Foundation conducts community programmes for youths

CHILDREN who miss out on formal education are trained by the Ginigoada Foundation to help them gain basic life skills, chairman Rabura Aiga says.
Speaking during the foundation’s expo in Port Moresby on Friday, Aiga said they had teams who ran programmes in suburbs and settlements on request.
“We do different services and programmes such as life skills training, adult literacy, health-care, early childhood training and bus services for women,” he said.
“For those youths who want to take up carpentry or automotive training, we engage them with technical schools like Koki and Idubada.”
Aiga said Ginigoada Foundation is a non-government organisation (NGO) that relies on donors and sponsors to carry out their work.
“We are thankful that NCD Governor Powes Parkop who is one of the major sponsor of the Ginigoada Foundation,” he said.
“He has puts in over a million Kina and that has helped us to take children and youths off the streets.”
“We hope that other provincial governments could see what Governor Powes is doing and embrace it and co-fund the programme.”
The foundation was initiated in 2001 by Dame Carol Kidu, who is the matron, to reach out to the unemployed youths and mothers in Port Moresby.
The foundation runs mobile programmes around the city.
“Each programme has its designated bus that go around the city and run programmes for two weeks at community requests,” Aiga said.
“After two weeks of training, participants are awarded certificates.”
Aiga said after the training they have a team of on-the-job-training (OJT) officers who helped youths to secure jobs.
“Through our partnership with the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce, they have help us secure OJTs for the youths with more than 200 companies,” he said.
“If they perform well they are employed permanently.”
He appealed to other organisations and the Government to provide assistance for the foundation to carry out its work in reaching out to underprivileged and unemployed youths.