There’s nothing more inspirational than a rags to riches business story. It takes hard work and commitment to propel people from the ordinary to the amazing.
In this story Maita Yawi tells of how he saved three quarters of his K70 salary to become a successful businessman in Lae.
When Maita Yawi started selling Buai in 2008, he didn’t know that he would come this far.
His story is very Papua New Guinean. It is a story of a security guard come businessman who started off by selling buai and cigarettes during his off duty hours.
From his K70 fortnight wage he was earning, Maita saved three quarters.
The prize he achieved 4 years later is what he had always dreamed of.
Maita Yawi comes from Kagua, in the Southern Highlands Province. With no formal education, he left his village in Southern Highlands and went to Lae in search of a better life.
After almost ten years of struggling with city life, he has achieved what he hasn’t thought much about.
Over the weekend, he did what many didn’t expect… he slaughtered over 100 pigs and over 50 cows as a festive gift to commemorate his achievements at his village in Kagua in the Southern Highlands province.
Besides his success story, he also has other stories to tell.
A former marijuana and alcohol addict, he says his one choice he made several years ago helped him get to where he is now.
Maita Yawi is one of the few Papua New Guineans who have ventured into businesses; an area that only a few may survive.
Today he operates over 20 PMV buses and a hire car business in Lae; a business that is making him millions, he says.
He says he wants other Papua New Guineans to follow in his footsteps. Although it is a journey that takes a lot of effort to build up, the outcome is so much more rewarding.
He says, for every sacrifice one makes, its benefits will always outweigh its costs.
And for a man in this situation, he says he has no regrets.
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