A life-saving mission for many

By YVONNE KAMBIBEL
FOR almost 30 years, very little attention was given to a life-skills programme aimed at pulling young men off the streets and offering them new opportunities in life.
In the past 29 years, the faith-based City Mission at Mirigeda just outside Port Moresby has been home to many underprivileged young men.
Many from Port Moresby, Central, Gulf and other provinces are given a chance to look at life in a positive way.
Port Moresby’s city mission general manager Gerald Bengesser believes the programme has saved many young men from ending up in prison.
“We call it the one-stop before Bomana as the programme offered at the city mission help prevent young men from criminal activities that could send them to the Bomana Correctional Institution.
“Its main purpose is to provide a transitional avenue for disadvantaged and under-privileged young men in the country aged 18 to 26 with spiritual and lifelong skills.”
The National in a recent visit to the city mission spoke to few and learnt that they used to be drug addicts, alcoholics, street wanderers and petty criminals. But the programme has helped them to choose a different part in life.
Two young men shared their stories with The National about how much the programme has helped saved them from becoming criminals or going to prison.
Damien Bia, 26, from Goilala, and Jerry Liwong, 24 from Morobe shared similar sentiments about their life-changing experiences at the mission house.
Damien who joined the programme five months ago said he has learnt so much during his time there.

“ Its main purpose was to provide a transitional avenue for disadvantaged and under-privileged young men in the country aged 18 to 26 with spiritual and lifelong skills.”

“The programme has taught us certain useful skills such as gardening, farming, carpentry and many others.
“I’ve only been here for almost six months but I have realised that I have wasted so many years on drugs and unlawful activities with my peers outside this premises.
“So when I heard from friends about the programme, I decided to come.”
Damien lost his parents at an early age and had not gone to school all his life. But at the city mission, there was hope for Damien to at least learn to read and write.
He has plans to return to his community once he has completed the programme.
Jerry also wants to complete the programme and start a small business of his own using the skills he has learnt.
Unlike Damien, Jerry is fortunate to have a family but he turned to drugs and alcohol after his parents separated.
He was living with his mother and two younger sisters but later ran away from home to join his peers on the streets.
“Some of my brothers had told me about the city mission and this programme and how it had helped changed most of them. I came here and this has been my home for the last 14 months or so.”
He explained that the programme ran for one year and six months. After that, he would return home.
Jerry is ready to rejoin his mother and sisters and start rebuilding his life.
Bengesser said many of the young men had so much potential to further their education at the tertiary level. But funding has always been a major hindrance for them.
The mission believes that if these young men can be given scholarships to further their education, they would pursue their dreams in life.
“Annually, all city mission establishments around country need K5 million to operate and funding has always been a challenge. Government assistance has been inconsistent so the mission relies heavily on donations from overseas.”
Due to the Covid-19, the mission has reduced the number. Otherwise the mission accommodates close to 1,000 young men in a year.
“Our only hope is to help them transition successfully to go out as productive members of society.”