Youth association helping students become good leaders

Youth Against Corruption Association (Yaca) is helping students become good and confident leaders.
“We say the Yaca pledge at assembly every morning,” says Shermyane Waluka, a grade 11 student at Sogeri National High School.
She was at Hood Point High School in Rigo, Central, last year when she attended Transparency International’s Mike Manning Youth Democracy Camp.
The camp helped motivate Waluka to fight corruption in the country.
When she was given a place at Sogeri National High School, Waluka registered in the school’s Yaca team.
Just in her first term of studies, and Waluka has already made an oral presentation based on her experience at the camp.
Waluka has also noticed that students who were part of Yaca were punctual, active, committed and honest.
“You could only see it in their actions and participation,” Waluka said of the students involved with Yaca.
She said those students would actually return a teacher’s valuable item if the teacher had mistakenly misplaced it.
“Yaca has changed so many students in my school,” Waluka said.
“It wasn’t like this before.”
More than 20 students have joined Yaca and are determined to make a change, starting with their school.
Members daily pledge to speak the truth, respect other people’s properties, always be gentle in their actions and in words, repay their debts and always keep their promises.
Waluka’s personality is bright and spirited and when she talked about the fight against corruption, you can see a determined 18-year-old who is crying out for change.
Yaca provides a safe space for youths to discuss their concerns.
It provides them the opportunity to develop leadership skills and to be a positive influence in their communities.
Waluka is studying chemistry, physics, biology, advance maths and language and literature because she wants to become a doctor.
She is of mix parentage from Central, Manus and West New Britain provinces, and is an active member of Yaca.
Waluka is planning to introduce her family to the association.