BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
THREE decades ago, Andrew’s determination to continue his secondary level of education failed due to his parents’ lack of financial capacity to pay his school fees.
Father of two, Andrew To’iraena, 40, recalled that his early ambition whilst at school was to become a civil engineer, however, it did not eventuate due to lack of money to facilitate his journey in formal education.
“My interest for the career (civil engineer) emerged since primary school. I was good at Science, Mathematics and English. Those are my favourite subjects.
“I was sad when I heard I have no financial assistance to continue on with my education; whilst faced with the situation, I started to volunteer myself in house building tasks (carpentry activities), it later become my hobby,” To’iraena recalled.
Andrew was born in 1978 and was raised amongst a family of seven children (five boys and two girls) in Masupa, one of the largest communities in East Are‘are, Malaita province.
“I know the fact that my parents can’t afford to continue my formal education, however, I managed to complete my form one at Rokera Provincial Secondary School, Small Malaita in 1990.
“I know the end of my journey in secondary education has now arrived, I went back to my village and it was from there that I started to engage myself in community work,” he recalled.
In 1998, age 20, Andrew left his home village in Masupa, East Are‘are in a quest to find employment in Honiara.
“I was quite lucky to secure an employment opportunity with the Solomon Islands Ports Authority’s Marine Credit Union.
“However, a year later (in 1992), I managed to switch to another employment opportunity as a shipping clerk in several government owned shipping vessels.
“I managed to become a shipping clerk on-board various government Marine Vessels (MV) including MV Baruku, MV Valley and MV Thomas- E,” he explained.
Andrew, a father of two and a widower told Sunday Isles that he had previously married to a woman (the mother of his two daughters) from North Malaita (in 1998), however, his wife died in 2013.
“The only task that I had now is to raise and support the future of my two children.
“My daughters are now doing well in their school in Honiara as I continue to support them with the little I earn from my work as a carpenter,” he said.
Now, a certified carpenter, Andrew says this year (August), he had an opportunity to undergo a one-week carpentry course at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU), Kukum Campus.
“I was recently awarded with a certificate in Intermediate Carpentry under National Trade Test offered by the government’s Ministry of Labour, Trade and Commerce at the SINU, Kukum Campus August this year.
With wealth of working experience in building construction and qualification in the field of carpentry, Andrew has worked as a leading supervisor (foreman) in the business of construction in Honiara.
