Persistence & Discipline

I’m not a great fan of posting personal achievement on LinkedIn network but this is the first time I would like to do this since I joined LinkedIn on January 28, 2013. I would like to post and share it with my LinkedIn network connections as it might inspire and give hope to some of my very own country men and women to do the same for themselves, their families, their clans and their tribes. Please allow me to share this success story as a testimony to inspire others.

Firstly, praise and honour goes to GOD alone for all the good things HE has done in my life (both personally & professionally) so far including my young family. From a very humble beginning to where I am today is by GOD’s grace alone. I’m married with four (3 girls and 1 boy) beautiful children.

Secondly, I grew up in a family of three children, two sisters and I. I’m the second born in the family. My parents are both alive and they are in their early 60’s and living in Jiwaka Province, Dona village. They both are subsistence farmers. I lived in a bush material house and my step mother prepared my kaukau (sweet potato) in the charcoal to take it to school and I didn’t wear anything on my feet when I went to school as they can’t afford it. All they can afford was for my school fees and basic needs as the only cash crop that generated income for us was the coffee. I grew up in a village called Nongnang and I did my community school at Dona Primary School (Dona Community School then) from 1990 to 1995 (Grades 1 to 6). I then went on to Minj Secondary School (Minj High School then) from 1996 to 2000 (Grades 7 to 10). I repeated Grade 9 twice because of tribal fights at home and I have to withdraw from school for safety reasons and stayed at home for a year. After that I went on to Fr. Peter Secondary School (Fatima Secondary School then) from 2001 to 2002 (Grades 11 to 12). I then finally got selected to go for study at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) for a Degree program and studied there for 4 years, 2003 to 2006. Finally I got my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Industrial Psychology in April 2007. A very proud day for my immediate families, my clan and my tribe as we all celebrated this great achievement in my educational journey as it is a milestone achievement. I was the first person to graduate with a Degree from my clan and my family.

Next, when I first graduated from UPNG in April 2007, one of my long term dreams was to purchase a residential property of my own since I grew up in a bush material house and I ate kaukau that was prepared from the charcoal. This was the lifestyle my parents brought me up and I must improve my lifestyle now in a positive way to the next level for me and my young family before I leave this world. This was the challenge and dream that I had since I started work in 2007. Like many other average income earners in Papua New Guinea, I had demands and expectations coming from left, right and centre which I have to meet in order to build my good relationships with my immediate families, clan and tribe including the professional networks. When I recall back I can say that I did not discipline myself in all areas of life at that time even though I had this great dream and in particular the “financial discipline”. However, the dream of purchasing a residential property was still burning deep down in my heart and I didn’t gave up but found means and ways to do some investments to make this a reality for me and my young family.

Fourthly, two years ago I was very serious in doing some investments to meet the required equity as part of the commercial bank requirements to purchase a residential property. In order for me to make this a reality, I disciplined myself in all areas of life to make sure that I didn’t touch the investments that I did and didn’t spend money unnecessarily including limiting my social life with friends and colleagues. It’s a huge sacrifice for me and my young family but worth doing it if I want to achieve my dream in life. Furthermore, I shared my dream with people whom I know will add value to my life and at the same time they will share their experiences to motivate and assist me to make this dream comes through. A very special thank you to Gerard Cosgrave, Eileen Allan and George Bulog for your invaluable advises which kept me motivated even though I knew that I will not achieve this dream as this is out of my control or range at that time. All I needed was time and space to make it a reality for me.

Finally, I’m very excited to announce that my dream of owning a residential property has arrived today (1/05/2018) and I will move into my new residential property this month. Words can’t express how I feel for both of my parents namely Stanley Topo Kaipel and Dakan Kombom Topo for bringing me up to where I am including my step mother Gaval Topo. My two other dads (John Kaulo Kaipel & Andrew Aipe Kaipel) with their two spouses (Simbamb Aipe & Kita Kalim Kaulo) including my big sister Kathy Kos Topo were all part of my success. Not forgetting my late gandma Misinamb Kathy Kos Kaipel was always on my side to make sure I’m not hungry when I returned back from school in the afternoon. Unfortunately she passed away in 2002.

Furthermore, thank you so much to Bank of South Pacific (BSP) Management and Staff for approving my First Home Ownership Scheme Loan in making sure my dream comes through. Thank you so much to Michelle Karani and Roslyne Kanini from BSP Lae Market Branch. Many thanks also to Trukai Industries Limited for providing me the employment opportunity where I can work and do some savings to purchase this residential property. Moreover, a mega thank you to Theodore Tei for giving me the best advice and price for a residential property acting as a real estate agent which the bankers commented the property value as I quote “too good to be true” as far as the value of the property is concerned. Not forgetting my only sister Jenny Mondia Topo for some cash contribution to this worthy cause. Finally, my dear wife Dorah Topo and the 4 beautiful children (Alexandria, Danesha, Daanish & Annamarie) who have shared the dream with me and created that environment for me to save and most importantly accepted what little that has been provided on the table with an understanding that it is done for a worthy cause. 

Wow!! Hip! Hip! Hooray!! To GOD be the Glory great things HE has done. Amen! What a joy it is like to own a residential property which my dad, my granddad and their generations did not achieve this before??? Its history in making and it will go down in our history book for the many years to come. And off course this is the beginning of so many good things that I will achieve in the many years to come both personally and professionally as I believe in GOD and trust myself. I’m so thankful to GOD who has not abandoned me regardless of my short falls in my daily lives. HE is faithful to me and HIS mercies are sufficient to me each day. I dropped a lot of tears of joy including my young family as this is a huge achievement and I’m so humbled to achieve this at the age of 33 and have worked for 10 years only.

My advice and encouragement to you all out there who are in the same boat like me who have long term dreams is this: “GOD has bigger and better plans for all of us and that’s why HE brought us into this world to make a difference. Therefore, nobody in this world has monopoly over this planet Earth. We have every opportunity to prosper in life personally and professionally. If our parents have lived their lives in a subsistence farming ways then we need to bring it to the next level for our children and our children will then bring it to the next level for their children. To me this is “real and meaningful life” and “positive changes” will only fulfil our purpose of existence as human beings on this planet earth. If we live exactly the same like our parents and our grandparents then we are simply wasting our time, energy, resources and most importantly the opportunities that are right in front of us. “Nothing is really over until the moment we stop trying it”.