Friday, May 13, 2022

1) Manawatū international student finds new passion and career path


2) West Papua students 'emotionally unstable' over scholarship loss
3) KKB Allegedly Shoots Asian One Plane Landing at Papua's Ilaga Airport 

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1) Manawatū international student finds new passion and career path

Manawatū reporter 10:14, May 09 2022

A Palmerston North international student has devoted hundreds of hours to a non-profit organisation and opened a door to a new career.
Arnold Yoman, 19, came to New Zealand in 2019 from Jayapura on an Indonesian government scholarship and has been studying at Awatapu College in Palmerston North.
The school’s international department had a programme to get international students involved in business during their first summer separated from overseas friends and family.
He started volunteering at Wholegrain Organics when he couldn’t go home because of Covid-19 border closures.
“I was welcomed to volunteer by the Wholegrain Organics farm and cafe and liked it so much that I asked to stay on after the holidays were over,” he said.
He volunteered at Wholegrain Organics’ farm during the school holidays and once it became obvious he had a passion and a knack for horticulture, the school started working with Wholegrain Organics so he could continue his work and get NCEA credits.
Yoman’s work is through Wholegrain Organics’ hands-on food programme, where he plants, maintains and harvests organic produce for the community.
He will have completed more than 500 hours by the end of his voluntary work.
He is in his final year of school and wants to stay in New Zealand to study horticulture at Lincoln University in Canterbury next year.


Wholegrain Organics’ hands-on food programme has been running since 2015, a non-profit scheme working with young people in community programmes like a regenerative vegetable farm and a training kitchen and deli.
The programme’s food technology, nutrition and horticulture educator Gosia Wiatr said they loved having young people involved because it gave them access to quality and inclusive learning opportunities.
“Arnold’s work ethic has been an encouragement for other young people in the programme.
“International students have always been a great part of our programme, so we wanted to support the students who were separated from their families over the holidays. 
“We’ve been happy about their success stories, with students finding new career paths, improving their English and enriching their time in New Zealand as a result.”

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2) West Papua students 'emotionally unstable' over scholarship loss
George Heagney 05:00, May 14 2022

A group of students from West Papua in Indonesia are fearful about their futures in New Zealand after their scholarships were cut off.
A group of about 40 students have been studying at different tertiary institutions in New Zealand, but in December received a letter from the Provincial Government of Papua saying their living allowances, travel and study fees were stopping and they had to return home because their studies had not met expectations.
West Papua student Laurens Ikinia is part of a group advocating for the students. He said some students had gone home, but about 25 remained at Auckland, Waikato and Canterbury universities, as well as Palmerston North polytech UCOL and tertiary institution IPU New Zealand.
“The reason the Government used was because we were not making any progress on our studies. We have actually requested from the provincial government about how did they come up with that?
“All the students on the list are halfway through completing their studies. All the information they put in is completely wrong.”

Ikinia said the letter was a shock and many of the students were uncertain about whether they could stay in New Zealand.
Many were struggling without the scholarship, unable to focus on their studies and “mentally and emotionally unstable”.
The group had asked immigration minister Kris Faafoi and the Green Party for help.
Roy Towolom, 21, came to New Zealand in 2016 from Tolikara and attended Awatapu College in Palmerston North.
He is one of 11 Papuan students in his carpentry course at UCOL and he has about a week left before he completes his studies. UCOL and his church have been supporting him since his living allowance stopped.

He said the affected students were confused about being asked to leave and the government letter did not make sense and was out of date.
“It was pretty shocking. There was no specific reason why the funds were cut. We didn't know what the reason was.”
His student visa expired next month, but he wanted to stay in New Zealand and was thinking about becoming a builder. He hoped to get a work visa.
A spokesperson for the Indonesian Embassy said the scholarship programme in New Zealand was run by the Provincial Government of Papua and 593 students were receiving the scholarship.
The decision to repatriate some Papuan students overseas was “based on evaluation regarding academic performance, the time allocation of the relevant scholarships”

“It is also important to highlight that only those who have exceeded the allocated time of the scholarship and those who cannot meet the academic requirements are being recalled.”
The spokesperson said most scholarship recipients had been studying in New Zealand since 2015 and were yet to finish their tertiary education as planned.
“The decision to repatriate certain students does not impact those students who remain on track with regards to their studies abroad.
“The assessment is also conducted to ensure that other eligible students from Papua province also obtain the same opportunity in pursuing their studies.”
The embassy has been in contact with the affected students.

A spokesperson for Faafoi said none of the students were at risk of being deported and Immigration New Zealand had discussed the situation with them.
“Students who do not meet requirements to stay in New Zealand will be encouraged to depart voluntarily.”
The Papuan Provincial Government would cover their repatriation costs, they said.
A UCOL spokesperson said the institution was supporting the 15 students at UCOL with living costs.
The University of Canterbury’s international partnership and support manager Monique van Veen said the university’s student care team was working with the affected students.

“It has definitely created hardship and stress for these scholars. We have been in touch with Education New Zealand to let them know what’s going on.” 
A spokesperson for the University of Waikato said they were unable to comment due to privacy reasons. 
IPU and The University of Auckland did not respond to a request for comment.
The Papuan Provincial Government had been contacted for comment.
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3) KKB Allegedly Shoots Asian One Plane Landing at Papua's Ilaga Airport 

Translator: Dewi Elvia Muthiariny  

 Editor: Markus Wisnu Murti 

13 May 2022 17:14 WIB

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The armed criminal group or KKB allegedly shot Asian One plane that was about to land at Aminggaru Ilaga Airport, Puncak Regency, Papua on Friday morning, May 13, at around 10:00 a.m. Eastern Indonesian Time (WIT).

“As a result, the plane returned to Timika without unloading the goods it carried,” said Ilaga Aminggaru Airport Management Unit (UPBU) Head Herman Sujito, as quoted from Antara in Jayapura, Friday, May 13, 2022.

Herman explained that based on the report, the cargo plane belonging to the chartered airline was about to land when two gunshots were heard. Thus, the pilot decided to return to its original region, Timika.

Additionally, when the plane was about to make a turn, a gunshot was heard again and fortunately, the bullet did not hit the fuselage. “There were no casualties or damaged properties in the incident,” said Herman.

He also mentioned that there were three other cargo planes flying behind the Asian One plane during the incident. They all then returned to Timika, Papua. “After the shooting incident, no planes landed at Aminggaru Ilaga Airport,” Herman said.

The Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) have not issued an official statement regarding the incident until now.

Read: Police Report Another Shootout with Armed Groups in Papua

ANTARA



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