Youths trained to educate peers

 A GROUP of youths from the PNG Healing Foundation (PNGHF) have been taught how to educate their peers on trauma healing.

The workshop on Family Violence and Community was conducted recently at the PNG Red Cross and covered topics relating to personal experiences and solution finding and encouraged participants to discuss openly about their understanding of family violence; their personal encounters and identifying the signs and symptoms of trauma.

More than 30 participants were educated on identifying violence in their communities and develop healing approaches from a traumatic past such as rape, child neglect and abusive marriages. 

The participants included the CPL Youth Empowerment and Transformation (YET) youth and those living at the Hodava Avenue. Other youths live around the main suburbs. Almost every participant has been traumatised by a form of violence.

Trauma specialist and facilitator Peter Kailap said trauma was becoming generational where someone who has encountered a form of violence or abuse during childhood develops a violent character.