Morris Gebby, 29, from Rigo, Central. Picture supplied
AS the eldest of three brothers, Morris Gebby, 29, from Rigo district in Central Province shared his story of how the opportunity to be a part of the Papua LNG project has changed his life.
“In 2000, my mother passed away, and then we were taken care of by our father, but he remarried. So, we grew up in a life of struggle,” Morris shared with a heavy-hearted tone.
Morris is the second-born in a family of five boys. His world fell apart after the passing of his mother, and then his elder brother in 2011, and although he was abandoned by his father, Morris did not give up in life.
After taking up the role as the elder brother, he kept moving forward, knowing full well that he had to support his younger brothers.
“With what I earn (now), I am able to assist my siblings with their needs and most importantly, their school fares,” he recalled.
He reflected on his first day at the base camp.
“It was so bare, most of the buildings that stand now were not around,” Gebby said.
He was hired in 2014 as local hire, to assist with tasks in clearing and construction in and around the camp area. With the abrupt disturbance of Covid-19 in 2019, Morris returned home to Port Moresby and applied for other jobs.
It was only in February of this year, that Morris was able to return to base camp through OILMIN Holdings limited (OILMIN) as a laundry foreman.
OILMIN is a field service company that offers support services such as construction, camp management, catering, and many others, mostly to oil and gas companies.
“I love my job because through it, I can support my family,” Gebby said.
“My family is always grateful for me being given the opportunity to work here as they know that through this job, they have a place to rest and food on the table.
“When I am on-site, they respect me and do not put too much pressure on me but only share positive stories when they talk with me over the phone.”
He said through this opportunity, he is able to give back to his village community whenever they need his assistance. And that makes his community members view him as a leader and respect him when he visits.
Putting on fresh clean clothes can make one feel brand new each time. And that is the experience laundry foreman Morris and his team aim to give to workers and visitors at Herd Base.
It may be regarded as a simple and humble duty by some, but it surely is not, when you have to make sure 240 people, plus visitors, have to have clean clothes to wear every morning and afternoon.
As for Morris, he sees it as a challenge and finds satisfaction when he delivers the exact number of items back to their owners after laundry is done, under his supervision.
“I enjoy doing laundry because I am always accurate with my record keeping – no missing items so far,” he said proudly.
Morris is a father of three healthy and happy children and a husband to a proud and supportive wife. He continues to delightfully work hard and aims to carry on contributing to the project with the hope to be part of it throughout its longevity.
