Young Single Adults Provide Important Service in Pari Village

More than 240 plus Young Single Adults aged between 18-25, from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, converged on Pari village outside of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Thursday 20 September to provide service projects in the village. First, they picked up rubbish along the road leading into the village which has a population of close to 3,000 people. Thereafter the youth planted more than 300 mangrove seedlings in a shoreline tidal area where the mangroves previously growing there had been destroyed. This project was focused on supporting the efforts and needs of the women of Pari village whose mangroves have been destroyed by settlers and urbanisation as Port Moresby city expands.

Mangroves are an important and critical ecosystem in Papua New Guinea as they support the livelihoods of many coastal communities. Women and their children, particularly young girls, are often the ones who frequent mangrove areas in search of fuel wood, as well as fish, crabs, and shell fish for household consumption. Occasionally some of these products become the source of the family incomes, making mangroves an important ecosystem that support the economic livelihood of coastal communities.

Barbara Liri, one of the Church’s planners of this youth service project, expressed, “I am very grateful that the service project took place down at Pari village. I want to thank the Church and the youth for their time and willingness in accomplishing this service project, especially in planting the mangrove seedlings. Mangroves are important to the village for food security.”

Looking out over the tidal area adjacent to the village where the more than 300 mangrove seedlings had just been planted, Ms. Maria Frank, a villager from Pari village and one of the local women helping to organize this service project for the village said, “This is very good. Mangroves are very valuable and supportive to our village. Mangroves block the waves. Fish and crabs grow in them.”

Mangrove habitats are widely acknowledged as an important habitat for marine species and they play an important nursery function for many commercially-important coral reef fish. Mangroves also play a key role in the protection of coral reefs as they help trap sediments and other land-based pollutants which are transported through rivers and other wetlands.

The youth who provided the service to the village were attending a three-day Church convention in Port Moresby during the week of September 19-22, 2018 which began on Wednesday.  The Youth convention had the theme of “Hangere lo Senis” which translates to a “Desire For Change”. Through service projects such as this one, the youth increase their awareness of local needs, learn to be knowledgeable and good citizens, and experience the good that comes in serving their neighbours. 

The 300 plus mangrove seedlings, some garbage bags and gloves were provided by The Nature Conservancy (TNG), an international Not-for-profit organisation working in PNG. TNC has a mangrove program where it is working to support women’s groups who are engaging in efforts to look after their mangrove habitats to ensure food security and sustainable livelihoods.