As I sat amongst the sea of beige, blue and black gowns of the graduands at Divine Word University, my mind drifted back to the day nearly two years ago.
I had been sitting in the office of the President of Divine Word University, Fr Jan Czuba telling him that I was withdrawing from my studies. It was only a few months into my third year studies towards a bachelor’s degree in journalism but I was convinced that I had no choice but to leave.
My two-year-old daughter had been diagnosed with what the doctor believed was tuberculosis, which had caused one of her lungs to collapse. The doctor had recommended that the child be interned in the hospital for treatment so that the medical staff could ensure proper medication and monitor her condition.
It was the biggest challenge my family faced since my decision to resume studies.
On January 26, 2000 I resigned from my job as Editor of the Papua New Guinea Magazine, a Post-Courier publication that I had helped establish, to return with my family to Madang. I wanted to pursue my studies in Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at Divine Word University. It was a key decision in my life, to leave a good job, and its benefits, and to take my young family of six children and head into an uncertain future.
I was going to pay for my education and look after my family from what I had saved up over my 15 years of working with the media. My wife and I knew it was going to be tough.
In Madang my family settled in with my mother at Rempi village about 40 kilometres along the Northcoast of Madang while I had a room on the University campus but commuted regularly to be with my family.
It was not easy for my children who had all grown up in Port Moresby to adjust to village life but after a while they did. They found more freedom to move around in the village unlike the fenced properties with security guards we had in Port Moresby. They swam in the sea, fished, walked to school, and got used to eating yams and bananas.
My wife and I were able to convince the doctor that we could keep our daughter at home and administer the medication ourselves. The doctor finally agreed that we could take the medication and administer it at home, but to follow strict dosage times.
It was then that I decided to withdraw from school. I couldn’t bear going to school during the week while my wife struggled with my sick daughter at home.
Fr Jan was immediately concerned and did not think withdrawing from studies was a good idea. He thought I might never get the chance to go back to school again. Instead, he came up with another offer to ensure my daughter received medical help while I continued to study. He offered to sponsor my studies, which would include accommodation on campus near the hospital and to join the teaching staff after graduation. I agreed since I had no immediate plans for future employment. My wife and I were grateful for the offer and moved on to the Divine Word University campus to be near the hospital.
The tuberculosis treatment was daily for six months with regular visits to the doctor for check-up. Each morning at six we had to wake little Thelma up and forced the nasty tasting medicine down her throat ignoring her energetic struggles and wailing.
Then my three children and I would rush to the road to catch the PMV to school in town. We had moved our three children to a school in town in anticipation for eventually moving DWU campus. My daughter finished classes at lunch so I would go pick her up then put her on a PMV back to the village. Then in the afternoon, do the same again for my two boys. It was a constant worry that neither I nor their mother was able to travel with them regularly. And when my children fell sick, there mother would bring them to the hospital for treatment and I would meet them in my free periods or travel home with them. I still do not know how I managed to study and did my assignments as well as pass the exams. The hardships were trying at times for my wife and myself and sometimes our relationship became strained when I couldn’t be with the family when they needed me because of study commitments.
After six months of treatment, the doctor finally said she was healed although her chest deformity would always be there. It was a great relief.
When we moved onto the campus, we squeezed into the small two bedroom unit at Lakelodge. Although, it was crowded, we were grateful that we could be near the hospital and also near study facilities for myself. My children who were used to having their own rooms in Port Moresby, slept in the living room and only once reminded me that after I finished schooling, they wanted a bigger house so that they could have their own rooms again.
So it was with great relief that I finally was able to graduate. To receive the highest award for academic excellence came as a pleasant surprise. As I walked up to receive my awards, I though of my wife Lilian, and children, Fr Jan Czuba, Daisy Taylor, Fr M’lack, Peter and Anna Muriki, Patricia and Michael Sariwa, and my close and extended family in the village who no doubt would be equally proud.
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