For more than 35 years, Mr. Julius Kapinias dedicated his life to educating young Papua New Guineans, often in some of the country's most remote and challenging locations. From trekking through rivers and mountains to reach schools in Gulf Province to helping restore education after tribal conflicts in the Highlands, teaching was never simply a profession, it was a lifelong commitment to serving others.

Today, retirement has brought him back home to East New Britain, but his passion for helping people remains as strong as ever.

"I've always believed that if I can help people, I should," Julius says.

After graduating from St. Paul's Teachers College (Vunakanau) in Rabaul in the early 1980s, Julius accepted his first teaching appointment in a remote part of Gulf Province. Reaching his students meant walking through thick jungle, crossing rivers and travelling along challenging terrains.

"It was a tough life," he recalls emotionally. "But it taught me resilience and the importance of serving wherever you are needed."

Over the next three and a half decades, Julius served in schools across Gulf, Eastern Highlands, Simbu, Southern Highlands and East New Britain. Along the way, he took on leadership roles, helped establish schools, completed further studies in communications, education and sports development, and embraced every opportunity to continue learning.

His dedication extended beyond the classroom. Together with his wife, he raised six children, supporting each of them to pursue education and meaningful careers.

As retirement approached in 2023, Julius knew he wanted more than simply finishing his teaching career. He wanted to return home, build a house for his family and continue making a difference in his community.

He also knew that careful financial planning would be essential.

Throughout his working life, Julius made voluntary contributions to his superannuation in addition to his compulsory contributions. When he retired as Headmaster of Malaguna Primary School, he made another important decision, to roll part of his retirement benefit into a Nambawan Super Limited (NSL) Retirement Savings Account (RSA).

"I thought to myself, what if I take everything out and it's all gone?" he says. "I wanted to keep something for the future and only use it when I really needed it."

That decision has given him confidence and peace of mind.

Part of his retirement benefit helped complete his family home, support his children's education and meet important family and cultural responsibilities. At the same time, keeping money invested in his RSA has allowed his retirement savings to continue working for him while remaining available should he need them later.

Rather than slowing down, retirement has become an opportunity to give back in new ways. Julius is establishing a small community enterprise to help local balsa farmers process their timber before transporting it to factories. By investing in equipment and creating opportunities for young people in his village, he hopes to make it easier for families to earn an income while supporting local development.

"I wanted to create something that helps other people as well," he says.

His generosity also extends to supporting local schools, especially elementary schools and church projects, causes that have always been close to his heart.

"If I can't always help with money, I can help in other ways," he says.

Those values were shaped during his years teaching in remote communities.

"I saw people with very little, but they never gave up. Those experiences stayed with me and taught me the importance of helping where you can."

Today, Julius enjoys a quieter life, tending his land, continuing to learn new skills and even considering fishing! Even in retirement, he recently completed community training in cooking and sewing, believing there is always something new to learn.

Looking back on his career, he has simple but important advice for younger workers. "Don't spend everything you earn. Save for tomorrow because life changes. One day you'll retire, and you'll be grateful that you planned ahead."

His message to fellow teachers nearing retirement is just as practical. "Don't rush to spend all your retirement savings. Think about your future.

Keep something aside, consider opening an NSL RSA account so you'll always have support later in life."

Ultimately, Mr. Kapinias’ journey highlights a beautiful balance: as he spent his career lifting those around him, his superannuation was quietly building a foundation to support him in return.