by Marie Kauna – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
The NCD drug and alcohol awareness program that began last Monday will end this Friday.
The 2-week program is an initiative of the National Youth Development Authority, to engage juveniles from Bomana jail, to raise awareness in secondary schools in Port Moresby on drug and alcohol abuse.
The objective of the awareness program is to have a peer-to-peer engagement between the juvenile inmates and high school students, advocating on the effects of drug and alcohol abuse.
Lawrence Tau, Acting Coordinator for National Youth Development Authority spoke on the importance of peer-to- peer engagement in the awareness program saying this program is important and they are looking at expanding and reaching out to other provinces as well.
Gordan Gala, a 19 year old juvenile inmate spoke on his experiences as a youth, who lost education privileges as a result of alcohol abuse and will spend the next 15 years of his life in prison.
He encouraged all youth saying they should strongly focus on their education and not to engage in such activities.
Abraham Wemin, a year 11 student at Paradise High, when asked, said the initiative taken by the inmates is a good experience for them as it is firsthand information based on experiences, and should help the young youth in the long run.
The awareness program will end this Friday.
