Rejected city youths find employment at new farm

 By WATSON GABANA
MORE than 190 rejected youths from the streets are now employed by the Innovative Agro Industries at the 9-Mile hydroponics farm in Port Moresby.
Most of them are engaged as packers, builders, farm technicians and general labourers.
“I was brought to Port Moresby by my uncle to attend school but I was dumped,” Stephanie Jack from Tari, Hela, said in Tok Pisin.
“I was abandoned and did not have a place to stay.  I was just 14 years and I was very confused.”
She is now one of the two nursery supervisors. 
Jack was operating the nursery irrigation system with a smile when the chief executive officer of LR Company of Israel, Eran Gal-Or gave journalists a tour of the farm and the facilities.
The farm uses state-of-the-art technology, using innovative and highly sensitive farming devices designed in Israel.
A training facility was built to train and equip the employees in using modern hi-tech technologies in farming.
Pastor in charge of the Jesus Halfway House in Morata, Charles Lapa said the young people were roaming the streets of Port Moresby and involved in petty crimes. 
“Majority of the workforce here at the farm are rejected youths, dumped by their families and have no place to live,” Lapa said.
“Now, they have a place to stay and work to earn an honest living.”
Lapa is a board member of the Innovative Agro Industry.