Be your own hero; if not for your kids..

 "Being an hero is not about fame, popularity or wealth. It is about inspiring other people through necessary sacrifice. Be your own hero; if not for your kids."

I was born into a mix parentage of West Sepik and West Papua. My father was a West Papuan refugee who had fled his home in Biak Island of West Papua because of the ongoing tension between the Indonesian army and OPM rebels who opposed Indonesian occupation of West Papua.

My father came to PNG as a refugee and was raised by a Lutheran missionary in Lae, Morobe Province where he went on to study at Balob Teachers College to become a community school teacher. He then decided to teach in West Sepik Province where he met my mother, who hails from Nuku in West Sepik.

My parents spent about 30 years serving in the remotest parts of West Sepik where there was no access to electricity and water supply. In one of schools my parents taught, the nearest trade store was about 7 hours walk and a river to cross by canoe through the jungle. My father would leave my mother and siblings and take the journey when our supplies were low.

We used to cook food over the open fire and shower in the nearby rivers. At nights, my siblings and I would lie under the moonlight and listen to bedtime stories.

A large part of my upbringing was in a small mission station located between Lumi and Nuku Districts of West Sepik Province. Basic health and education services were provided by the few government workers who were resident there. Once a fortnight, a small Cessna aircraft owned by the Missionary Aviation Fellowship would bring basic store goods and medical supplies to the station. The road was so bad that a 5 hour trip by a 4 wheel drive vehicle would take 2-3 days of pulling and dragging through the muddy roads to reach the Station from the nearest towns of Wewak and Aitape.

My parents never once complained, and only when I grew up did I understand the sacrifice they made to serve in the remote areas of West Sepik. What amazes me to this day, is that not even one day did they refuse to go to work or to take a leave because work was too stressful, or the salary they were receiving was not enough. Every day they carried the same energy to work –just to touch some else’s life and to impart knowledge.

Growing up, I never knew about television or the internet. Fortunately, there were books; and there were lots of them, thanks to the Australian government through the AusAid program. I was fortunate enough to spend most of my weekends reading about the world outside. I guess this is why I am where I am now. But that aside, this was what my parents put us through. The sacrifices they made.

Towards the end of my primary school education, my mother was starting to get sick, and so was my father. When it finally became apparent that the conditions and environment were not helping them get better, my parents decided that it was time to move to a new environment and to slowly wind down on their long careers. At the end of the road, they touched a lot of lives. And after everything, what did they ask for in return? Nothing.

Fast forward to this day, when I look for heroes or role models to look up to, in my toughest times in life, I am grateful I know who my heroes are.