By Lydia Ferihembi
On this date 26th July 2021, I graduated from The University of Papua New Guinea with a Bachelor of Business Management (Professional Studies) majoring in Public Policy Management.
Life has not been that simple for me as a mother of 3 beautiful kids and a student back then. I had to make sacrifices and endure all the challenges I encountered on the way to be where I am today.
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| Lydia Ferihembi. |
I am a victim of toxic relationship and abuse (mentally and physically) but had to hide behind closed curtains for 12 years before I had the courage to walk out and develop myself. I got accepted into Papua New Guinea Institute of Public Administration in 2015 and did my Diploma in Accounting and Diploma of Government (Financial Services) (An affiliated program organised between Australian government and PNG Government). I had my two kids with me age 6 and 4 while studying that year. I had no support so I had to be a mother while studying.
I was promoted in 2016 to Accounts Payable Officer position. The knowledge and skills I acquired paved way for me to perform my duties with such expertise that I caught the attention of my supervisors and managers. I was entrusted with extra duties as the Requisitioning Officer and Officer in Charge of Rations and Inventory whilst still performing on my substantive position’s job responsibility, working late into the night often to get the job done. I was never paid for extra duties I was tasked to do but instead asked the management to consider me for studies in 2019.
I was accepted into UPNG in 2019 to take up Bachelors in Business Management, majoring in Public Policy Management and the Management Approved of it so I left for studies in early February 2019. I was told the funding will be delayed till March that year so I had to get a Loan to pay for my tuition fees and airfares and will be reimbursed later or I might miss the registration so that’s what I did. Unfortunately, in March 2019, I was told to resign or go back to work as the course I took was considered irrelevant by ESPHA management. This was tough.
On the 10th of April 2019 I resigned and all my finish pay went to repaying my loan. I sent my kids away to be with their father because I had no way of financially supporting them while I study. I took my sick mother to her village to be with her family and promised her I will finish studies in just two years and will take good care of her. I lost all my assets to my ex in-laws. Unfortunately my mother died in July 18th 2020.
I can’t afford rental accommodation so I lived with friends and attended lectures. I budgeted whatever little money that I had to go to and from University.
Today after I had graduated, I’m applying for jobs and eyeing scholarships to obtain my Master’s Degree. I’m just hoping and praying that one day, when I am secured with a job, I’ll go get my children and go back to my mother’s village and build my mother’s tombstone.
#inspiration
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