From the Streets to the Courtroom: Jonathan Kirami’s Journey of Faith, Resilience, and Purpose
By Pake Misimi Kera
In the heart of Papua New Guinea’s Highlands, where tribal lines run deep and opportunities are scarce, a remarkable story of grit, grace, and unshakable faith has risen to inspire a generation. It is the story of Jonathan Kirami - a man once counted out by society, now a law graduate from the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG), ready to stand in court for truth and justice with just one more step - LTI.
But Jonathan’s path to the courtroom did not begin in a lecture theatre. It began in hardship.
After dropping out of school in Grade 10 at Pangia High School (SHP) back in 1989, Jonathan found himself picking coffee cherries in the plantations of Western Highlands and Jiwaka to survive. Education, dignity, and purpose seemed like distant dreams. He was a forgotten youth in a forgotten place, burdened by poverty and rejection.
For many, that could have been the end. But for Jonathan, it was the turning point.
In his darkest moment—without money, without opportunity, and without hope—he encountered something greater than himself; he found God. “It was this God that made all things possible for me to come through,” Jonathan recalls. “Without Him, I could have been in the grave… burning in hell. But praise God, He had a different plan for me”.
Driven by newfound faith and a fierce determination, Jonathan clawed his way back. God miraculously paid for his Matriculations Papers after so many years of faithfully praying and serving God in the Church. He completed his Matriculation Studies through UPNG Mt. Hagen Campus in 2004. Long story short, he returned to school in 2005 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Education from the University of Goroka. He became a high school teacher, serving for nearly 12 years - impacting young lives with the very lessons hardship had taught him.
But the fire in his heart still burned. He wanted to learn new things and acquire more knowledge. From 2014 , Jonathan was accepted for a Bachelor in Arts with Honours Second Class Program, majoring in Anthropology at the University of Goroka. He did a Thesis in Tribal Warfare using guns and mobile phones. The copy of his thesis can be accessed through the Australian Journal of Anthropology, 2015.
While still teaching, Jonathan applied for a Masters in Public Administration (MPADMIN) Program at the Divine Word University in 2017. He got accepted and graduated in 2020.
Amidst those prestigious achievements, Jonathan had one more last plan. He had witnessed the horrors of tribal warfare, the devastation of illegal arms trading, and the poison of corruption and politics eating away at his home Province and PNG. He could not stay silent. He believed justice could be more than an ideal - it could be a calling.
So, he left the classroom in 2021 and walked into uncharted waters - Law School.
While raising a family and struggling to make ends meet after he left teaching, Jonathan enrolled at UPNG to pursue a Bachelor of Laws (LLB). It was a long, gruelling journey marked by sacrifice and self-discipline. But he never lost sight of his mission - to be a voice for the voiceless and a defender of justice.
On May 25th, 2025, he graduated, adding another bamboo under his belt. He was soaked and drowning in his own tears as he recalled all the hardships he endured to finally graduate with a Bachelors in Law paper in his hand.
From the coffee fields to the courtroom, Jonathan Kirami’s life defies the odds. He is living proof that failure is not final. That poverty is not destiny. And that God still writes the best stories – even with broken pencils and torn pages. He is the Author of Life.
To those struggling in silence, to the youth in villages who feel left behind, or feel like giving up, Jonathan offers a message of hope:
“If you are a failure, rejected, dejected, neglected, unable, or from a poor background - don’t look further. There is someone closer to you who wishes the best for you. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He did it for me, and He is ever ready to do the same for you.”
Jonathan Kirami is not just a law graduate - he is a symbol of what is possible when faith, resilience, and purpose come together. He walks not for fame, but for justice. Not for recognition, but for restoration. And in a country longing for transformation, his story shines as a beacon of hope to defend justice and voice of transparency in PNG.
Jonathan's story is a message about what one determined soul can become. And finally, a reminder that with God, “ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE”.
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