Students attend NZ youth conference

TWO political science students at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) are currently in New Zealand attending the first Pacific Youth and Sports Conference from March 15 to 20.
UPNG’s female peer educators coordinator and final year student Theresa Meki and third year student Priscilla Kee are part of PNG’s delegation of 24 youths.
They are meeting in Manukau city with 1,400 other participants from 25 countries in the Pacific Region.
The conference is organised by the Oceania Football Confederation in partnership with FIFA, Manukau city council, the Australia, and New Zealand governments, and others.
The youths will exchange ideas and discuss major youth issues on health, education, citizenship and social integration where each country will develop a
concrete action plan that will use sports as the medium to address youth issues.
A special meeting of youth and sports ministers is also scheduled for them to listen to the youths and their concerns.
Ms Meki, who has been picked as one of PNG’s presenters, said she would use the opportunity to speak on UPNG’s peer education programme and how the healthy mind, healthy body and healthy sex life (H3MBS) programme was driving the message of healthy choices through sports as a tool to HIV response.
“I will also speak on how effective the peer education programmes are impacting the young adults in the university and hope to influence others to do the same.
“People know that UPNG has taken that stance, that we are concerned for the welfare of our community.
“We will encourage other institutions in the country to adopt our programme,” Ms Meki said.