"You don't stop because it does not turn out right the first time" - Marilyn Duwaba, Grade 12 FODE Student
“When you set out to do something, when one door closes but you keep striving you will eventually achieve what you set out to do. Giving up is not an option, and that is what we are trying to teach our children and students, if you keep trying you will eventually get there.”
Marilyn, a busy single mother of three boys and a local primary school teacher in Kiunga, recently graduated after successfully upgrading her Grade 12 with Western Outreach FODE. When she first completed Grade 12 over 25 years ago, she received a GPA of just 1.9. In 2023, she made her first attempt at upgrading but fell short of the new minimum government requirements. Undeterred, she persevered, and in 2024 - on her third attempt - her determination paid off.
“It was quite a jump from 1.9 when I was in class twenty years ago. It took me twenty years to upgrade myself to 2.5 and above, so I’m happy with my achievement.”
Not only did Marilyn improve her GPA to 2.5, but she was also honoured as Dux of her class. When Marilyn first realised she was awarded Dux, she couldn't believe it
“I was amazed, I thought they got the name wrong because that was my second time at upgrading. To do it two times and then get the dux was amazing. I was so excited that my effort had paid off. I feel that with this kind of opportunity in the community, we don't have to stay at the same level, we can continue to advance ourselves and provide good opportunities for our families and contribute to our communities as well.”
A huge inspiration for Marilyn to continue her education journey was her father,
“He was the person behind me taking up this studies to actually better myself and get a better grade.”
Her father, Nauli Duwaba, was a high school teacher for many years in Balimo and Kiunga. He was a huge advocate for education - and instilled a deep appreciation for learning in both his family and community. Nauli later joined the KTF team as the first-ever FODE principal at Balimo FODE and later moved to Morehead to help kickstart FODE program in this remote location, lending his talents as principal. He sadly passed away in 2023, leaving behind an enduring legacy of passion for education.
“My dad was my mentor, he was encouraging me and he unfortunately passed away last year in June but I thought this is in memory of my dad to achieve this, one day I will meet him again and I’ll let him know that I finally succeeded.”
She has also passed down the importance of education to her sons. In a turn of events, her middle son was also completing Grade 12 at the same time as Marilyn.
“The roles reversed and my sons were tutoring me. My sons tutored me for this, I tutored them when they were in primary school and now that they are doing Grade 12 they help me. It was a family effort.”
Most of Marilyn’s students have no access to phones or the internet, meaning, as she puts it, “they rely on what we teach them.” This sense of responsibility has driven her to upgrade her education and expand her knowledge to align with the current curriculum, ensuring she can provide the best possible learning for her students. For Marilyn, upgrading her Grade 12 has been a form of professional development, refreshing her understanding of subjects and equipping her with the confidence and skills to be a more effective teacher.
“With this upgrading it actually helps us boost our teaching in the class. What we learnt some twenty years back in the classroom is kind of outdated, so when we do upgrading we are aligned with the current trends in education. So it's very helpful. I feel that after re-doing my Grade 12 again that I am well-versed in these subjects, I can help the students passing through my grade.”
While she may be satisfied for now, this journey has renewed and reignited Marilyn’s passion for learning. She has plans to continue her education in the future,
“Having seen that I can do anything that I set out to do. I would go back [to school], this is not the end. This has given me the encouragement to keep on going and further in my education, so I can offer something better to my family, to my children, and community.”
Marilyn has learnt an important lesson from this experience, something that she is already sharing with her children, family and students,
“You don't stop because it does not turn out right the first time. If you want to achieve something then you keep going. Education does not end with a certain grade, we can keep upgrading ourselves so we can provide a better community for ourselves and our families.”
We could not agree more, Marilyn.
Vale Nauli Duwaba.
Nauli leaves a legacy of impact on the education landscape in Western province, and enduring influence on the many thousands of students he taught over his long and dedicated career. Rest easy dear friend.
Western Outreach FODE is a SDP funded initiative delivered in partnership with KTF
