The Story of my eight (8) Years Old Wallet (December 2013 - Feb 2021)
Last week I bought myself a new rip curl wallet. While trying to throw the old one away, it dawn on me that the new wallet will be my second wallet and the old one was my first ever wallet that I bought with the money I got from my first pay packet from my first paid job after completing my university studies in 2013.
Growing up in the village where no one has made it to University straight from the village and going into urban schools trying to compete academically with students who came from urban centers with better childhood opportunities was a challenge. Money was always very limited to get by every single year. I never asked my parents for money because the little they manage to put together always go to school fees. Whatever little that is given to me is budgeted for the whole semester, sometime the whole year. There are times, I do not get to go back home because I have to stay back and work for my school fees with whatever work the school has to offer.
I started my boarding school life at the age of 14 in 2002 doing Grade 6 at Panim Adventist Primary School in Madang Province. I remained a boarding student for the most part of my academic life until I completed my university studies 2013.
With the limited amount of money to get by every year, I told myself that I will never own a wallet in my life until I complete my university studies and get my first pay. I also challenged myself that I will not go to any other institution lower than a university and I always challenged myself that if someone can build a plane and someone can fly it, if someone can build a ship and someone can operate it, if someone can build a car and someone can drive it and if someone can go to university, I will go to university and I will not settle for anything less than that. The path was not perfect, nor was it smooth for me but I made it to University of Papua New Guniea (UPNG) in 2010 and complete my Bachelor of Business and Management majoring Human Resources Management in 2013; and Graduated in April of 2014.
In my first job offer with HR Business Solutions (HRBS), I got to buy myself my first ever wallet now very old as shown in this photo.
Lesson I learnt:
If you have challenges which we all have, take a decision to challenge your challenges, set your personal goals and commit everything to God, do your part to rise above those challenges and overcome them and achieve the greatness for which you were created for.
God Bless
Love Bata Josh
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