Messy Gini is originally from Hela Province, but considers to be from Port Moresby as she was born and bred in the city. She lives with her family at Taurama road.
Messy is more Papuan than from Tari as she can speak Police Motu (Hiri Motu) and not her native language, which is Huli. Messy is married to a man from Western Highlands and they have a 12-year-old son who is in Grade 4 and attending Taurama Primary School.
She completed Grade 10 at Laloki High School in Central Province, located just outside the city. She didn’t continue her secondary education in a permitted school so enrolled at the International Training Institute (ITI).
While at ITI, she took up a Computing course with the aim to continue on the degree program, but due to financial difficulties, she didn’t. She left studies to take up formal employment with the knowledge she gained from ITI.
“Things have changed and I am at home, this time I am selling food at the market. I sell bananas, greens, potato other vegetables and fruits. I started this mini-market about three years ago, and then the market business broke down. A few months ago, I just revived the market through the help of a friend, who gave me K100. With this money I restarted the market.”
Messy has now been actively buying and selling her vegetables after the lockdown, where the measures were relaxed in NCD. She says the market business is good, because she is able to make money every day.
She spends about K200 to K350 in purchasing her goods from the ‘black market’ wholesalers. While reselling she makes another K350 or even up to K500 in a day.
Asked if she thinks of getting a formal employment anytime soon, she smiles and says, no. She reckons the money she is making now is sufficient for her needs.
“I am satisfied with how much I am earning in a day. It is enough to cater for my family, though it is hard to get the goods because you have to struggle and fight with other buyers to get quality stuff,” Messy says.
She said quality of food matters because people buy what they see is attractive and she has been lucky so far.
Currently, Messy is not banking sales profit but is making it grow, as she goes by a strict budget. Even though her business is small, she has big plans for the future.
She would love to own a home soon, Messy is planning to buy building materials to build her house on a piece of land she purchased from a local landowner. This she says is a blessing for her young family.