Youths celebrate skills day

MORE than 100 youths have benefited from learning life-skills after engaging in a City Mission programme.
Speaking during the World Youth Skills Day celebration at the City Mission farm in Central, a representatives said they had learned skills in agriculture, livestock, welding, carpentry, electrical and plumbing which were beneficial for their daily living.
Jack Simbai, from Chimbu who lives in Morata, Port Moresby, said he turned away from bad habits and learned useful skills at City Mission.
“I learnt a lot at City Mission that I can use to achieve my goals and make a living,” he said.
The National spoke to several youths and noted that most of them were from broken homes in the settlements of Port Moresby.
Programme manager Magalu Danagi said the programme aimed to rehabilitate youths so they could do something productive instead of being involved in illegal activities.
He said the programme taught the young men to work hard and to use their skills well.
He said they provided basic literacy and numeracy skills training for youths to acquire certificates in-order to attend Flexible Open and Distance Education courses.
Nathaniel Elai, who lives at 5-Mile, Port Moresby, said the skills enabled him to do things he had never done before.
“I can work and use the skills that I learned here to support myself and my family. I don’t want to look back in the past,” he said.
Most of the youths lived on the streets and were involved in petty crimes but had turned away from that life.
Elai said the life skills taught helped them from gardening to the workshop and basic business and literacy. He said the training had given him confidence to speak and face challenges. Danagi said: “We have livestock, agriculture, printing, mechanic, electrical, welding carpentry, plumbing, a small coffee shop, computer training, literacy programme and media”.