These are The Best Bit

I just came back from a graduation last night of another 6 people from our little MYOB course (1 week).

OK - so because of power shortages during the day, the certificates for the end of the course graduation couldn't be printed until later in the afternoon. So it's now my Friday night that will be holding graduation. Have to say, I was B*ggered from the week of work/auditors/etc - so I was a little testy, but anyhoo's - drove out there (just past dark - out to 9 mile) in the Anglican Bus and sat down to dinner with the bunch.

They had LOVED the course. Lapped it up. 3 of them were up until 2:30am on the Thursday night finishing a larger excercise. For a few of them, of course, having power and a computer for more than 3 hours in a day (ie. when the generator is running at night) was a huge bonus.

How much do you think to run x2, 1 week courses for 13 people (altogether)?? Well. Let's just say it's well more than K20,000 when you add up the plane fares, boat fares, PMV, accom., meals, course fees, pick-ups form the wharf etc. It's a LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE actually - and we only had x2 people over the course of the 2 sessions pull out/not be able to make it at the last moment. x3 of the Pariticipant were advised via Radio that the course was on - and to go to the airstrip at such and such a time. Annnnnyways - for those in PNG, will be going "yeah - so?" - but in Melb, you'd call all 14 on their mobile phones, give them a time, and hey-presto, you've got a training session. But as usual I digress.

I did some slik lik speech, and chatted some more with them all.

One of the bursars for a large highschool in the highlands had been working for 8 years with the Anglican Church/Matyrs - - this was the first time he'd been given training.

3 of the people at the course are bursars for schools of 600+ students. None of them are really using MYOB (one tries). I'm all for being careful about "appropriate technology" etc. - but for school's this large, there's no questions.

IT WAS SO GOOD THAT THEY GOT SO MUCH OUT OF IT. Really. Hmmm... hard to capture.