K4.5 million project launched

A FOUR-YEAR K4.5 million project was launched to change community mindset through life skills training and addressing law and order issues in Morobe’s Lae.
The project is a partnership between the Morobe government, European Union (EU) and World Vision.
World Vision project coordinator Bernard Nulai said the project followed discussions on how the government and non-governmental organisations can deal with conflicts and problems in communities.
Nulai said at the project launch last Friday that the EU, as the funder, had laid out engagement criteria for civil societies and partners.
“The four-year project will be piloted in Lae and, if all goes well in terms of implementation, then it will be rolled out to other provinces and districts,” Nulai said.
He said the EU had allocated the funds to different activities for youths in schools and those out of school.
“Between 25 and 30 youths, aged between 14 and 25 (male and female), will be identified, and they will appoint their leaders who will then attend trainings conducted by two civil society organisations engaged with community-based societies.
“They then return to their communities to train members twice a week,” he added.
Nulai said they would identify the needs of communities and allocate funding to implement projects to benefit the communities.
World Vision national director Heather McLeod said “youths are the main agents of change with the right knowledge, skills and teaching” to address law and order issues in the country.
“They have the energy and the ability to initiate positive changes in communities,” McLeod said.
The EU head of cooperation to PNG Rene Mally said PNG’s issues with gender-based violence or tribal violence, were reported by the mainstream media and social media.
“This is not how people and societies are created to live together. We have been victims of violence or affected by in one way or another,” Mally said.