New Porgera Limited (NPL) has announced the launch of the NPL Youth Community Development Committee (Youth CDC), an advisory body tasked with proposing and evaluating youth-related community development projects for NPL funding.
The inaugural Youth CDC comprises a male and a female youth representative aged 18 to 24 from each of the four Local Level Governments (Porgera Urban, Porgera Rural, Paiela Hewa and Maip Mulitaka) in the Porgera-Paiela District, along with two youth living with disabilities.
Ten members were officially sworn in on 26 September, witnessed by their respective LLG representatives, NPL management and members of the community.
Addressing the occasion, NPL General Manager James McTiernan encouraged members to be good leaders and agents of change for the growing youth population in the Porgera-Paiela District.
“Today is an important occasion, as we witness the establishment of the first NPL CDC. Although this Committee is launched in partnership with NPL, its direction will be shaped by you – the youth," McTiernan said.
The Youth CDC is designed not only as a committee but as a platform – a new beginning for the region’s young people to be heard, to participate and to help shape a future that works for them.
The Committee’s work will be guided by the values of faith, inclusivity, kindness, growth, transparency and honesty – principles seen as vital to bringing positive change to the Porgera-Paiela District. Its initiatives will support priorities such as access to education and skills training, small business opportunities, sports and the arts, as well as providing safe spaces for young people to gather and express themselves.
“We commend the inaugural members of the Youth CDC, and we look forward to working closely with them to bring positive development for Porgera-Paiela District,” McTiernan said.
NPL also acknowledged the efforts of its Corporate Social Responsibility team, which worked with stakeholders to establish the Committee. The company said it would continue to provide guidance as part of its community partnerships.
“Together, we will continue bringing positive development through Porgera’s community partnerships," McTiernan said.
