The Director General of the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) highlighted some very important points for youths to consider, while speaking at the opening of the Mock Youth Parlaiment in Port Moresby city on Monday, 18th November. The Director General, Mr. Joe Itaki, started his speech by echoing a statement by the Deputy Clerk of Parliament, stating, “Leadership is a journey where we all young people travel on the way we will encounter grief; we will climb mountains and steep valleys as we progress on. The journey won't be that smooth.” “What will sustain us and keep us going is our determination and motivation that we have developed, and we stand on to come and sit in a meeting like this." Also, in his key point he emphasized strongly on the importance of youths, where youths play a pivotal role in the development of this country. He encouraged the youths to actively take part in church activities, community decision making and involve themselves in government services. He further stated that youth issues that we face today are cross cutting and multi-dimensional, whereas government alone cannot provide a solution to it, no churches alone can provide an answer to it or development partners alone. “It requires collective efforts, collaboration and partnership to drive the Youth Agenda forward and create a better conducive society for our next generation of leaders.” In conclusion, he made a final appeal to the youths to make a firm stand and take every opportunity presented to them by attending such forums or sessions. Meanwhile, his department and other development partners are willing and ready to provide them with the vital tools necessary to support them and guide them through. “These are the forums that you equip yourself and position yourself, so that you could be a beacon of hope for your community, for your village, for your society and perhaps the country at large.” Moreover, Mr. Itaki was very pleased that such programs as the Mock Youth Parliament session are held to empower youths and enable the Voice of the Youths to be heard when it comes to the real parliament sittings.

Friends of POMGen, is truly an angel of help for the patients at the Port Moresby General Hospital when they are in desperate need of basic items. This charity organization steps in to help, support and supply the Port Moresby General Hospital with basic medical equipment and items to take care of patients emitted there. According to Mary Roland, the Operations and Communications Lead at the Friends Of POMGen, their work is done each year to assist patients. “Every year we work with all the wards staffs and nurses to help bring in supplies to support patients' needs. “ This is a very worthy course and to keep this continuing, friends of POMGen have some activities to keep these operations going. One of the most important events is the donation drive. “We do a charity drive like for instance the appeal went out now this charity drive is a special component of our function at the hospital in a sense that we provide a solution to the needs of patients care," she explained. “We do this appeals and have them out to the media and shared on our platform also shared to our friends, cooperate friends, individuals and our community and then we allow them donate according to how they want to,” said Roland. "And when these donations come in, we distribute them weekly on certain days like every Wednesdays and Fridays and given according to a list which I go around collecting from the nurse leader of each ward.” That is how the Friends of POMGen go around doing its charity donation drive to help the Port Moresby General Hospital care for its patients. Meantime, Friends of POMGen will be having a Christmas donation Drive coming up specifically for children at pediatric ward. It will be in partnership with 2-fast motors. The venue will be the new Thomand Plaza at Waigani next to the Kone Tigers oval. There will be fun activities, carwash, and music and also a big open basket where you can leave your donations. For more information you can check them out. The Friends Of POMGen is located at 3- mile at the back of SUSU MAMA, opposite the Labour Ward, and asked for Mary Roland.