Every single one matters

EDUCATION

An ambitious undertaking by the Member for Lufa to support his district’s students at tertiary level, finds lone students at institutions

By BRADLEY VALENAKI
EVERY parent who sends their children to school wishes to see that one day their sons and daughters complete their education at the highest level.
The geographical challenges of everyday Papua New Guinea are that students travel from some of the remotest parts of the country to go to school. But while it is the part students play in getting educated, on the flip side it is the parents who look for the means to such an education.
This is the drive behind Lufa MP and Minister for Environment and Conservation Simo Kilepa’s vision to relieve the burden of parents and subsidise fees for students continuing studies after Grade 12.
“I come from the remotest parts of Lufa, where our town of Goroka is reachable only by air,” Kilepa says.
“I know how my people struggle to send children to school, so it is my intent to help them,” he adds.
Through the Lufa District Development Authority (DDA) the MP has allocated funding in 2023 and 2024 to subsidise school fees for tertiary students using the following formula: University students (local and international) K3,000; college students K2,000; and TVET (technical or vocational centre students K1,000.
DDA CEO Demo Imara said the figures were revised this year to support more students.
“Last year, the support was K4,000 for universities, K3,000 for colleges and K2,000 TVET centres, however now there is an increase in student applications for the support so we had to cater for everyone,” he said.
A total of 375 students from Lufa received the district support last year. This year, the number has grown by 197 students to 572 in total.
The school fee coordinating team believe this figure may grow by the year. “We have tried our best in trying to ensure we don’t miss any student from Lufa, however, we know there are obvious challenges with late registrations and submission of applications,” said, 2024 school fee coordinator Samson Robin.

“We will improve on this and next year, with all the Lufa students’ bio-data from the Lufa student associations from the respective institutions throughout the country; we can improve from that but the signs are that there will still be more students,” he said.
Lufa students at the start of the year were encouraged to submit applications through the district office in Goroka or through email which were then vetted by the school fee team. From the applications submitted, the team identified eligible students based on the set requirements.
After that cheques were printed at the district treasury office and were ready for the Lufa electoral team to physically distribute them to every institution concerned.
The biggest funding assistance for Lufa students went to University of Goroka with 156 recipients. A whopping K456,000 was paid the university but it was not that number that mattered the most, rather it was the lone students that made a difference.
“For me, the institutions with the big numbers do not matter, it’s the lone students who we stopped by to give school assistance to that really made me emotional,” school fee coordinator Robin said.
At least five institutions that were visited had a single Lufa student studying there – in East New Britain, West New Britain, Madang, Lae, Simbu and Southern Highlands and Port Moresby.
“To come here and deliver a cheque of K1,000 to one student is something special, because he is busy in the classroom learning and you have demonstrated that you care for him,” said the principal of Madang Technical College, Gabirel Poska.
Interestingly, daughter of Lufa Education Standards Officer Kelly Miol, Kristina Kelly, was a lone recipient of the support in Port Moresby Business College.

“As a recipient of the school fee assistance, I am very grateful for what has been done. Thankyou honorable MP for the assistance,” Kristina Kelly said.
The school fee assistance to Kelly shows the diversity in the support, beyond Lufa blood and supporting and rewarding children of public servants, serving in Lufa.
“Minister Kilepa has an open mind and is supportive of everyone, even the public servants who serve our remote district,” said Adolph Koi, executive officer to Lufa MP.
“Minister is from Unavi Local Level Government, the most rural of the three LLGs but he is not only supporting his voters but is also supporting sons and daughters of those who didn’t support him in the election,” added Koi. Pacific Adventist University first year economics student Daniel Wai said: “I am from Yagaria LLG but I’m happy the member of parliament is fair to all of us.”
In Lae, the board and management of Balob Teachers College thanked the district for the support towards its students, sending a message to the students that is applicable to all Lufa people across PNG.
“I always tell them that you are not here to look for a boyfriend orgirlfriend. Sunup to sundown, your parents paid so much money for you (to be educated),” said college principal Jerry Hendingao.
MP Kilepa says this support will continue for as long as he is in office.
“At the end of the five years of my political term, I would like to show in fact how many doctors, nurses, teachers, journalists, engineers, carpenters or other trades persons we have been able to support,” Kilepa said.
“I want to be satisfied knowing that I have a report card of not only contributing to human resource development in Lufa but the nation as a whole, fulfilling the aspirations of our forefathers in nation building,” the MP concluded.
The total cost of the tertiary school fee assistance is over K3.6 million.

•  Bradley Valenaki works with the office of the Member for Lufa and Ministry of Environment and Conservation.