53rd Graduation

In my brother’s memory

His late brother, Douglas Sipendi, was waiting to graduate with a degree in Communication for Development.

Sadly, 20-year-old Hercules said his elder brother contracted tuberculosis in June 2021 and passed away in March 2022 – a month before his graduation.

From Upper Mendi, Hercules’ parents are subsistence farmers who worked hard to put food on the table as well as support their six children’s education.

Douglas was the first child to continue to university from Sogeri National High School. He was the pride and joy of his family and clan.

A painful graduation

The latter rang through for a number of families who had attended the 53rd graduation ceremony of the PNG University of Technology on Friday.

Grieving mothers, a young husband and a teenaged boy respectively clutched portraits of their loved ones as they took slow, agonising steps up to the stage to receive degrees on their behalf.

Clive James, his three-year-old son and his mother-in-law, Arua Haita, stood in line with the Property Studies in Property Valuation graduating class of 2021 to get the late Rebecca Haita’s degree.