Recently, I was tagged in a Facebook comment on accountant and owner of Pacificana, Amanda Kanasa's call for women in business to feature as part of her annual International Women's feature by owner of Pascoe Promotions, Sylvia Pascoe.
The comments section is a treasure trove of Papua New Guinean micro and small business owners making an impact in their families and communities. From Bethel Rage who started selling make-up out of her car and doing deliveries to an educator, and founder of Lisa's Reading Club, founder of Goroka's Literacy Hub, Lisa Sapu tutoring Top 10 students in Goroka, the thread is a directory of brilliance and resilience.
The last two weeks have been transformational for me as a founder of brands as I conclude three years of travel, or as I say, "three years of becoming", with new deep insights about structural changes that are required and how I can make an impact in my sphere of influence.
I have been "wheel of life-ing" and psychoanalyzing myself with the help of some trained professionals, counsellors, Franciscan nuns and an ordained Catholic priest.
In my pursuit for true aligned and intentional living, I downloaded Wisey, a science backed app to help improve productivity and, in my opinion, depression, after failing to pause to absorb said transformational change. A return to self. A return to faith. The thing is, a return to self is nowhere to be found as I grasped who she was? Who was Sofia, me three years ago, to the Sofia of yesterday or today. That transient identity shift to shape purpose evaded me as I was in a purgatory of safety, deep rest, my centre I lost. Where was this centre. I couldn't find it and it irritated me. Not finding my centre was pissing me the hell off. Somewhere this turned into anger, a fear of abandoning of self. Or in Papua New Guinea, called womanhood. Adulting.
Lived experience is a far cry from the reports and assumptions city folk tend to grasp as we navigate rapid community shifts in the peri-urban villages and rural contexts that shape perceptions and development theory in places like sub-Saharan Africa or the multilingual Papua New Guinea.
In some communities, International Women's Day is every day. Time Magazine's 100 Influential Women list tend to be American or boost and grandstand issues which their readership can relate to dictate culture, politics, trends, populism and economies. Amanda's list represents a shaping of Papua New Guinean female stories in the MSME sector of Papua New Guinea. Women of all ages and backgrounds, branding themselves, identifying and arming themselves with purpose. A battalion of women at the frontlines of recreating the Papua New Guinean family and sense of community every day that is the cornerstone or "Kwila" of a social welfare system tethering with high living costs. budgets and single tasking empires. The term "Kwila" referred to a high value timber species exported to world markets from Papua New Guinea often is patriarchal in nature, used to describe great men symbolizing the need for localizing perspectives and storytelling of female champions through their lived experience, adversity, success and resilience, vision amidst high inflation and high crime. What does it mean to do business in what is termed as one of the world's least livable cities like Port Moresby or Johannesburg.
Papua New Guinea was officially placed on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) "grey list" of jurisdictions under increased monitoring on February 13, 2026. The largest bank in the South Pacific, BSP Financial Group forecasted this to add increased banking charges. At least it's not on the blacklist. But stress not, this is not the first time. It happened in 2016 also. Such is the anxiety and stress of navigating uncertainty in a country where 1 in 3 women will experience violence during the course of their lives.
And yet here we are told to give in order to gain. What the heck? Is this an award for surviving? No, it is a proclamation of not being a victim but a survivor against the smallest odds competing with foreign owned business operating businesses on the reserved list - the businesses and cottage industries so vulnerable it is restricted to only nationals.
Male champions such as ABAC Member, accountant and founder of MSME Council of PNG, James Gore understand complexities of remaining committed to causes so sensitive that he has drafted a constitution driven by a lifelong pursuit of justice and protection of such vulnerable women as a life patron to ensure non-compromise. I offered my feedback at noon today citing the critical need to not only protect youth, but women-led MSMEs and informal business owners - the vast majority of freelancers and do it yourself'ers who hawk online or in person to live values driven missions, at most times, nation building is at the heart of heart of brand founders.
It is difficult to separate nation building from business in Papua New Guinea. It is a strength which defines the nation's character.
I was recently told to "fight more battles". I am tired. I thought I was in my soft-girl era. How do we represent this and still run profitable businesses. It means being kind and recognize purpose. The type of purpose that wakes you up at 3.30am to do the Divine Mercy Novena. I am on Day 1. My first time to do this but a rite of passage. A prayer repeated by millions but my search for deeper spiritual meaning and connection to an environment that wasn't created for me to win.
How do we give the most value without abandoning self? We tell the stories of the ten or hundreds more who have done so to elevate pain and suffering and celebrate resilience, sisterhood and grit.
We have not lived through a global third world war, but our environment makes success untenable. That is why sharing stories of perseverance and impact are so important.
For me give to gain is not about abandoning self. Like most Papua New Guinean, I have tried and learned to rebrand myself and be multi-dimensional so I can create a niche in many industries. Both to survive but also to validate educational investments and sacrifices by my own mother who like all mothers, wants her children to have the best.
"Give to gain" means:
1) Giving women access to financial literacy.
2) Giving MSMEs structure and a voice.
3) Giving hospitality workers wellness systems.
4) Giving families pathways to home ownership, even if they are illegal settlers.
5) Giving mothers dignity in aging.
And in return?
We gain:
1) Economic participation that scales because we represent the majority.
2) Income to asset ownership.
3) Health.
4) Confidence; and
5) Generational stability.
We are too proud to say we need charity or aid, but what we truly need is systems that protect and nurture the majority to not survive but win. I love to see people win. We have to not only normalize love seeing people, but our own kind and race and gender win, because their life is a testimony of honor and courage amidst the most non-war-torn country experience you can imagine. The odds are against them. Their families are against them. Let's celebrate their triumph on Sunday.