Champion for women Tess dies at 35
11 January 2025
KEITH JACKSON
NOOSA – Theresa (Tess) Gizoria, one of Papua New Guinea’s most talented women leaders, died last Saturday, two years after being diagnosed with Stage 3 Lobular Cell Carcinoma - an advanced form of breast cancer.
Her initial treatment in PNG was found to be flawed after she was referred to specialists in Australia but Tess refused to allocate blame and instead used her illness to seek better treatment for all cancer patients in the country.
At the time of her death, Tess was manager of economic programs for the Australian High Commission.
She was a science graduate from the University of PNG and later earned a Master of Laws from the University of Dundee in Scotland.
In 2017 Tess won the Heritage Writing Award in the Crocodile Prize for her story ‘Ketar Natis, Killings and Two Grieving Kinsmen’.
In 2019 she told PNG Attitude writers Ben Jackson and Rebekah Finzel that, to her, “writing is about finding my space and wanting to show a different view of what a Goilala woman can contribute to society”.
You can link here to the profile, ‘From eating your words to sharing them with the world’.
Tess also won high praise from Michael Dom and Phil Fitzpatrick for her poem, ‘Making Peace with My Past’, entered in the 2015 Rivers Award for Writing on Peace & Harmony
One of her greatest achievements came when she founded the community organisation, UniMums Inc, to support young women in parenting and professional development.
Tess also served as the organisation’s first executive director. She had also been the youth representative on the Central Provincial Government’s Assembly.
A little over a month ago, on 4 December when she was undergoing chemotherapy, Tess wrote of her struggle with cancer:
“I know my portion is life and life in abundance. But even in saying that, I'm grateful for 34 days in hospital. 34 days where it was touch and go for more than half that time. 34 days where I flat-lined once. 34 days where I saw the Hand of God every single one of those days.
“But I'm not here to talk about my spiritual journey. That is a private matter I'm not ready to share at this time. What I did want to say is sometimes God allows us to go through things so those of us who can speak up should speak up.
“It all started in February 2023 when I met those 14 women battling breast cancer and undergoing chemo at POM Gen. I also met those nurses and the conditions under which they mix the highly toxic chemo drugs.
“I met the 18 year old who had to fly with his parents from Kundiawa to POM every time for chemo. I met the the lady with three kids who was a peanut farmer on the hills behind NBC 5 Mile who only had the K460 she needed for her first round of chemo that year and ended up never returning.
“I met my Sepik sisters who would fly in every month for chemo and fly back home because they either had nowhere to stay here in POM or no money for upkeep while here.
“We lost Melody that April. I still remember her face. I remember her youngest teenage daughter's face who accompanied her mama every time.
“I'll never forget that April 2023. It was my son's birthday when Melody and I went in for our chemo session along with the four others. I'll never forget Melody. I'll never forget all I owe my people of Sepik for the fact that God has given me a second chance at life.
“Some of us may never be able to do a whole lot for PNG. But Sepik blo mi yah, ol mama, pikinini na lain blo yumi ba nonap raun painim halivim or dai osem. This will not continue. Our leadership is doing wonders and more such leaders will rise up.
“That is my hope and strong belief!”
“Tess is a very young mother and leader with so much potential yet to be realised,” wrote her friend Joy Marie Waffi. “She has a lot to contribute to PNG, the Pacific region and the world. She needs to live a long life not just for her children and family but for the many voiceless people that she holds close to her heart and fights for.”
And Aileen Sagolo wrote: “You are one of a kind, you have taught me strength, you have taught me resilience, you have taught me empathy putting others before your needs.”
CEO of the Kokoda Foundation Genevieve Nelson has written a touching tribute which you can link to here.
Tess was 35 when she died and leaves a 13 year old son.
With thanks to Academia Nomad, 7 January 2025
It is so painful to read this story of late Tess.
The chest beating, corrupt and reckless humans both elected and appointed are living in western citadels and concentrate on protecting their privileged positions. They give no iota of concern to nation building and all essential services are run down.
Our mothers and sisters with different cancers are lumped in a section of the hospital that equates to Auschwitz, waiting in the queue to no avail.
We owe our mothers and sisters top range cancer treatment facilities in Port Moresby and Lae. We surely have the wealth; both on and under the land and in the ocean to build them.
So sad, we can't get the simple things right in this country.
Posted by: Kela Kapkora Sil Bolkin | 31 January 2025 at 02:28 PM
So sad - PNG can't afford to lose citizens of such high moral and professional achievement.
Posted by: Harold James Redmond | 12 January 2025 at 02:50 PM