Thirty-nine members made up of nine Kutubu Local Level Youth Development Council (KLLYDC) executives and 30 representatives from 18 wards, developed a youth council constitution and 5-year development plan.
The representatives – from a range of sectors, including education, health, sports, local council, police, church, women's and men's groups – from the Lake Kutubu area, achieved this during a week-long consultation.
Key partners that also attended this workshop to support KLLYDC included the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA), Department of National Planning & Monitoring (DNPM), Nipa-Kutubu District Development Authority, Kutubu Local Level Government, Santos PNG Stakeholder Engagement, and Santos Foundation.
These partners presented key policies and programs for youth development and guided with aligning and including these key strategies in the KLLYDC 5-year development plan.
The Voice Inc. facilitated the consultation and encouraged the young executives to plan for a better Kutubu.
A key element of this workshop was also having the Santos Foundation gender program manager’s involvement to ensure the voices of women and girls were included.
At the end of the week, the draft constitution was signed and handed over to NYDA officials to table at the NYDA Board for vetting and approval. The 5-year development plan is being refined with stakeholders.
Upon closing, David William, KLLYDC Chairman, thanked Santos Foundation, saying: “Santos Foundation, with its unwavering support, enabled the NYDA youth governing body to conduct elections and establish the Kutubu Local Level Youth Development Council.
“This council, represented by 18 ward members within Kutubu, is a crucial platform for the long-overlooked youth of Kutubu to emerge as leaders, contributing to the betterment of our communities, wards, and families.
“With the invaluable partnership of the Santos Foundation, I am confident that we are laying the groundwork for a brighter future.”