PNG nurses graduate from AUT, NZ

For the PNG Nurses who have graduated from the Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand during the winter graduation in 2012 

                   

Moment of jubilation for our two graduates who had finally completed their studies (left) Oslai Degena and Suzanne David (right)

By HENRY YAMO

Ooh….WHAT A FEELING!! It must be an extra ordinary feeling to be a Papua New Guinean among scores of foreign grandaunts in a foreign country. It’s not that you are alone in an environment dominated by whites (Pakehas), Asians, Indians, Islanders or any other ethnicity that has almost drowned you out…but it’s the feeling of exhilaration…the feeling of jubilation, to have finally come to the end of that chapter..the chapter of your life that you’ve for so long, longed to close one fine day. And that day at long last has arrived. It is also the feeling of jubilation that wraps you and lifts you up as an international student, to be among some of the best in the world to finally graduate from an highly esteemed university in this part of the world.

Scores of Papua New Guineans must have had this feeling when graduating on foreign soil, the feeling of flying the national colours, to be one among the many, especially when reaching for that hard earned certificate as it is being handed over at the podium with a congratulatory hand shake. 

On this chilly winter morning, Albert Park in the Auckland City Centre in New Zealand was abuzz with grandaunts, parents and well-wishers. With excitement in the air, nobody bothered about the occasional winter morning gust that stole its way up from Auckland’s busy Queen Street whipping up rustling dry leaves and flipping gowns over and resettling them repeatedly.  The day was all of admiration and joyfulness, everybody seemed to be happy, the array of graduation regalia worn by the scores of graduating students added a brilliant mix of colour to the bubbling atmosphere putting everybody into a mood of excitement and euphoria. 

It was July 26 the winter graduation day for the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in New Zealand. For the university this graduation was going to be a record, because for the first time ever a record number of 38 PhDs were awarded over two days of ceremonies. It was said that this was the highest number of PhDs granted by AUT University to date and an increase from the 20 PhDs awarded at the last graduation in December 2011.

Below Albert Park, the usually busy Queen street had come to stand still with police controlling traffic at both ends, as the university bagpipe band with members clad in fine Scottish traditional attire blew out a few heart-warming tunes in preparation for the march to the graduation hall. Among the grandaunts that had now exited Albert Park and formed a queue for the traditional graduation parade along Queen Street to the Aotea Centre stood two proud Papua New Guinean female grandaunts clad in the colourful gowns with a touch of the eye catching PNG meri blouse in the unmistakable PNG colours. These two ladies who held their heads high this morning under the rays of the rising Auckland sun were part of the 2500 strong contingent of graduating students. Far from home, their family and well-wishers were fellow PNG students, who had braved the early morning chill to be with them during their special moment. The two ladies fell in line and marched gracefully with the 2,498 graduating students to the Aotea Centre where the graduation ceremonies were held on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 July 2012.

They were Suzanne David from little known Babel village on far flung Karkar Island in Madang province graduating with a Masters of Health practice in Midwifery and Oslai Degena from Umi village in the famous Markham Valley graduating with a Bachelor of Health Science in Health promotion.  

Both had completed their studies from AUT’s North Shore campus which houses the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences among others and is located on Akoranga Drive in Northcote, Auckland. Suzanne completed a two years post graduate Master’s program while Oslai undertook a undergraduate bachelors program for three years. The 26^th of July marked the day when they had successfully completed their studies.

Although they had finally achieved their objectives of coming to New Zealand both ladies said it was not over for them. They still had a daunting task ahead, and that was to head back over the Tasman and across the Coral Sea to PNG to serve the people in their respective capacities as qualified health professionals.

Their road to get this far in their professional and educational lives had not come easily as these words. Ms Degena during her working days in PNG had been a roving health practitioner serving in five provinces in various capacities mostly in the private sector. All the jobs she performed were not good enough to settle her, like a prying eagle from afar, she was always looking out for educational opportunities until the days of searching finally ended in mid-2009 when she was accepted to undertake studies in New Zealand, which she has finally completed. With three different types of qualifications up her sleeve, she is more determined step out into the world to see what she can do for her country. Meanwhile the soft spoken island girl, Suzanne had been serving in the Lutheran Health Services run by Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG particularly in her home province in various capacities with the latest being the Sister in Charge (SIC) of remote Biliau Health Centre across Madang’s notorious Astrolabe Bay in the mountainous Rai Coast area. In this capacity she had taken charge of a facility manned by five staff.

Both have a good number of years’ experience serving in both rural and urban health facilities. During the course of their work, they had worked their way up the ranks in their respective organisations which earned them the opportunity to pursue further studies, particularly overseas.

Over the years scores of Papua New Guineans have earned qualifications from overseas universities which can be recognised anywhere in the world and the number will continue to increase steadily in the ensuing years. With this steady increase of highly qualified graduates, the challenge of providing appropriate jobs for our graduates is ever lurking and needs to be given utmost attention by the government. Lack of such initiatives will only draw qualified Papua New Guineans to leave our shores to look for jobs that meet their qualifications offshore.

While most graduates are enthusiastic to return home to contribute to its developmental prospects, the conditions and environment for this to appropriately happen must be provided for by the appropriate agencies including the government.

These energetic and enthusiastic young ladies revealed that, while Suzanne was still attached to the Church agency she had worked with before studies, Ms Degena was not sure where she would end up in order to utilise the skills she was now endowed with. 

Although they are enthusiastic to return and serve the country, finding suitable employment seems to be the down side of their achievements. Nevertheless both ladies have high hopes and look forward to returning and serving the people of the country. Suzanne David intends to align with the Lutheran Health Services to serve the people in whatever capacity she is accorded. She is keen to work with the Lutheran Health Services health care program and start up cervical cancer test clinics in smaller health facilities within Madang province.

She highlighted the need for such clinics to bolster women’s health and is looking forward to extend and ensure this service is available in small rural set ups if given the required support by her organisation.

Asked why she was interested in working with Lutheran Health Services, she said, “Because I started there and I owe it to the organisation, they have supported me through my studies, so as a token of appreciation I will go back and work with them to extend their services through innovative approaches for the benefit of the people.” Her ultimate aim is to get a cervical cancer pep test clinic running in the ensuing years.

Meanwhile Ms Degena admits it will be a quite a task to land a job on her return, but this hasn’t dampened her interest to return and serve the country. She bets it is a two way process in which potential employers have to consider what she can offer to the organisation rather than what the organisation has to offer her. She believes the utilisation of her skills and knowledge can be beneficial to the organisation as well.        

Having graduated from a university (AUT) that is an advocate of innovative approaches to teaching, learning and research, in particular its focus on providing a pragmatic 'real world' approach, ensuring excellence in learning, teaching and developing outstanding graduates for practice in their chosen fields, the ladies are optimistic they will be of value to the health service delivery needs in Papua New Guinea and are looking forward to see where they can fit in to serve.