Men graduate to be models against family violence

 TWENTY young men in Port Moresby attended critical leadership training to help them become role models in their communities to talk about family violence.

Eighteen-year-old Derrick Koskom, a participant of the ‘Warrior Culture-Men against Family Violence’ leadership workshops and a Grade 11 student at Kilakila Secondary said: “I am now much more aware of the different types of violence committed in the communities and within households that go unnoticed every day.

“The warrior culture workshops have helped me become more confident and I am able to speak out about family violence at school and to my peers as well.” 

Koskom whose father left his mother when she was pregnant with him, said while growing up he thought there was no future for him.

“I saw everything in a negative way but after attending the ‘Men Against Family Violence’ trainings conducted by Warrior Culture founder Eddie Aila.

“I know that there is no failure in life but results only good and bad. By learning from those results will help you to make better life choices,” Koskom said. 

Aila, a former PNG Kumul centre, who toured with the likes of Adrian Lam and Michael Marum back in 2000 Rugby World Cup, said his foundation believe in a PNG where there is no family violence.

According to Aila the Warrior Culture-Men against Family Violence workshop focuses in steering men and youths towards even greater self-acceptance, self-control and self-empowerment to understand how to respect others.

“There is a need to demonstrate to our participants how to break the violence cycle and show them how to live an empowered life,” Aila said.