By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, May 3, 2015 (Sunday Weekly Magazine, PNG)
After Inaugural Men of Honour Awards
being bestowed earlier in the year- the Digicel PNG Foundation in partnership
with its men of honour recipients launched their Advocacy Program during the
week.
Following through with the success of
the first awards for 2014, the winners have now created a network to address
violence with plans for awareness programs in the country.
Sunday Weekly Magazine caught with
those who have championed the ideal Papua New Guinean Man of honour, for a few
comments on what they have done thus far to address violence and the
concept.
Jimmy Drekore (2014 Men of Honour Winner)
“It (Men of Honour) has given the
Simbu Children’s Foundation more prominence in what we have been doing- bringing
the pride back.”
“If I can work with other line
agencies and work with my fellow champions in their respective areas then I
believe together collectively we can address this.”
Mamindi Pym (Community Entrepreneur finalist)
“Violence is a fear in most of us.
Because there is violence we do not live peacefully in our villages.”
“There are so many people who are
educated who are moving out of their homes just because of this violence.”
“There is insecurity in our society,
so we thank digicel for bringing up this idea. Anybody can do it, because it is
a pain in our hearts and minds.”
Richard Yuasi (Community Education Champion finalist)
“Violence is commonly is fear among
us- we have 2.3 million women living with violence. That is why we must have
2.3 million reasons to show violence generally in PNG.”
“We will try to solve the 2.5 million
questions that are asked generally. It is the brainchild of the foundation, you
can see that there is only a few of us, but now through us and the years ahead
people will now see that men are taking the lead to fight violence.”
Alu Poka (Sporting Mentor finalist)
“Living in a community I see the
young ones with no one to lead them. Most of them are smoking drugs with
parents not looking after them, drinking and doing bad things.”
“I had to take a stand a bring them
together to instill discipline through sports, and talk to them about their
future and what they want to be when they are adults.”
“I feel sorry for them, I do not work
with the community or sponsors to do what I do- I work through my own
determination with them. That is where the foundation found me.”
Wamala Iga (Education Champion finalist)
“Being a specialist with children- my
aim is to stop the violence in the child while they are young. “
“Through the church also I work to
educate them to become good citizens in their own communities- Digicel is doing
a great job to empower us to do something good we are doing into something
great.”
Henry Wiselman (Community Ingenuity finalist)
“The work of a community leader is one of
passion- there is no payment for it. It is for the cries of the mothers,
sisters, brother, and fathers when the situation is bad with no freedom to move
around the community.”
“So we as leaders defend our people
in the community and that is where I was recognized through the foundations Men
of Honour Awards.”
Bostany Piale Elo (Sporting Mentor finalist)
“I came from a background where I
couldn’t complete my education and I had to find a way out.”
“Where I want to focus the youth in
my area on the experience I have to set up respective clubs in communities to
find out their views create awareness on violence and also to keep an eye out
for violence and who causes it.”
Leo Simon (Community Education Champion finalist)
“By profession I am a teacher and a
role model, for every action there is a reaction. Whatever I do the students
are at the back watching- if I become a good role model they also become that.”
Robin Mua (Community Ingenuity finalist)
“I am trying my best to help small
kids and youth and mothers in the community where I live. I have been doing it
just as a volunteer and the Men of Honour initiative has put the work I do out
there.”
Dika Loa (Community Entrepreneur finalist)
“How to overcome this violence in the
family is that a lot of the violence that take place is over money, so the
little projects we are making is to encourage families to go into income
generating projects to lead a healthy and good life.”
Francis Tokai (Community Leadership finalist)
“I am from the Community Leadership
Category, Rabiagini Settlement in Port Moresby.”
“There are issues of street children,
abuse of women, and petty crime. Those things are destroying our country and
democracy.”
“I have created structures within my
community and created awareness to lower the law and order situation we face in
our community.”
They all said that what makes a man
of honour is that he is a Champion, Sacrifices, has Courage, Hope, Passion, a Hero,
Confident, a Leader, and is Committed.
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