FROM STRENGHT TO STRENGHT! JEAN-MARIE’S RESILIENCE SHINES THROUGH
“If you do the things you’re most comfortable with, you’ll never learn or grow in life.”
Overcoming quite a lot to be where she is today, Jean-Marie Yalibu’s story serves as an inspiration to those currently going through a difficult situation that the Lord always provides and sees you through.
“Growing up in a mission home, I never thought that I would experience some of the struggles I went through in my life, so I firmly believe that God provides always and that the best teacher is life,” she says smiling.
Born and raised in Eastern Highlands, the Southern Highlands native and single mum of two is the General Services Manager for TotalEnergies.
“I’m the youngest of four and the only girl; I have three older brothers. My parents were missionaries, so I was born and raised in mission compound run by the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), where missionaries come from all over the world, live and dedicate their life to the local communities by educating, training and translating the Scripture. SIL is in the outback of Eastern Highlands,” she explains.
Having been educated for most of her formative years in the quaint little mission compound, she went on to complete her secondary school at Aiyura National High School in 2009 and then moved to Lae to pursue a Diploma in Civil Engineering at the National Polytechnic Institute of PNG.
Completing her course in 2012, she got her first job with Shorncliffe 1965 Limited shortly after graduating, as a Site Engineer.
“I had the choice of whether I wanted to work or continue with my studies, but I chose to work because of the situation I was in at the time. My first job as a Site Engineer was for routine and emergency road maintenance works on the Highlands Highway from Lae Main Wharf to Yung Creek,” she said.
“I was pregnant with my first born and it was tiring but fulfilling to be out on the highway, in the hot sun during those ‘Road Doctor’ days, she added smiling.
Leaving Shorncliffe after a year and a half, she joined Regional Engineering and Construction (REC) Ltd in 2014 as a Site Manager working full time on site, for the construction of classrooms at Balop Teacher’s Training College in Lae Morobe Province.
“During that time that I was with REC, I wanted to continue my studies, and my employer granted approval to take courses at the International Training Institute (ITI) Lae campus. So, I worked during the day and studied at night – I took night classes,” she said.
In 2016, she was hired as Special Projects Manager at the Pacific Adventist University (PAU). Relocating to Port Moresby, she was with PAU for four years as a newly single mum, following the birth of her baby, even managing to complete the course she had started in Lae at ITI and graduated with a Diploma in Business Management from the Port Moresby campus.
“I chose to focus on my career and it became the support that I needed during the difficult times – I had found a purpose and a way to block out all the negative. Even if things were falling apart in my personal life, I would always show up to work on time and dedicated myself 100% to my career,” she explains.
She eventually moved on from PAU and joined Brian Bell Group under the Property Division. She continued her passion for her studies and decided to get her degree. Accumulating all her entitled days off, she studied at Divine Word University and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Management.
Noticing an ad for her current position posted on her social network page and then recommended to her by friends, she felt compelled to apply.
“I was interested but hesitant at the same time because I did not have experience in the Oil and Gas industry. I was encouraged to apply nonetheless so I took it upon myself to do research on TotalEnergies globally and the type of work they were doing in PNG,” she says.
As part of a fully national team, led by a national female director, it is her job to ensure a safe and healthy working environment, overseeing all office related matters in terms of residential, commercial building, critical equipment and housekeeping for the Upstream Logistics site in Gulf, the office in Port Moresby and the logistics site out at AES.
“There’s a common respect of how far someone has worked to be where they are and so I appreciate that. Working for a big company such as TotalEnergies has really helped take me out of my comfort zone,” she attests.
She credits God for bringing her this far in life, her children as being a huge driving force, and her parents, to be better for them.
She shares a reminder that when you join an organisation, if you have the right attitude and are willing to learn, you will go far in life.
“My educational journey is not over yet; I am planning to pursue my master’s in management by God’s grace and timing. I am grateful to be in a conducive working environment; there are colleagues here that have extensive knowledge in their own profession with Oil & Gas and I am privileged to work with them,” she says.
“I have good support from my managers and the team around me, everyone is supportive, it excels me to want better for myself and the services I manage here at TotalEnergies,” she added.
