By CHERYL KAVAGU- DWU Trainee Journalist
ON Wednesday 13 November, 2024, the evening was pleasant with a soft cooling breeze blowing through the coastlines of Rai Coast District. A young woman who looked to be in her late twenties sat at the Ramu NiCo’s Basamuk Basketball courtyard and stared at her mobile phone.
The woman wore a meri blouse, a black trouser and tied a laplap around her waist just like the hula girl.
The Ramu NiCo’ Basamuk refinery basketball court used to be an exciting place full of fun at nights after work but the fun did not capture her attention. She was gazing at her phone from time to time.
Kency Bossip the only female graduate who was selected under the Ramu NiCo’s Graduate Development Scheme program for 2024. As she sat gazing at her phone, one would tell she was eager to communicate with some people.
Bossip is a young mother and the look she gives on her phone tells that she misses her family especially her children very much whom she left in the care of her loving husband back home in Jiwaka and this is her story.
The 28-year-old Kency Bossip hails from Dona village, in the beautiful region of North Waghi District, Jiwaka Province. Jiwaka was newly established as a province of Papua New Guinea in 2012 and it is known for its high-quality Arabica coffee beans.
Bossip’s education journey began when she attended Dona primary school in her village.
She completed her primary education in 2011 and got selected to Minj Secondary to do her grade 9 to 12 from 2012 to 2015.
As a young woman with a bright future ahead, her goal is to complete her studies and become an employee of a mining company. She never dreamed of anything else in her life.
“Everyone has their own dream, for me I want to work in the mine after I complete my school because I used to admire those women working in mines and wearing mining boots and I want to be like them one day”, Bossip said, breaking a soft laugh.
Coming from a family of four siblings, Bossip is the second born in the family. Bossip’s dream was nearly torn apart when she lost her beloved father in 2015 whilst doing her grade 12. Her father’s death left a scar in her heart but Bossip was resilient.
Her father had helped her build her dream to work in a mine and she must not stop there, she must fulfil that dream, it was a dream they both had started.
In 2016, she was selected to University of Natural Science and Resources (UNRE) in East New Britain Province to study Tropical Agriculture, unfortunately, it was not her dream so she withdrew and stayed with her elder sister at Kokopo for three years.
Whilst at home, she upgraded her marks at the Kokopo UNPNG open campus and in 2018 she applied to many institutions but the University of Technology accepted her to study Applied Chemistry.
Bossip’s new academic journey began in the bustling hallways of her university, where she juggled lectures, assignments, and the demands of motherhood. She became pregnant while studying and was forced to withdraw her studies.
“Being pregnant and studying at the same time was a real struggle for me but that did not stop me from persisting in my study,” Bossip said.
“After my first child, I left him with my husband and went back to UniTech as a self-sponsored student, from there on I studied really hard and got a DHERST scholarship”, Bossip shared.
She completed her first year and second year at UniTech but unfortunately, she had to withdraw in her third year for the second time because she was expecting her second child.
Bossip withdrew from school to spend the whole year 2021 with her two beautiful children.
With a fresh start in 2022 Bossip reapplied back to UniTech as a readmitting student to finish her third year.
Understanding that education is just the beginning, Bossip sought opportunities to further her career while in her fourth and final year.
Unitech is a university that shapes and prepares the technical workforce of Papua New Guinea including engineers, Chemists and scientists.
The university usually hosts career fairs to help their students choose their career pathway.
In Mid 2023, the career fair was hosted and Bossip recollected her thoughts of seeing herself in a mining boot, she started down the hallway, exploring each mining company one by one. Then she came across the Ramu NiCo booth.
It was the only booth that stood out from all the other booths during their school’s Career Expo in 2023.
Ramu NiCo was the only mining company that was doing the preliminary interview during the career fair and that attracted most of the students. Bossip has heard about Ramu NiCo and used to think that Basamuk refinery and Kurumbukari mine sites were the same and located in the same area but she learnt from the Ramu NiCo booth that they were two different places operating under one company.
That was interesting. Bossip also learnt that Kurumbulari mine site is located in Bundi LLG in Usino Bundi district and is connected with a 135-kilometre pipeline.
“Team Ramu NiCo stood out from all the other booths because Mr. Heptol and them were doing face to face interviews with the students and I also went and applied for the GDS program,” Bossip said.
“I knew I was the only female who applied so I was pretty sure that Ramu NiCo would still get me,” she said with a smile.
At the end 2023 Bossip completed her four years of studies at UniTech and in February 2024, she graduating proudly with a degree in Applied Chemistry, a symbol of her dedication and hard work.
Fast forward time and Kency found herself as the only female among the 19 males Ramu NiCo accepted to work under the Graduate Development Program.
After signing the contract with Ramu NiCo in June 2024, Bossip and seven male colleagues travelled to Basamuk Refinery site where she was assigned to work under the Water and Steam section while her other male colleagues work in other departments at the refinery.
Her dream of wearing a mining boot came true when she was issued two sets of work uniforms and a pair of boots normally referred to as PPE.
She looked at her PPEs, lifted her boots and a smile broke out on her face showing her white teeth. A smile that tells a long story down memory lane.
Bossip had been dreaming of wearing a mining boot and of course wearing a mining uniform to complete the dressing code that would go with the boots and she was just given one.
She was delighted. She called home and as usual, she updated her husband, children and other relatives about the latest development at her new working place.
The first day in her new PPE feels special and holds promises of a new chapter of her life.
Bossip said her first weeks at work were challenging because the section she was attached to was dominated by males.
“I’m not used to working with males so during my first day at work I was scared but I pretended that I was strong and whatever my male colleagues say I followed them and we worked together,” she recalled.
“But as time went on, I established a good relationship with my male colleagues.”
To Bossip, the Graduate Development Scheme is a golden opportunity Ramu NiCo has given her to fulfil her dream of working with a mining company.
According to Bossip, this program is designed to groom the next generation of leaders in the industry and it has offered her not just a job, but also the chance to grow as a professional.
“I appreciate Ramu NiCo for initiating this program because it’s difficult nowadays to find a job and whilst I’m working some of my course mates are still searching for jobs,” Bossip said.
She said that for three months working with the Chinese, they have great work ethic. Their sense of duty to their work is very important to them. They value their work.
“My Chinese colleagues are good people, we treat each other with respect and I am delighted to work with these people,” Bossip added.
She applauded Ramu NiCo for offering the Graduate Development Program for recently graduated students like her to venture into the workforce and gain hands- on experience of working with those who have work experience already.
Ramu NiCo Development Scheme a two-year program that shows the company’s commitment in developing the human resources of Papua New Guinea.
The program is established to engage graduating students from tertiary institutions into the workforce to gain hands-on experience in their field of expertise.
