Group gives hope to young men

A charity organisation in Port Moresby has trained165 young men in agricultural skills to help sustain their livelihood.
Those young men undergo a threemonth training in animal husbandry and vegetable cultivation before moving on to other rehabilitation programmes.
General Manager and National Project Manager of City Mission PNG, Pastor Kirt Triche, said the Miregeda farm trained young men in managing livestock such as poultry, ducks, pigs, fish, as well as vegetable cultivation.
He said the agricultural training would help develop the skills of the youngmen to enable them to become self-reliant.
He said the produce from the farm was for their own consumption, and any surplus was supplied to the City Mission main office at Koki, and to- Haus Ruth (women and children’s refuge).
“Most of our chickens are sold to Super Value Store at 2-Mile,” he said. He said the City Mission Farm was a place where God changed distraught young men who were a burden to the society into productive citizens.
“City Mission plans to open a branch in Madang next year to help young men find purpose in life,” he said.
The young men at the centre go through a 14-month New Life programme that changes their life. The New Life Skills Programme focuses on rehabilitating participants spiritually, mentally and physically.
The first phase of the programme consists of the physical rehabilitation whereby the men build a relationship with Jesus by working in the fields.
Focusing on structure, discipline and work ethic, the second phase looks at building mental capacity through literacy, numeracy, and vocational training in carpentry, welding, cooking, hospitality, security, animal husbandry and screen printing.
The third phase places each participant in on-the-job training in a field of interest, while still living at the farm.
The fourth phase helps them find permanent employment as well as mentors to help them on budgeting money and continuing to live a Godly lifestyle.
The New Life Skills Training Centre Farm at Miregeda is about 20 minutes east of Port Moresby and is what most of these young men from the settlements and streets of the capital city call home.