From a volunteer to full time professional tailor

Located at Ahuia St, Section 9 Lot 52 Gordons, National Capital District is Tual Immess Tailoring which supplies men and women tailored suites, lawyers’ gowns and bibs, school uniforms, graduation gowns and dresses, children, work; special day evening and casual wears. Tual Immess also produces karate uniforms and does alterations and has been operating in the current location for the past six years. The owner is a Seven Day Adventists (SDA) volunteer cum professional tailor puts her faith in God Almighty with whom all things are possible. Her name is Lady Rossica Salika from Madang province. She is a committed member of the SDA church where she does volunteer work. Salika was once looking after about 3,000 women in her church group network doing volunteer work, sharing food, clothes and money to the poor and impoverished around the city. The breakthrough for Lady Salika came when she was offered an AUSAID scholarship to study Fashion and Design in Bendigo Regional TAFE College in Australia. After completing her Certificate IV she continued and graduated in 2002 with a diploma majoring in Clothing and Footwear. She designs clothes, bags and even sandals or shoes but sadly there aren’t any factories here in Papua New Guinea for shoes. When she left for studies she did not have any idea about tailoring, design and even sewing nor any experience at all in doing business after she graduated. Armed with her diploma certificate she resigned from her fulltime paid job with the Department of Labour and Industrial Relations. She soon got her tailoring business set up and in 2006 registered Rossal Tual Immes Limited now trading as Tual Immess Tailoring with PNG IPA. She also obtained her first Tax Identification Number (TIN) with Internal Revenue Commission in 2009. Lady Salika then trained others in sewing, grooming and counselling services. She got her car stolen three times during her volunteer work; the grace of the almighty God has guided her and returned her car. Like others, Lady Salika has her own version of struggles and hardships that she encountered when she started her business and the rest is now history. Whilst commenting on the current fashion industry and the dressing code in Papua New Guinean she said, “Pacific is lost in PNG, we have to dress and promote our identity. Meri blouses must be worn with dresses or lap laps not with shorts. Look at other island countries and the way they dress, will tell where they come from.” “I have noticed over the years, most Papua New Guineans have overlooked locally owned and operated tailoring businesses. They want to go to shops owned by expatriates which is good but we must promote our local businesses and the money remains here in the country. The unique identity signifies the importance of what you are and what others think of you,” Lady Salika said. As a judge’s wife she gave an example about the dressing code using that of a bib worn by lawyers, magistrates and judges. “A bib must cover the collar of the shirt and the neck tie when worn, the bib when worn correctly signifies the importance of being a lawyer and he or she must dress neatly before the court where you will gain respect, trust and confidence from your clients during court and even from the magistrate or the judge either on the lower or upper courts,” Lady Salika said. It’s a testimony to her Christian faith that she acknowledges everyday through prayers. Lady Salika usually had lunch time prayer with her workers and others located in the same building and I was invited during a lunch hour when she opened our meeting with a word of prayer. “Always be honest with God and you will be elevated to gain new heights regardless of your back ground or who you are,” she advised.

‘The Insurance Guru’

During her formal employment days she was known as a ‘Guru.’ She has been a mentor to many who needed her help in the insurance industry and a unique problem solver. Let me introduce to you, Ms Florence Galo, ANZIIF Senior Associate CIP (since 2000) who is currently contracted to two Insurance Brokers: Anitua Broking Services and Marsh Ltd that operate under her own brand or trademark, The Insurance Guru. She is a single parent to two (2) children; a daughter, 26 years of age, and a son, 15 years of age. She hails from Parom, a village in Hawain along the West Coast of East Sepik Province. Ms Galo recently retired from a full time employment in the insurance industry, after 28 years. She started work in 1989, as an accounts clerk, with the former NIC (Niugini Insurance Corporation) now known as Pacific MMI Insurance LTD after graduating from the PNG University of Technology, Lae, with a Diploma in Commerce. She had decided that it was time to leave school and earn some money then. It looked like a wrong move back then, but in hindsight, now looking back; it was actually the right move. Ms Galo says she cannot imagine what her life would have been like now as a Certified Accountant. And she would not trade her life experiences in the insurance industry for it. She jokingly said; “even though I was trained to be an accountant, don’t ask me anything about it now, because apart from the basics, I would not have a clue.” Ms Galo moved on to experience all facets of the insurance industry. She was a trainee underwriter with the former MBf Assurance Ltd. A Claims Supervisor with the former PAPA, now the Capital Group. A Corporate Claims Officer with Pacific MMI Insurance Ltd. Team Leader – Claims with TOWER Insurance (PNG) Ltd. She also had a stint as a Broker with Marsh Ltd as a Claims Supervisor. Then a Senior Claims Examiner with AIG PNG Ltd and then Claims Manager with Southern Cross Assurance Ltd. She took a 3 year break after MBf Assurance Ltd when she had her daughter. Then she took a 2 year break after TOWER Insurance (PNG) Ltd. It was her first attempt at retirement, but she was too young and got easily bored. She is now at ease with retirement and from her years of experience; she has now decided to pursue her passion in educating Papua New Guineans about the benefits of insurance. Ms Galo explained that insurance is a life essential and is the security that you can fall back on, when you suffer a loss. Whatever type of loss it is, there is a form of insurance that is available to cater for it. Outlining the benefits of insurance she said, “people suffer a lot of catastrophic loses without basic insurance knowledge of the benefits it can give them. Insurance as a life essential, offers you protection and subsequently ease when you experience a loss. When you own assets, you must insure them.” “If you own a home, and there is a fire that completely destroys it, if you have insurance, you have not lost everything. If you own a business and suffer a loss, and if you have insurance, you can make a claim for everything you have insured like, property, money, damages due to theft or burglary, loss of profits, to name a few. “Insure your workforce, that if there is an accident at work and an employee is injured; medical expenses, income for time off work, disability compensation and even death benefits to his or her dependants are covered under Workers Compensation insurance. Whilst carrying out your business and there is damage to a third-party property, or a person due to your products, or when they are customers on your business premises, public liability and product liability insurance is available. “Sometimes, you might hear on the news that a product has been recalled due to some defects or contamination; that is product liability. Examples of public liability is; if your client comes into your office and slips on a wet floor and suffers some injury or if your vehicle crashes into a person’s yard and damages their fence. “Professionals who provide advice or services that causes a loss to a third party need to be insured for Professional Indemnity. Doctors and Lawyers especially, require this form of insurance. Otherwise other professionals like architects, surveyors, and insurance brokers to name a few, require this insurance as well. “Fidelity Guarantee is available also. This insurance is a form of protection against fraud or misappropriation of funds by your employees. “There is Marine Cargo and Transit cover also. Despite the word ‘marine’, it applies to land, sea and air. It comes into effect when the cargo you send, leaves your place of business and ends when it reaches the destination, or the receiver’s address. “However, there is also Marine Hull insurance. It provides cover for ships, yachts, ferries and other vessels that are used on the water. There are Engineering insurances available too. Contractors All Risk (CAR) is cover provided to a construction project from Greenfield, to the finished product and also from breaking ground to a constructed building or a bridge or a sealed road. It depends on the specifics of the project. “There is also Machinery Breakdown Insurance. It literally means breakdown to the machinery due to a fault or another issue. There is Boiler Explosion Insurance, covers you for Boiler Explosion, Fusion Insurance covers you for fusion to your assets especially electrical; motherboards or switches. “Currently, Port Moresby is experiencing a spate of car-jacking. You would not need to run after, or chase armed men, putting your own life at risk, trying to get your car back, if you have motor vehicle insurance. Let them take it. And whether the motor vehicle is recovered damaged or not recovered at all, if you have insurance on the vehicle, there will be some ease from the insurance company. “Insurance will repair the vehicle if recovered and damaged or provide you with some financial settlement, if the vehicle is not recovered. Some finance to assist you to replace the total loss of the stolen vehicle that was not recovered,” Ms Galo explained. She stated that when she was employed, her conditions of employment included medical cover. But now self-employed, she was careful that she and her children did not get sick, because she did not know that there was medical cover available to anyone, other than from what the employer sponsored. “There is a misconception that premiums can be high. But a misconception it is. Premium is charged, taking into consideration the type of risk you are insuring. Personal insurance rates are different from business rates. “For example, the rate of premium charged for a motor vehicle is different from a rate charged for a home. The rate charged for a home you are living in, is different from the rate charged for a home you are renting out or, the rate charged for a building used for commercial purposes. If you are not sure if the premium is right, feel free to discuss it. Eventually, the correct premium will always be charged,” she said. “I would encourage all those involved in SMEs or any small to large business to get in touch with me and see how I can assist with the services I provide,” Ms Galo said. If she has to give a word of advice to other budding entrepreneurs this is what she had to say; “believe in yourself. Self-doubt will stop you from reaching your goals. And when you have decided what the goal is, act on it. When you delay, you stand a chance of talking yourself out of it…” Whatever type of insurance cover you need, you need to get in touch with Ms Galo to discuss it. There is no business too big or too small. Personal or business, you need insurance for your ease, in the event of a loss. Ms Galo has a vision to set up a shop front, where people can just walk in for a cup of coffee or tea, and ask for help to insure their house or car, or businesses. She doesn’t charge any fees to her customers at all. She only gives advice for her customers to pay their premiums and do necessary arrangements to assist customers on how to get premium funding as well. For now, she operates out of her home and can also be contacted via The Insurance Guru Facebook page or the writer’s email: surumba@gmail.com/noveltycreations3@gmail.com.

Keru Ventured into the Woods

Firewood has been one of the main source of fuel for residents in Port Moresby. It’s also cheap and a substitute for those in the city during black outs, when gas for cooking runs out and even when residents in the city can’t recharge their easy pay power to cook with. When Tolukuma Gold Mine was shut a few years back, Victor Keru was unemployed and has not decided to look for a job elsewhere, he decided to do something else making a living in Port Moresby. He was an underground miner for almost 10 years at the now defunct Tolukuma mine. Fortunately, he bought a block of land at Gerega up Magi Highway while he was still employed by the mine. For now, with the down turn in the economy, Keru has ventured into doing what he does best and that is selling dry fire woods. He has being doing this for the last eight months. “For those who are in the informal sector, buai (betel nut) ban is affecting all the sellers. I decided to sell firewood to make a decent living in the city,” Keru hinted. All of his firewood is chopped from the trees from his block of land at Gerega. Keru is from Kosipe village in Woitape LLG, Goilala district in Central province. He transports the firewood by hiring vehicles to the busy Manu auto port market in Port Moresby. Like the others in other businesses, he too faced stiff competition from competitors, rainy days even gave him hard time to sell and the price ranges from K5 to K10 only. He makes about K50 to K70 everyday depending on the number of customers. On ordinary weekends and special days such as Christmas, New Year, Mother’s day, Easter or graduation days Keru’s earns K200 to K300 per day. “Most of what I earn from selling is to cater for basic needs like food, clothes and car hire. I save K20 to K30 a day in the bank depending on how much I earn and even pay for school fees, and worst still unplanned family commitments and other social gatherings,” Keru explained. “With the upcoming 2018 PNG APEC Summit the National Capital District Commission has warned all firewood sellers to look elsewhere or market their produce out of the main city. My only concern is can the city authority build a bigger better market here or a place where we sellers of firewood can sell,” he commented.

How Digicel Foundation gave rise to a small Building Construction Company

By Michelle Amba

Charlie and Elizabeth Tumun, the owners of Charpez Construction today own business assets close to a million kina. Charpez Construction now employs 40 people and has its head office in Banz, Jiwaka Province. Their story is about perseverance and having the courage and motivation to succeed in what they dreamed of pursuing. When Charlie was terminated from his formal employment as Factory Manager with an Australian Company Gilsenan Melpa in 2011, he never wanted to work for anyone else; he wanted to be his own boss. He says his termination was based on allegation which he had no fault in. He accepted his termination, telling himself that he would one day own a company and never wanted to work for anyone else. That was a year after he had registered Charpez Construction. “I started off with no resources, no vehicles, no workman and no money, I only had one thing I was sure of and that was faith,” said Charlie. Charlie started off doing small things here and there. Because he was a tradesman he used that know how to do things for the small business. He registered the business while working before he was terminated. Our first formal business was in 2010 were we built a Car Shed for the Highlands Regional Labour Department Head, Mr. Thomas Tape. That was when we received our first cheque of K 19, 000. It was through its first client who engaged Charpez as a sub contractor for an Australian Government Aid Funded project in Tsak Valley, Enga Province. That was when the owner met an important business partner who gave us the opportunity to be one of Digicel Foundation’s Contractors. Charlie met Dara Okuk in Tsak Valley in 2010 during the opening of the classroom. She was representing the project financier at the ceremony. Her connection with Jiwaka Province through her childhood and family connection led her to have an interest in this small Jiwaka based Building Construction Company. “Three years after meeting Dara, I received a phone call from her she was with Digicel Foundation as a Senior Project Manageress seeking potential contractors to implement projects. I was then cooking and selling flour balls (scones) at a Kaibar I was renting in Banz,” recalled Charlie. “I would say it was through God’s Grace we were asked to bid for a project. That was our break through; I never imagined Charpez, being recommended for big projects and with a reputable organization like Digicel Foundation, “concluded Mr. Tumun. “Our bid got through and we were contracted by Digicel Foundation to build a classroom in Neibilyer, Western Highlands Province. We were told that if we pass this we would be recommended for future projects. We were graded 100 per cent by Digicel Foundation,” said Charlie. After that, Charpez have never looked back. Mr. Tumun is thanking Digicel Foundation for changing the lives of many unfortunate Papua New Guineans and he is proud to be one of those many that had the opportunity to grow. Digicel Foundation goes to the most remote places in PNG. Some of the most remote places that Charpez has delivered, includes Snow Pass in Bundi, Morobe Province, Biwat in East Sepik Province ,Yellow River West Sepik Province to name a few. Through the Foundation and the contracts it has engaged many village boys as its employees. These young men have never travelled in an airplane, a ship or even a helicopter. Through this fortunate engagement, they have travelled extensively; we have built 32 classrooms, libraries and aid posts. Charpez has built classrooms and libraries in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Southern Highlands, Eastern Highlands, East and West New Britain, Enga, East and West Sepik, Simbu Hela, Western Highlands, Morobe and Jiwaka provinces. Charlie concluded, “there are many small to medium enterprises like Charpez in the country but they are competing with giants who already have business influence and political links where contracts can easily be sought. Digicel Foundation is the only business that we are engaged in we see tenders and we do bid but contracts are given to big business that already have millions of kina and resources.” Charpez has now ventured into property, hospitality, hire car and timber milling. The company manufactures furniture for home and schools like desks and tables. It also provides logistics in terms of delivery. The company can be contacted via email: charpez@gmail.com.

Meet the Red Ribbon Lady

By Mathew Romogau Werigi The red ribbon has become an internationally recognized symbol for HIV/AIDS awareness. It is worn by people from all walks of life throughout the year in support of people living with HIV/AIDS. It is also worn to remember those loved ones who had died from the epidemic worldwide. On every calendar year, December 1 has been marked as the day of remembrance where people around the world pin their red ribbons as they commemorate World AIDS Day. Anyone can wear a red ribbon. You don't have to be HIV positive or living with the virus to demonstrate that you have an understanding of the issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. Wearing a red ribbon is the first step in the fight against HIV and AIDS. It can be worn on any day of the year, but especially on World AIDS Day. Here we find someone who has been doing red ribbons for a living or basically to venture into Small to Medium Enterprises (SME). She is a 37 year old Rose Mathew from a mixed parentage of West Sepik and East New Britain. It’s been over five years now, Ms Mathew grasped the opportunity and has been making and selling the World AIDS Day Red Ribbons. When asked why she ventured into hand weaving and ribbon making, she said; “I witnessed and saw many people dying from HIV/AIDS so I decided to make ribbons and supply them to business houses and certain government departments to buy for their staff to wear during World AIDS day every year. This is part of my contribution to the HIV/AIDS awareness in Papua New Guinea.” She has been supplying the ribbons to most business houses in Port Moresby only through 2050 Solutions, a SME establishment in promoting education, health and healthy living. “I actually started when my husband’s former employer was looking around to purchase ribbons for their staff so I started with the first 100,” Ms Mathew said. Every year she is busy making the ribbons, all hand woven and ready to deliver before 1st of December to her corporate clients. In 2013 2050 Solutions was registered with IPA. Since then she has never turned back. The business provides and distributes the following services: media awareness on health and education, climate change, distribution of mosquito nets, water purifiers/cartridges and others to name a few. The main objective is to work closely and network through public private partnership and to promote health and education awareness through the media to support the Government’s Vision 2050 seven major pillars. They include: • Human Capital Development, Gender, Youth and People Empowerment; • Wealth Creation; • Institutional Development and Service Delivery; • Security and International Relations; • Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change; • Spiritual, Cultural and Community Development; and • Strategic Planning, Integration and Control. “This year I have engaged some women and a young man to make more ribbons, our aim is to distribute freely to all primary, vocational and secondary schools in the National Capital District and Hohola area as a pilot project if donor agencies or corporate organisations can fund our project,” concluded Ms Mathew. The team is aiming to produce and deliver 10,000 red ribbons to the schools and also the nearby settlements and main Hohola market before and on December 1st 2018. She will be sending out proposals soon to donor agencies, corporate entities and other stake holders to seek funds to assist achieve her objective. “If funding is approved for this proposal 10 more women in the settlement where I live will be taught how to weave the strings. The aim is to educate young kids on the importance of wearing red ribbons and to educate them of the dangers of HIV/AIDS in a bid to minimise the statics or eradicate HIV/AIDS in the future,” Ms Mathew said. She said if all goes well, she is also looking into having a women’s group formed to help other women get out of societal hardships and create changes in settlements, rural and urban centres in Port Moresby. To place orders for the 2018 World AIDS Day Red Ribbons and for more information, email 2050solutionspng@gmail.com, surumba@gmail.com or call 732 15220 and 757 86831.