WAPA CONSTRUCTION LTD – Building PNG, One Project at a Time
From Running Dart to Running My Own SME – A Journey of Resilience
by: Steven Wesley Wapa – Graduate Architect/Project Manager/Bridge Design Consultant/ MD @ WAPA CONSTRUCTION LTD
I want to share a short story to inspire anyone out there who is working hard, struggling silently, and pushing through tough seasons.
In 2019, after completing my final year at the University of Technology with a decent academic results, I received a job offer from one of the renowned mining companies to work as a draftsman. The benefits were tempting—but I had a different dream. I wanted to build my own SME, so I made the difficult decision to decline the offer.
After registering my small business, I left Lae and moved to Goroka to stay with my elder sister.
I had no money, so I started running dart next to Papindo Goroka just to support myself (I grew up in settlement so side hustle such as running dart and Street sales was part of my everyday life growing up).
My biggest expense was a flex card so I could buy data, do designs, and advertise my services on the SME page I had created on Facebook- WAPA CONSTRUCTION LTD
In 2020, I graduated in absentia because I simply couldn’t afford the graduation gown or the expenses that came with the ceremony.
While my schoolmates were posting their graduation photos, I was with my boys running dart. It wasn’t easy.
It stung.
I wished I could have been there—but financial barriers couldn’t stop the dream I was building.
Despite the struggles, I stayed focused. My only goal was to get my SME up and running.
Fast-forward five years: through hard work, resilience, sacrifice, and countless setbacks, I’m still here, doing what I love, growing my business, and chasing the bigger vision of becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Still grinding. Still learning. Still showing up.
My message is simple:
No matter what you’re going through, hardship doesn’t last. Tough times don’t last, tough people do.
Sylvester Stallone once said, “It’s not about how many times you get hit, but how many times you can get hit and keep standing back up.”
Build a resilient mindset. Keep going. Believe in yourself even when no one else does. Block out the noise, the naysayers, and the small-minded voices.
“Stay consistent. Stay focused. Keep believing. Your breakthrough will come.”
WAPA CONSTRUCTION LTD – Building PNG, One Project at a Time
Contact:
📧 wapacon.ltd@gmail.com
📱 WhatsApp: +675 7059 4932
