{"id":97839,"date":"2021-03-29T11:01:32","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T11:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=179902"},"modified":"2021-03-29T11:01:32","modified_gmt":"2021-03-29T11:01:32","slug":"papuan-student-accomplishes-first-commercial-pilot-licence-in-nz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/03\/29\/papuan-student-accomplishes-first-commercial-pilot-licence-in-nz\/","title":{"rendered":"Papuan student accomplishes first commercial pilot licence in NZ"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Laurens Ikinia in Auckland<\/em><\/p>\n

Nickson Stevi Yikwa had a dream. As a Papuan student, he wanted to gain a commercial pilot licence in New Zealand so that he could go back home to help his fellow indigenous Papuans at remote highlands villages.<\/p>\n

His dream was shared by Papuan provincial Governor Lukas Enembe and his deputy, Klemen Tinal, since they were elected in 2013.<\/p>\n

And Nickson Stevi Yikwa, \u201cStevi\u201d as he is known, has done it.<\/p>\n

He completed his commercial licence from Ardmore Flying School earlier this month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to be a pilot because my people in the remote villages need me and are waiting for me to come home as a pilot to serve them,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Since 2014, the provincial government of the Indonesian-ruled Melanesian province Papua has been sending a steady stream of indigenous Papuan students abroad, including to New Zealand, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States.<\/p>\n

This year, several Papuan students will be graduating from New Zealand universities as undergraduate and master\u2019s students. Yikwa\u2019s achievement as a pilot is the first success story of this year and several students will follow him.<\/p>\n

Grateful for governor\u2019s support<\/strong>
Yikwa, the second oldest of six siblings, says he is really grateful for what he has accomplished.<\/p>\n

He extended his gratitude particularly to Governor Enembe and all those who have helped him on his study journey.<\/p>\n

He has faced many challenges since he first came to New Zealand in 2014 \u2013 such as the language barrier, cultural shock, education system, weather, family burden, and other issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first came to New Zealand, I couldn\u2019t speak English at all. What I knew was only several sentences like, \u2018what is your name, my name is, how are you, and I am fine\u2019,\u201d says Yikwa.<\/p>\n

He carried the burden of setting an example for his siblings. As he completed his elementary to high school studies in Papua, Yikwa struggled to adjust with the materials delivered in class, given that he did not have good English.<\/p>\n

Yikwa says he was lucky to be surrounded by supportive teachers, instructors, people from the churches he attended, and friends he \u201changs out with\u201d.<\/p>\n

Faced with the challenges, Yikwa says he was close to giving up his studies, but he always put his people in West Papua ahead in his mind and their need for him to come home as a pilot.<\/p>\n

\u2018Trust in God\u2019<\/strong>
\u201cWhile holding onto this kind of thought, I always put my trust in God. I got support from great people around me and I really committed myself towards my study,\u201d says Yikwa.<\/p>\n

He says that while doing English programmes at IPU New Zealand Tertiary Institute, he tried more than 10 tests \u2013 both TOEIC and IELTS \u2013 to enable him to get into aviation school.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t easy to do as English is his third language and he did not have basic English when he came to New Zealand.<\/p>\n

On behalf of Yikwa\u2019s family, Amos Yikwa, says they are extremely proud of what Stevi has achieved. Amos Yikwa also thanked Governor Enembe and the provincial government for granting Stevi a scholarship.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll Stevi\u2019s family are extremely grateful to Lukas Enembe and all the people who have contributed to his success,\u201d says Amos Yikwa.<\/p>\n

Amos Yikwa, who is former Deputy Regent of Tolikara regency, says that as far as he knows, Stevi, is the first student from the regency to officially complete a commercial pilot\u2019s licence.<\/p>\n

Amos Yikwa says Stevi Yikwa was an obedient child and he didn\u2019t play with friends. His daily activities were going to school, helping his parents at home, participating in church activities, and playing soccer.<\/p>\n

Needed in remote highlands<\/strong>
\u201cI hope that when Stevi returns to Papua, God will use him to serve his people, particularly in the remote highlands area that desperately an aviation service,\u201d says Amos Yikwa.<\/p>\n

Sutikshan Sharma, Yikwa\u2019s instructor at Ardmore Flying School says it was an honour for him to help students achieve their dreams to be a pilot. He says having a student like Stevi Yikwa is encouraging.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I can tell you about Stevi is that he is very hard working, honest and he knows his purpose. He knows what he wants, and he works for it. It is always good to have students like him,\u201d says Sharma.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has come through a lot, he had to learn English as English is not his first language. Coming to a country where English is not their first language and doing a hard course like aviation is an achievement in itself. And I really praise him for that and what he has achieved, good on him to be honest,\u201d says the instructor.<\/p>\n

Sharma says that when Yikwa was having a flight test, he passed with 85 percent. This is a really good standard and it is really tough for the student to reach to that level, he says.<\/p>\n

Marveys Ayomi, the Papuan provincial scholarship coordinator in New Zealand, who selected Stevi Yikwa as a Papua provincial government scholarship recipient in 2014, says that the study success of a student cannot necessarily be viewed from academic capability alone.<\/p>\n

He believes that self-strength is also one of the attributes that has contributed to the success of Stevi and other Papuan students.<\/p>\n

Motivation to succeed<\/strong>
\u201cBeing an academic myself and being in this position as the scholarship coordinator sometimes we overlook the importance of one\u2019s inner strength and an individual\u2019s drive and motivation to succeed,\u201d says Ayomi.<\/p>\n

Ayomi, who is also the first indigenous Papuan to become a lecturer in New Zealand, says that mental strength is a key because he believes that when students have the right academic skills then they are bound to succeed. But that\u2019s not the only attribute that contributes to success.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes much more than that and I think the mental or inner-strength that Stevi has was probably the key driving factor behind his success \u2013 and the faith to believe that \u2018I can do it\u2019.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t an easy journey, but I knew he was capable of accomplishing his goal,\u201d says Ayomi.<\/p>\n

Ayomi, who has been working as a coordinator of the scholarship programme since 2014, says that serving Papuan students is a great honour and having seen Stevi accomplishing his dream gives him great pleasure.<\/p>\n

He says all the parents in Papua would like to see their children doing well on their studies.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Barack Obama always says, \u2018Yes We Can\u2019. I believe that Papuans also can make this world to be a better place,\u201d Ayomi says.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what Papuan students should do is not only being proud of being Papuans but they need to take it seriously and show it through their studies. With that in mind, we shouldn\u2019t be at the back of the queue, but we should be in the front line,\u201d says Ayomi.<\/p>\n

Stevi Yikwa says that if other people can do it, \u201cwe also can do it\u201d.<\/p>\n

Laurens Ikinia<\/a> is a Papuan Masters in Communication Studies student at Auckland University of Technology who has been studying journalism. He contributes to Asia Pacific Report.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Print<\/a><\/div>\n\n

This post was originally published on Radio Free<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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