BY LORETTA B MANELE
Isabel province will now have its first female clerk. She is 31-year-old Mary Lucy Suimae from Samasodu village, Isabel province.
Apart from her roots in Isabel, the single mother of one also hails from Malaita and Western provinces on her father’s side and Guadalcanal from her mother’s side.
She has 5 siblings, 3 boys and 2 girls and is the second eldest in the family.
After completing her primary education at Binusa Primary School in Samasodu, she went to Waimapuru national secondary school and did her from 1 to form 7 education there.
She then went over to Fiji where she majored in Political Science and Geography from 2017 to 2022.
Mary had applied for jobs and had done 5 interviews so this was her 6th attempt where she finally was able to land a job.
She is grateful to be offered the role of clerk to the Isabel provincial government.
Happily, Mary said she will now be able to support her son and family.
Meanwhile, for her this means taking up a role that was dominated by men for so long with challenges that come with it.
Speaking of challenges, Mary is not fazed.
She said she is ready looks forward to serving her people of Isabel province and the provincial government.
“I am excited because for now, I will be in the formal employment. I will be able to provide for my family and contribute to the people of Isabel”
When asked about how she felt about working in the provincial capital, Buala compared to having a job in the busy and often crowded capital, she said it’ll be a new environment with less expenses to worry about.
“Unlike in the capital, where there are a lot of expenses, like transportation, in the province I will not have to pay for transportation because I will just walk there”
Taking up this role is history for the province as the role of the clerk has always been filled by men and people in the province have gotten used to that trend.
Today, Mary’s appointment as Isabel provincial government’s new clerk is an ice breaker and especially for the young girls and young women from the Isabel.
She said her taking up this role sets an example for other young girls and women in the province in the sense that they too can take on such roles and leadership.
“My advice to young girls or young women is to never give up on your dreams and failure is not the end of your journey and it’s not the end of your life. Never give up on your dreams. Do whatever you’re passionate about to the fullest of your heart”
The girl who wanted to be a lawyer during her university days, today has instead become Isabel province’s first female clerk to the provincial government.
Mary said she really wanted to be a lawyer back then while in university but it didn’t work out how she wanted it to and at the end of the day, God has different plans for us.
She is happy, excited and nervous but most of all is willing and ready to take on the role and the challenges that come with it.
