyone else before me and that’s what life is supposed to be about.”

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/life-teaches-helen-empathy/

Succes is in being gritty

By SYLVESTER WEMURU The National

ANDREW Ume Moki likes to share his story with all school leavers and others who sit back and think that there is no hope in life.
He says God has blessed him so he wants to share his story with everyone who may be in the same boat he was once in.
After completing grade10 at Rosary High School in Chimbu in 1992, Andrew was not accepted for grade 11.
In a family of eight he was the fourth with four other brothers and three sisters.
Andrew believes education does not stop. He had to find some way to achieve his dream to be an accountant.
Today, he has achieved that dream.
On several occasions, he used to sit at Ganigle near the main Highlands Highway and count the vehicles travelling up and down.
“I was really wondering what made these people own and drive flashy cars while I sat on the roadside watching them. Then I came up with questions like, do they have red blood and I have green blood? Did God create them special?”
With these questions he realised that all humans were created equally and God loved us all but because of our laziness we are made to believe that God is unfair. He also realised that the only hope left for him was education.
Then in 1994, he asked his big brother John Nuku who was the provincial member for Kup that time to enroll him in any school to continue his education.
With the strong ambition that he had for education, his brothers assisted him to Madang Technical College towards the end of 1993.
He recalls that it was early February 1994 that he jumped on a PMV and I travelled to Madang with his father Joe Kui Tumun.
“I got registered and was shown a dormitory and a bed to sleep on. After a tiring trip down to Madang, I quietly slept on the bed but that was the most comfortable bed I ever slept on in my life. I was snoring under the electric fan till day break.
“The next morning I registered with the carpentry department. I was given two sets of overalls and a pair of safety boots.
Andrew enjoyed everything that the school offered but his priority was to focus on his studies both academic and practical because carpentry was a trade course.
“I can recall a funny thing we did while in school and that is, one hot day we were on the roof of a building putting up the roofing iron when we saw some young school of nursing girls marching to town. To get their attention we had to punch nails in like beating the drums in a music concert.
“It so happened that one Southern Highlands girl caught my eyes. I fell in love instantly from the roof top. A few days later we became friends and it was really a good feeling for me to have a girlfriend who was a student at the nursing school after being in the village and being ignored by school girls from my neighboring tribes.”
Andrew said life was good with the girlfriend at the first months and while the year was coming to the end the girl started to lose interest in him and one thing she told him was that she did not like dirty technical men but wanted to marry a doctor or an accountant.

First job
In 1995 he went to Lae looking for job and ended up being a cargo carrier with Associated Distributors Niugini in their warehouse.
That was his first job and his pay for hard physical work he did under the hot sun and was paid K4.40 daily.
Andrew said he had no family so the K4.40 he earned he used K1 for bus fare and K3 was his daily spending money for survival. He said he also liked that job because he took it as part of training. Therefore, money was not a real issue for him because he was eating the most expensive food in the warehouse every day.
“That job kept me busy all of 1995 and I went back to the village during Christmas. Christmas was always a good time back in Kup where all the school students and educated elites of Kup used to come back to spend their holidays. That holiday, I met up with my cousin brother James Bire who is currently the Deputy Commissioner of Customs with the Internal Revenue Commission ((IRC).
“At that time he told me and my cousin brother Kapua Bire about matriculation courses offered at UPNG. We were excited, sold our pigs and went with him to Port Moresbt after his school holiday. From there, I did my matriculation studies in 1996. Life was really hard there but I had some kind-hearted Kups like, James Bire, Gabriel Kini, Louie Kumba, Joe Par Pakne, late Pais Kambu, Brian Boma, Steven Kale, Robert Taie, James Taie, John Muka, Peter Waine, Awi Arnold and Joeseph Sil who wholeheartedly assisted me in one way or the other to complete my matriculation studies in 1997.
After completing matriculation studies, I went back to the village and later came to Lae to enquire at Unitech for a space.”
The 1998 academic year had already started and students were into the second week of lectures while I kept on enquiring for at the school. For four consecutive days I had to stand at the Unitech Department of Business Studies office early in the morning before the department head went in and continued to stand there until he closed his office and came out.
“The department head got tired of seeing me standing there for the past four days and on the fifth day he gave me an opportunity to speak to him. I knew that, that was my opportunity to say anything to be given a chance to study so I said my heart out.
“The head of department that time was Gomie Gipe. He heard me quietly and agreed to give me a chance but strongly warned me not to muck around. I thanked God for the opportunity and walked over to the admin building with a note from the head of department, collected my registration form, but then I realised that I had no money for registration.
“After that I thought I must see the Vice Chancellor so I walked straight into his office. But then the secretary couldn’t let me through and while standing there the VC came out. I called him asking; Sir, can I have a chat at your office for less than five minutes?

Registered to study
“He looked at me and said, ‘Son no problem, please come in’.
I was sitting with the VC of University of Technology in his office and that was the guy who had the power to let me study or not, so I said everything I had in my heart to him within less than five minutes as promised.
“He was convinced with what I told him and instructed the registrar to get me registered and attend classes and later settle my outstanding fees.”
Moki started class at Unitech in 1998 after being registered that day but still had problems with accommodation because he was registered as a day student. Andrew was offered a space by one of his brothers who was also a student. The feeling of being a university student was great and before long the first semester ended.
He said he still needed the money to settle his outstanding fees, so he had to go back home, and did some illegal things to find money to pay for his school fee.
With all the struggles he got his Diploma in Accounting in 2000. With diploma on my hand, he looked everywhere in Lae for job opportunities and ended up with Nestle PNG Limited as a casual staff.
“I was employed as a casual filing clerk and the company used to pay me K185 cheque every fortnight. While filling all the invoices, payment vouches, financial reports etc, I used to go through the documents and saw how work was done and got myself familiarised. I did not think about anything such as good pay, the office was airconditioned and working environment was good.
“I used to make sure that I was the first person standing at the office door every morning and last person to leave the office.”
Andrew was not expecting this but within one year he was promoted three times. From casual employee to company management accountant, then to fixed asset cccount and finally to the position of supervisor Supply Chain department.

Marriage and prison
While working for Nestle, he met a young girl from Chimbu who was also a grade 12 dropout, and married her.
But then he realised that she had potential to go further her education so he supported her and she went to University of Technology in 2001 and four years later she graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Agriculture Science.
“I have been on the job for six years with Nestle PNG and lost my job after my wife got me in jail for going around with another woman. I spent three months at Buimo jail. My body was turned into a ripe banana!
“Then with the help of big brothers like David Pakne, Hubert Pegu and Joe Kewa, I sneaked through the judiciary system and got my freedom in 2007.
“After coming out from prison in 2007, I applied for the position of Inventory Manager Northern region advertised by Goodman Fielder Ltd. Four candidates where shortlisted, among them three with degree qualifications and I was the only one with diploma. I got the job. But then the nervous thing with the job was that I was a manager with diploma who had other staff with degree.”
That didn’t stop Andrew when he got promoted to be the national inventory control manager Asia-Pacific Goodman Fielder International after two years of working there.
He then applied to do his third year at Unitech and got accepted in 2012. He did his third and fourth years while still working for Goodman Fielder. He was on government scholarship as well as company scholarship with full pay.
In 2012, his wife was also accepted to do her Master’s Degree at University of Technology as well, so they both studied there in year 2012 and 2013. After completing his studies in 2013, he was terminated from his job. But that did not bother him because he was going to graduate in March 2014.
After being out of job for a month, he found a new job.

Accounting degree
“I went and graduated, got my degree in Accounting not just as another student but as a company executive in March 2014 with my wife also graduating with her Master’s Degree in Agricultural Science.
He is currently the administration manager, Finance at PNG Forest Products in Lae.
“Thank you to God who has blessed us and brought us this far. Thank you to all the people who have helped us back then and I believe God does bless people who help other people,” Moki says.
“To all school leavers and people with no hope in life, I believe you will be motivated after reading this article.”

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/succes-is-in-being-gritty/

Paper money and tooth brushes

By BETTY GABRIEL WAKIA - The National 

WITH the invention of paper and printing on its account, China was almost destined to produce the first paper money.
The first paper money was invented in the ninth century and was made by the Tang Dynasty so that wealthy merchants would not have to carry large amounts of heavy copper coins.
It was called ‘flying money’ in those time because it was so light it could blow out of one’s hand. The paper money was made as an offshoot of the invention of block printing. The first paper money was a draft rather than real money. Original paper money like the today’s deposit receipts with the amount of total money available to the merchant written on them.
During that time, in order for merchant to exchange for cash in the provinces they deposit their cash in the capital and received a paper certificate called an exchange certificate. In this way paper money was quickly adopted by the government for forwarding tax payments. The first people to use a checking system were Muslim bankers in the 1200s, followed by Italian bankers in the 1400s.
The first Western money was issued in Sweden in 1661 followed by America in 1690, France in 1720, England in 1797, and Germany in 1806. The paper money is seen as the most common form of currency around the world today.

A PNG tourist meeting Chinese youths.

One of the greatest Chinese inventions of the medieval world was the mechanical clock. It was invented by the Buddhist monk, court astronomer, mathematician and engineer Yi Xing in 725 AD during the Tang Dynasty. Xing called it “Water Driven Spherical Birds Eye View Map of The Heavens” to keep track of celestial activity but unfortunately lasted only a few years before the water in the mechanism caused the metal to corrode. Without causing metal to corrode, later clocks used mercury with iron and bronze mechanisms. Hundreds of years later, an astronomer and mechanist of the Song Dynasty Su Song developed a more sophisticated clock called the Cosmic Empire in 1092. The first mechanical clock was developed in Europe two centuries earlier, but they did not have the escapement mechanism that is characteristic of mechanical clocks.
The compass was probably invented in between 221 BC and 206 BC during the Qin Dynasty by Chinese fortune-tellers who used lodestones to construct their fortune telling boards. During the Han Dynasty, they used this knowledge to create a direction finder device which resembles a spoon and when it is placed on a plate on the ground, the handle points to the south. It was first used in determining direction for the layout of buildings.
During the Song Dynasty, they come up with magnetised needles replacing the loadstone and it became very important to map makers and for the navigational devices on ships. The first person recorded as using a compass for navigation was Zheng He from Yunnan Province, who made seven ocean voyages between 1405 and 1433.
Around 960AD, Arab traders sailing to China probably learned of the Chinese method of sailing by compass and returned to Europe with the invention in 1127. Before those times, the compass had opened up the oceans for exploration and led to the discovery of the New World by using the sun, moon and the pole star to give a constant bearing and made navigation safer.
The world’s first toothbrush is thought to have been created in China. For thousands of years ago, Chinese found different tools to keep their gums and teeth clean, their teeth white and their breath fresh. They came up with water and rough cloth to clean their teeth and also rubbed things like chalk and salt across their teeth to try to get rid of grime. For mouth freshener, they used chewing twigs culled from aromatic trees and also sharpened at one end to use as a toothpick.
However, in 1498, the Chinese invented the bristle toothbrush, similar to the type used today. The bristles toothbrush was invented during the Tang Dynasty and was most likely made from coarse hairs taken from the back of a hog’s neck and attached to handles made of bone or bamboo. The first people to use the instrument to clean the teeth were Northern Chinese monks. The use of tooth brushes then spread to Europe by travelers and was adopted in Europe during the 17th century.
The Chinese-invented toothbrush might not be as interesting as paper or gunpowder but it is something that everybody uses every single day.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/education-3/

Education remains company’s priority

Posted on The National

OIL Search has invested more than K16 million in its education sponsorship programme since 1996, benefiting more than 2,000 students from Hides, Kutubu, Moran, Gobe and Kikori.
The largest share of funding goes to covering university fees which averages almost K200,000 annually.
Students from the project impact areas attending vocational, technical, secretarial, teaching, health/medical and theology training can also receive annual funding for school fees.
Medical doctor and senior lecturer of the University of Papua New Guinea Medical Faculty (UPNG MedFac), Dr Phili Mapira, is a former recipient of the Oil Search scholarship.
Mapira attended Koroba Secondary School in Hela and went on to study medicine and surgery at UPNG from 2000 to 2005.
She returned to her old school in Koroba as a guest speaker during the grade 10 and 12 graduation ceremony where she challenged students to commit to learning if they wanted to be successful in life.
She also took the opportunity to acknowledge Oil Search as a continuing sponsor of the school’s academic dux awards and prizes which includes laptops, dictionaries and scientific calculators.
The initiative underpins the education sponsorship programme and is run by the Oil Search community affairs team in Hides to recognise and reward high performing students from Koroba and Tari secondary schools.
“As a former graduate of the school, I thank you for being a partner in human resource development through the education sponsorship programme. My (academic) success can be attributed to your support,” Mapira said.
Oil Search senior community affairs officer Kevin Wanima said the Oil Search Academic Dux Awards not only recognised and reward students, it also helped motivate others to work hard.
He encouraged students to exercise discipline and to use their knowledge to better themselves.
The Oil Search community affairs education sponsorship programme currently focuses on education, health, business/finance and technical courses, engineering and theology.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/education-remains-companys-priority/

Paper money and tooth brushes

By BETTY GABRIEL WAKIA - The National

WITH the invention of paper and printing on its account, China was almost destined to produce the first paper money.
The first paper money was invented in the ninth century and was made by the Tang Dynasty so that wealthy merchants would not have to carry large amounts of heavy copper coins.
It was called ‘flying money’ in those time because it was so light it could blow out of one’s hand. The paper money was made as an offshoot of the invention of block printing. The first paper money was a draft rather than real money. Original paper money like the today’s deposit receipts with the amount of total money available to the merchant written on them.
During that time, in order for merchant to exchange for cash in the provinces they deposit their cash in the capital and received a paper certificate called an exchange certificate. In this way paper money was quickly adopted by the government for forwarding tax payments. The first people to use a checking system were Muslim bankers in the 1200s, followed by Italian bankers in the 1400s.
The first Western money was issued in Sweden in 1661 followed by America in 1690, France in 1720, England in 1797, and Germany in 1806. The paper money is seen as the most common form of currency around the world today.

One of the greatest Chinese inventions of the medieval world was the mechanical clock. It was invented by the Buddhist monk, court astronomer, mathematician and engineer Yi Xing in 725 AD during the Tang Dynasty. Xing called it “Water Driven Spherical Birds Eye View Map of The Heavens” to keep track of celestial activity but unfortunately lasted only a few years before the water in the mechanism caused the metal to corrode. Without causing metal to corrode, later clocks used mercury with iron and bronze mechanisms. Hundreds of years later, an astronomer and mechanist of the Song Dynasty Su Song developed a more sophisticated clock called the Cosmic Empire in 1092. The first mechanical clock was developed in Europe two centuries earlier, but they did not have the escapement mechanism that is characteristic of mechanical clocks.
The compass was probably invented in between 221 BC and 206 BC during the Qin Dynasty by Chinese fortune-tellers who used lodestones to construct their fortune telling boards. During the Han Dynasty, they used this knowledge to create a direction finder device which resembles a spoon and when it is placed on a plate on the ground, the handle points to the south. It was first used in determining direction for the layout of buildings.
During the Song Dynasty, they come up with magnetised needles replacing the loadstone and it became very important to map makers and for the navigational devices on ships. The first person recorded as using a compass for navigation was Zheng He from Yunnan Province, who made seven ocean voyages between 1405 and 1433.
Around 960AD, Arab traders sailing to China probably learned of the Chinese method of sailing by compass and returned to Europe with the invention in 1127. Before those times, the compass had opened up the oceans for exploration and led to the discovery of the New World by using the sun, moon and the pole star to give a constant bearing and made navigation safer.
The world’s first toothbrush is thought to have been created in China. For thousands of years ago, Chinese found different tools to keep their gums and teeth clean, their teeth white and their breath fresh. They came up with water and rough cloth to clean their teeth and also rubbed things like chalk and salt across their teeth to try to get rid of grime. For mouth freshener, they used chewing twigs culled from aromatic trees and also sharpened at one end to use as a toothpick.
However, in 1498, the Chinese invented the bristle toothbrush, similar to the type used today. The bristles toothbrush was invented during the Tang Dynasty and was most likely made from coarse hairs taken from the back of a hog’s neck and attached to handles made of bone or bamboo. The first people to use the instrument to clean the teeth were Northern Chinese monks. The use of tooth brushes then spread to Europe by travelers and was adopted in Europe during the 17th century.
The Chinese-invented toothbrush might not be as interesting as paper or gunpowder but it is something that everybody uses every single day.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/education-3/

Gunpowder changes war forever

By BETTY WAKIA - The National

ANCIENT Chinese made a variety of inventions and were very good at using what nature gave them.
One of the most powerfully explosive substances and best known inventions that the Chinese ever created and it is still in use to this very day is gunpowder. Ancient Chinese gunpowder made war more deadly, and it has more interesting uses, including bombs, fireworks, mining, guns and even rockets. Civilisation would be less civilised without gunpowder.
In the Han Dynasty around 1,000 AD, gunpowder was invented by the Chinese Taoist alchemists. They tried to create a recipe that would keep them alive forever, but unfortunately, this immortal panacea was never discovered, but they came up with the formula of ancient Chinese gunpowder. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, ancient Chinese proposed their knowledge of potassium nitrate and sulphur to develop a formula for gunpowder. The gunpowder still used today is very similar to the gunpowder used before, which is a mixture of charcoal, sulphur and potassium nitrate.
They are originally used to make flares of signals and fireworks which used to scare away evil spirits. Gunpowder was used in Chinese New Year, weddings and many other specials celebration in China. Today, the fireworks are still very popular in China and used around the world for celebrations.
The knowledge of ancient Chinese formula of gunpowder spread across the rest of the world and weapons powered by gunpowder stated to appear in India, Europe and the Middle East. In Europe, the use of gunpowder was first recorded in 1313 which they used it as cannons while the Chinese used it mainly for firecrackers.
In the mid to late 19th century, despite early understanding of explosives and their use, Europeans were still able to rule China by using cannons and guns; China did not pursue the development of weapons and equipment like the West. Other countries are also working to refine and find the use of gunpowder, but it is not clear whether China or other countries have a responsibility to improve the mixture of refining but they can still be attributed to its creation.
Whether you are against war or not, the Chinese have taught this knowledge to the world. You must agree that ancient Chinese gunpowder does have its benefits and still used to these days and follows the original Chinese formula.
Before printing was invented, knowledge could only be passed on by word of mouth. After that extremely expensive handwritten manuscripts were invented, but it was slow, and there was no guarantee each copy would be the same. In the Western Han Dynasty from 206 BC to 25 AD, a form of printing had been developed and it was a stone tablet rubbing, very similar to brass rubbing in principle and was used to spread Confucian knowledge and Buddhist sutras. Building on this idea, Chinese came up with two types of printing; the woodblock printing and movable type printing.
Printing
Woodblock printing was invented in 868 AD during the Tang Dynasty and it was perfectly suited to print Chinese characters. It was created by carving text and design pictures on a flat piece of woodblock by dyeing and printing the relief onto the paper or fabric. In that same year, this technology produced the first ever book, using full page woodcuts. It was a Buddhist sutra called “The Diamond Sutra”. All of a sudden, this technique of woodblock printing spread across Asia, through Japan, Korea, Philippines and Vietnam.
During the Song dynasty in 1045 AD, movable type printing was first invented by Bi Sheng. He used the idea of carving a single character on a small, identical square piece of clay and then hardened them with fire. He later glued them to an iron plate to print a page and then broke it up to redistributed for another page. Once the print was completed, the pieces were put away for future use. This invention made books cheaper and more available which spread across to Korea, Japan, Vietnam and later Europe.
In 1400s, Johann Gutenberg of Europe separately invented movable type printing further by making the individual characters of metal. The first European book printing with movable type was called Gutenberg’s Bible and it was printed in 1450s. Interestingly, until the 1490s, the Chinese started using metal type. So the printing technology remained until the invention of computers and photocopying in the 21st century makes all books are printed using movable type.
Paper
Paper was first invented in China around 105 AC and played a big role in the development of civilisation and which spread throughout the world. Before the invention, bones, tortoise shells and bamboo slips were used as writing surfaces, and their civilisation developed more creatively, which proved to be unsuitable due to their weight and volume.
In those ancient times, silk and hemp fibers were used for papermaking but the quality was far from satisfactory. During second century in the Eastern Han Dynasty, paper was traditionally assumed to be invented by Chai Lun, who was the head of a royal workshop that time. He made his paper by mashing up the bark of a tree, hemp, fishing nets, linen and also adding water until a wooden frame with interwoven weed sieves was immersed and removed from the mixture and allowed to dry in the sun. In terms of concept and technology, the earliest paper is very similar to modern paper.
Paper gradually spread from China and around 610 AD; it was brought to Japan then at the beginning of the sixth century it moved to Vietnam and India. During the eighth century, paper spread throughout Chinese Turkestan in central Asia, the Arab world, reaching Syria, Egypt, Morocco, and Spain.
It took a thousand years after inventing the right paper to reach southern France and the rest of Europe. It was not until around 1490 when it reach Britain and the first well-known paper mill was built in England. In the 16th century, paper reached the Americas, by which time it had become a truly global product.


Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/gunpowder-changes-war-forever/

Ancient land of inventions, discoveries

By BETTY WAKIA - The National

IN PNG and other Pacific Island countries, China plays a significant role in providing both investments and development aid. More than 40 of its firms are established in PNG’s infrastructure development and property construction, while the Ramu Nickel and Cobalt mine leads China’s resource extraction.
Chinese firms contribute to PNG in investment and development helping make PNG the fastest growing economy in the Pacific region today. Currently China is trying to connect itself to the Pacific Island countries through the trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative by pushing more of their university students to study some of the Pacific Island languages.
Because of those investments between the two countries, every household in PNG has products ranging from store goods to material goods from China.
One thing that we in PNG don’t realise is that those products in one way or another have been invented or discovered in China.
As we all know China has changed faster in the last 20 years than any other country in the world. With its high speed economic growth, it has impacted the world, increased its global reach and participation in international organisations.
It created a worldwide unbeatable manufacturing and export empire and its products can be found in houeholds the world over today.
As the economy, science, technology, society and culture make rapid progress, people around the world fix their eyes on this great ancient nation that may provide clues to the driving forces behind the current rapid economic growth.
As time went by the skills and materials improved the quality and type of tools available at that time.
Chinese are known for several important inventions that later spread around the world.
Although China may currently export a large number of products, it once was exporting very valuable information, and without it, the rest of the world would have lost it.
China is known as the land of inventions and discoveries, which the whole world are eager to learn about its past that has led the world and given birth to a brilliant ancient science and technology.
The development of science and technology in those times was based on the concept of ‘integration of nature and man’ which was observing and studying of the human body, the objective world, the heavens and earth which nourished Chinese culture and civilisation and contributed greatly to mankind.
For centuries China stood as one of the world’s oldest and leading ancient civilisations, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences.
China can trace its culture back to a mixture of small primitive tribes that have expanded to become the great nation it is today.
For over 40 centuries, they have created a culture with a strong tradition, values, and philosophy that was included in the orthodox version of the traditional religion called the Confucianism.
This was taught in the academy, and tested in imperial civil service exams.
These values are widely used throughout Chinese society, and are characterised by a secular emphasis on society and administration.
The Ancient Chinese are known to be the pioneers in many fields and very clever civilisation, innovative and creative people and were able to utilise the materials they had available to make tools that they found useful. Many of the things that we take for granted today were first invented or created by the Chinese.
Prime examples of their creativity and inventiveness are printing technology, paper, compass, clock, gunpowder and small things like the tooth brush or tooth paste that everybody uses every single day.
The Chinese are also best known for their creative muscles in various forms of artistic practices ranging from literature to pottery and music to painting.
Today the Chinese have managed to preserve their traditions that have attracted worldwide attention.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/ancient-land-of-inventions-discoveries/

Scholarship launched

Posted on The National

STUDENTS from the four provinces of PNG LNG project area will have a chance to benefit from a scholarship through operator ExxonMobil in collaboration with the Business & Professional Women’s (BPW) Association.
During the launch of the scholarship in Port Moresby last week, managing director Andrew Barry said ExxonMobil was committed to building human, social and economic capacity to benefit people, communities and businesses over the long term.
He said a K300,000 grant would help tertiary and vocational students from Hela, Southern Highlands, Gulf and Central.
Hela Governor Phillip Undialu, Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta and Central Governor Robert Agarobe were also present to show their support. “We have long said education is the cornerstone to Papua New Guinea’s future,” Barry said.
“It is our hope that this programme will positively impact youth from the PNG LNG project areas by proving them with the opportunity to further their education so that they can return and contribute to the development of their communities and the nation.”
A minimum of thirty scholarships will be awarded to students with relevant entry-level qualifications from across PNG LNG project areas next year.
BPW president Jessinta Wagambie said the new partnership would provide enhanced career opportunities for young people.
She said the partnership was opening up new ground for them.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/scholarship-launched/

Government will support private institutions, minister says

Posted on The National

THE Government will support private institutions in the education system as long as they meet national standards requirements, says Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Minister Nick Kuman.
Kuman told Parliament yesterday that private universities and colleges would be accredited if they satisfied all the requirements.
He was responding to a suggestion by Yangoru-Saussia MP Richard Maru that the Boram Nursing School established by the Boram Hospital management be closed.
Kuman said the school would not be closed but required to meet the standard requirements.
“We will ensure that those who comply with the laws will be allowed to be built and run, and that includes the Boram Nursing College,” he said.
“I will be meeting with the Health Department to find a solution to this problem which is an ongoing one.”
Kuman said the school was established by the hospital without informing his ministry.
“The protocols and standards were not met so the Higher Education Department wrote to the provincial government,” he said.
“I am also aware that the PNG Nursing Council which looks at the standards and regulations of nursing schools have visited the schools three times and that the nursing school failed to meet the minimum standards. But this Government is open to and will encourage private institutions that will provide more spaces in the higher education. The school will remain but they must now meet the standards.”

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/government-will-support-private-institutions-minister-says/

God helps those who help themselves: Maiyua

By ELIAS LARI - The National

THERE is life out there awaiting those who have the courage to pursue their dreams, heart’s desire and hopes despite facing hardship and circumstances in life, says a mother of two.
Many lose hope and fall off the track after coming across hardship, thinking that this is life’s offer, she said.
Joyce Maiyua earned K60 a fortnight but didn’t give up her dream despite facing so many challenges in her marriage, family life and in the community she lived in.
The 34-year-old had dropped out of school after doing her grade 10 at the Notre Dame Secondary School, Western Highlands, in 1988. She was actually forced to quit by issues such tribal fighting at her Baiyer village.

Joyce Maiyua displaying her awards on theory and practical after the graduation on Feb 29 at the Tinsley CHW training school in Baiyer.

Maiyua hails from the Rami tribe, Maiyua clan, Manzip village in Western Highlands.
She did not stay around doing nothing though, believing that she still could become a nurse and fulfil her dream.
Maiyua’s aim was to further her education first to open more doors.
She focused on informal marketing for four years and in 2003 she had saved enough to apply to the St Paul’s Secretarial College in Mt Hagen.
After completing basic computing in 2004, she joined a computer shop to work and was paid K60 for a fortnight.
She knew she was being cheated so she sought employed at aa primary school in Mt Hagen in 2004.
Maiyua earned a K120 a fortnight,she was happier and kept the job until 2008 but soon found it hard to live on her earning with her two children.
So she moved on to Boroko Motors – from 2010-2011.
Maiyua was asked by her old school to come back and take the position she had but with a better pay. She became office secretary.
She upgraded her marks until 2006doing grades 11 and 12.
She applied for a position with the Mt Hagen Provincial Hospital as secretary to the director medical service (DSM) and was accepted in 2012
Maiyua was often touched while dealing with the problems of the sick.
She had openings for community health worker training and chose training at Baiyer in 2017 because she was a local and also wanted to be close to her two children.
She finally graduated in February.
With no permanent job now, Maiyua decided to return to the hospital and voluntarily help the Western Highlands health authority polio team as part of her job training.
She said that single mothers or widows should be thinking positive to achieve a better future.
“Since I dropped out from grade 10 or lived a separated (from her husband) life for six years , it did not stopped. I knew I had a task ahead to find myself a bright future,” Maiyua said.
“With God, all things are possible because He alone will help you when you start helping yourself.”
Maiyua said many women were becoming too dependent on their husbands which was becoming a major setback.
She said women could become equal partners with their male folks when they planned well because nothing good came for a person who was lazy.
“I still have a vision to move on to further my studies,” she said.
Maiyua said people who were lazy and expected handouts would never achieve their dream.
“My word to lazy people is stop praying to God to bless or help you when you don’t know how to take the first step because God helps those who help themselves.”

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/god-helps-those-who-help-themselves-maiyua/

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