Nou Ako
LEGACY
Whose legacy, am I?
I realised that an era for one employee had come to an end. And a new chapter in her professional life had just begun.
As I pondered on this young woman entering a new era, the subject of legacy dawned on me. Whose legacy, is she? To whom will she attribute her professional stature. Will she live up to that legacy that has been bestowed upon her?
Whose legacy, am I?
In this department I work in, the one I call home and the staff, all of whom I call my family, which one of them has endowed his or her legacy upon me?
Whose legacy, am I? Have I lived up to the values he or she lived up to? Have I consistently walked on the path he or she set for me? To whom will I attribute my professional stature.
After all, all I am today, professionally speaking, is because of one or two or a group of them who had the vision to launch my career.
What is Legacy?
Legacy is defined as something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor. When we talk about legacy, we always talk about that something (legacy) left behind by someone who has moved on.
We rarely talk about the legacies that we ourselves are today. Or when we do, it is mostly in our heads.
As a result, we hardly pay tribute to those who have given their time and their effort, selflessly, in ensuring:
- we continue to grow,
- we continue to be empowered,
- we continue to be supported,
- we continue to be motivated,
- we continue to be trained and,
- we continue to be encouraged to continue progressing forward regardless of the mountains before us.
Keep progressing they say. Be steadfast in your commitment they say. Be honest. Be fair. Embrace the truth they say. Be worthy of the career you have built. Be trust-worthy they say.
Today I pay tribute
Today I pay tribute to the people who have played a part in the trajectory of my professional career as a Chemist in this company.
- Marissa Giti & Martin Kenia who paved the way for me in 2002 under the Graduate Development Scheme.
- Henry Kundapen for my training in Acid Rock Drainage.
- Jetrapa Tinkarame for taking me under his wings and showing me the ropes in my profession.
- Dominic Bainok and late Kams Keakop for their selfless efforts in my training.
- Denius Titi and Andrew Limi for their guidance and direction.
- Hillary Turnamur for introducing me to shift supervisory work at the Mill Chemistry Laboratory.
- Jerry Nanuk for giving meaning to my professional career in empowering me with the globally recognised ISO/IEC 17025 standard.
- And finally, but by no means least, Jesse Pile, Manager Environment, for believing in my potential at a time when we as a department were going through nationalisation.
I also thank my then General Manager, Musje Werror, who is currently MD & CEO for Ok Tedi Mining Ltd, and my current General Manager, Kedi Ilimbit, for their enduring support.
Life in terms of time is finite. Undoubtedly, our professional careers in terms of time is also finite. One of these days, we will decide to move on to pursue other endeavours in life.
And the only remnants of our professional careers in this company will be our legacy. Not our titles. Legacy is of great worth. It is the only one valuable gift we can accord this company and those who consider themselves our legacy.
As a result, it is in our best interest to live up to the values that have been bestowed upon us.
Values that are worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8
“whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
If such is our legacy, then great, as it would add lasting value with those who consider themselves as our legacy, and in whom we entrusted positive influence to ensure the continued success of this company even long after we have left.
Thank you for having the time to read. Until next time, be safe.