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Hohola Youth Have The Edge

The Hohola Youth Development Centre is improving the prospects of hundreds of teenagers in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

The self-funded school, run by the De La Salle Brothers, draws its 300 students from all over the capital.

They come to Hohola because the fees are lower than those at state-run schools. Another attraction is the vocational training that supplements the students' academic record.

Employment is extremely tight in Port Moresby. Each year more than 25,000 school leavers compete for a few thousand jobs. With practical skills to offer, Hohola students often find they have the edge among their peers.

Students at Hohola learn a variety of vocational skills, including music

And it's a workable self-generating system, as the School Principal, Brother Leo Scollen, explains, 'We teach the students practical skills such as basic mechanics, carpentry and upholstery. Goods made by the students are sold at the Ela Beach markets and the funds are returned to the school so that we can buy the materials for the next project.'

At the moment the school is repairing dozens of chairs for Parliament House - a high profile assignment that is testimony to the school's reputation for quality craftsmanship.

The coeducational school is different in other ways too. Sex education classes are part of the normal curriculum, which is not a given in schools in Port Moresby's traditionally conservative society.

Sex education class

Volunteers from STOPAIDS come to the school and talk to the students on a range of subjects, including sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS.

The Hohola Youth Development Centre provides a safe haven. Many of the school's students come from poor backgrounds, which make them more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. The awareness training and vocational skills at Hohola go a long way towards preparing them for healthy and useful lives.

For further information contact Brother Leo Walsh at bro_leo_walsh@hotmail.com

Photos: Lorrie Graham

2003

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