Youth training aims to bring changes

National

IT is hoped that the life skills training given to a group of young men and women from Hela and Southern Highlands will empower them to bring positive change to their communities.
The group of 30 participants from three electorates in Hela (Komo-Margarima, Tari-Pori and Koroba-Kopiago) and Imbonggu in Southern Highlands received certificates after completing a 10-day training course.
The participants were taught life skills, youth leadership and basic literacy at the Highlands Youth Training Centre in Banz, Jiwaka.
The training was supported by the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) in partnership with the district administrations.
The Hela community development director Luke Lawe said the majority of law and order problems in his province was caused by youth who were unemployed, aimless and were looking for things to do.
Lawe said there was an urgent need to train as many youth from his province in order to drive a change in attitudes and foster peace and harmony.
He said of out of Hela’s estimated 300,000 population, two thirds were youths and this group was involved in the majority of crime, killings and tribal fighting in the province.