For more than forty years ABV has delivered intrinsic value to myriad volunteers, skilled business professionals, corporate partners, and the community organisations they have supported. Of course, the flow of benefits doesn’t stop there, and it is the lives of individuals and families at the very end of the support chain, that give true meaning and value to ABV’s work.
One such beneficiary, and an inspiring success story, is Ms Loise Kondiak, a 30-year-old wife and mother of two children from Lihir Island.
Along with raising her children and nurturing her family, Loise is the Sole Proprietor and Business Owner of Elai Limited and the Coordinator for Lihir Sustainable Development Program now Lihir Wide Program.
Loise graduated from Pacific Adventists University in Port Moresby in 2014 and was subsequently employed at Puma Energy Limited. Her strong desire to return to her mother’s land and the opportunity to benefit from the Newcrest gold mine activity, prompted her to return to Lihir.
In 2019, Loise came across posters on the notice boards in Londolovit town, which advertised the Apeketon Business Hub’s business development workshops. Clearly not one to shy away from hard work, Loise attended and completed the five-day Family Money Management Program (FMMP) and followed up with the five-day Your Enterprise Scheme (YES) Start Up training program delivered over two consecutive weeks.
Loise described the YES Start Up workshop as an eye opener.
‘The basic business skills and knowledge I gained from the YES Start Up course was a real awakening for me,’ Loise said. ‘The business model canvas gave me the basic tools and know-how and helped me to do business correctly. I finally found the solutions I needed for starting a business’.
‘I continue to connect with Apeketon Business Hub for advice and support to strengthen my skills as well as the processes within my business. The Hub provides a centre of development and opportunities. It encourages and broadens my thoughts around business opportunities in the mine and externally, and I regularly bounce ideas off ABH staff.’
As a direct result of the workshops, Loise was able to prepare her business documents and applied for vendors and accreditation through Monadelphous for labour hire employees as storeman, blaster and boil makers. She also secured a business loan through Bank of South Pacific’s SME Loan program.
The loan allowed Loise to purchase a brand new 15-seater bus, which is used for the business daily operations. And more importantly Loise now owns a four-bedroom house she built in her husband’s village with the profits from her business.
Loise’s hard work and determination, with a little help from ABV, has given her and her family a life that she says has more meaning and satisfaction. Loise acknowledged that her biggest support comes from the partnership she has with her husband Albert Silambe who is the Operations Manager at Elai Ltd and father of her two beautiful children.
