Youths service community in bid for role in city makeover

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By JUNIOR UKAHA
A GROUP of youths in Lae city’s Ward Two area took it upon themselves to patch up part of the pothole-ridden Butibam Road yesterday.
Members of the Taufsap Youth Association, armed with spades, crowbars and wheelbarrows, went to the Bumbu Bridge, near the 13A betel nut market, and started filling in potholes.
Spokesperson Archie Luther said the group did the job voluntarily after realising that nothing was being done by authorities.
“We decided to give something back to the city and community by way of filling the potholes,” Luther said.
“We aim to register our association and bid for contracts with the Lae City Council.”
He said the group comprised unemployed youths living at Gravel Compound.
“We want to take part in the city’s cleanliness and beautification programmes,” Luther said.
He said the group, in partnership with other youth groups in the city, aimed to make Lae a safe and better place to live in.
“The bottom line is that we want to keep the youths engaged constructively in a bid to minimise social problems such as prostitution, alcoholism, drug abuse and crime,” he said.