Urban group hailed for cleaning town

 MEMBERS of the Popondetta Urban Youth Group have been praised for cleaning the Popodetta town.

Their work was ackowledgedby Governor Gary Juffa and the PNG-Australia Law and Justice Partnership which is assisting the youth group with skills and capacity building training workshops.

The youths participated in leadership training and recently on a start your own business (SYOB) and business financial management course so that they can engage in income-generating activities and manage their own programmes.

Apolosi Bose, the community safety adviser for PNG-Australia Law and Justice Partnership in Northern said the trainings were timely for the youth group who initiated the town clean-up campaign.

Emily Kendi, the group’s secretary, said it was encouraging to see youths participating and the presence of government officials.

She said capacity building and learning new skills was the only way school leavers could participate in the society and be self-dependent.

“Such programmes meet the needs of the youth,” Kendi said.

Damaris Bonga, the women’s representative in the provincial assembly, told the group that the provincial government under Juffa would continue to support the work of youths.

“You are always left out in the development processes but we see you as agents of change,” she said. 

“If we are serious about bringing change to Northern, we must engage with our youths in the province.

“Without involving the youths in any development or infrastructure, there is no way we can bring changes to our province, community and the constituencies.” 

Bonga said that government agencies, non–government organisations and donor agencies must work together to involve the youths in any activity plan that we have in developing this nation.

“Engaging youths by all stakeholders  in achieving our developmental agendas is the way forward to go in driving our province free of law and order issues and well as driving the development of our province,” she said.

“Without the youths being engaged in developments, we would not progress as they are our future human resources and their potential must be used.”