Youth prepare for show

YOUTHS from the Gahavisuka cultural group near Goroka, Eastern Highlands province, are preparing to welcome tourists when they come for Goroka Show this weekend. 
The preparations include road maintenance, pot hole patching and grass cutting along the road that lead to the Mt Gahavisuka provincial park.
Community leader Enty Lusaroe was happy to see youths engaged in the preparations.
Mr Lusaroe said in order to reduce youth problems in the village, it was important to engage them in such activities.
He said previously, stealing and consumption and sale of marijuana and  homebrew were high in the area but because they were now engaged in community activities, “these social problems have declined”.
Mr Lusaroe encouraged youths to till the soil and make use of their bush knifes, spades and available resources they had instead of roaming around and taking part in illegal activities and wasting time.
“Lazy people and beggars have no space in  today’s world,” he said.
Gahavisuka cultural youth group chairman Najon Aitapo said it was important to teach youths  about cultural identity because this was one way to minimise law and order problems.
He said there were many projects already in place in the village, including Mt Gahavisuka provincial park, ATproject and village eco-tourism and conservation projects.
Mr Aitapo encouraged them to get involved in the project. 
He appealed to the youths to respect such projects and work together to improve their living standards.
Mr Aitapo also
appealed to Goroka MP Thompson Harokaqveh and Eastern Highlands Governor Malcolm Kela-Smith to support them and their projects to attract more tourists.