Faith-based organisation receives fuel commitment

Youth & Careers

CITY Mission PNG has received a commitment of two years’ worth of fuel products to support its programmes, thanks to Puma Energy.
Puma Energy will supply fuel and lubricants to the mission’s youth rehabilitation programmes in Lae, Madang and Port Moresby following the signing an agreement.
City Mission assists children, youth and women in line with their community and social responsibility.
The mission’s general manager, John Reesink, said as a faith-based non-profit organisation, funding was their main challenge and it was good to have Puma Energy backing their programmes.
“Like most organisations, fuel costs impose a heavy burden on finances so this is an important sponsorship,” he said.
“The donation will have an immediate impact.
“Our farming activities at the new life skills training centre at Mirigeda depend mostly on manual labour, however, heavier work is done by tractor. So the sponsorship will help us enormously as we can more easily expand the area under tillage, whilst managing our fuel costs.”
Reesink said City Mission was always happy to partner with other organisations and individuals to continue to make a difference in society.
He said the mission had helped more than 20,000 youths since its inception in 1993 and within the last 10 years more than 1,000 youth had graduated through their programme. Underprivileged boys undergo a 12-18 month four phase programme where they are taught basic gardening and education and vocational training with the aim of returning them to the society better equipped with skills and knowledge.
“Even though we educate the boys, we are not a school, we are a rehabilitation centre,” he said.
“The social and education programmes help them to see that life is not all about them but about them helping others as well.
“It’s about changing the way they think about life and the society.
Reesink said the programmes for the women and children were more on counselling and advocacy related to gender-based violence.
Their Haus Ruth and Meri Seif Haus facilities for battered women and children supports survivors of gender-based violence.
And their Children Crises Centre temporarily accommodates up to 36 abused, abandoned or orphaned children.