THE St. Francis Home Care Centre in Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, farewelled six teenagers from their premises on Monday (20 July).
The teenagers, all males, who had reached 18-years and over, have been released back into the community in an emotional ceremony.
The farewell ceremony was held at the St. Francis Home Care Centre (SFHCC) in North Kagua, Mendi Town.
It was witnessed by National Office for Child and Family Services (NOCFS) chief executive officer Mr Jerry Wap, deputy Southern Highlands administrator (economic and social services) Mr Jerry James, Southern Highlands community development advisor Mrs Anna Emek and Southern Highlands provincial child protection officer Mr Morris Sapu-Naik.
The six teenagers that were released back into the community were Mr Malcom Rami, Mr Chris Albert, Mr Elliot Kumi, Mr Shane Nambisi, Mr Junior John and Mr Anderson Ari.
The boys were released because according to the Lukautim Pikinini Act (2015), they are no longer classified as children but as youths or teenagers.
The LPA defines children as persons between the ages of 0-18 years old.
In an emotional farewell, Mrs Rebecca Rami, the director of the care centre urged the teenagers to be good role models in the communities they will be reintegrated into.
“I am so sad to let you go. You have become my children for so many years. Some of you I nursed with my own breast and others I gave tea bag,” Ms Rami, affectionately known as Mama Rebecca, said.
“We’ve started this place from nowhere with kunai haus and now you will be leaving me. My heart is really torn,” she said.
“Where ever you go, you carry the name and image of St Francis Home Care so please be good ambassadors of our institution,” Mama Rebecca said.
NOCFS chief executive officer Mr Wap, who was the guest of honour at the event, thanked Mama Rebecca for raising the boys to become youths and handing them back into the community.
Mr Wap said raising other people’s children was not an easy task and requires strong-minded, loving, kind-hearted and caring people to do it.
“This job that Mama Rebecca is doing is not an easy job; it is a huge responsibility,” Mr Wap said.
“Everyone has the obligation to protect children in this
country. No child has come into this world on their own, there are parents who are responsible for bringing them into this world,” he said.
Mr Wap said it was the first time in the history of care centres in the country to have children formally reintegrated back into the communities after reaching 18-years and above.
He explained that what happened in the SFHCC will be replicated in other out-of-home care centres around the country.
Mr Wap called on the Southern Highlands government and administration to set up their Provincial Child and Family Services Council as soon as possible to allow for children and family issues to be effectively addressed in the province.
Meanwhile, Southern Highlands deputy administrator Mr James, said he was really encouraged by the love, kindness and generosity displayed by Mama Rebecca in raising the children with little or no government support.
“I am so moved by the effort of Mama Rebecca and others who have supported in raising these children,” Mr James said.
“God has bestowed the responsibility of raising children on the shoulders of mothers and fathers but when they pass on Mama Rebecca you voluntarily took these responsibilities. You have become a mother to the motherless and a father to the fatherless,” he said.
“You started humbly from nowhere but now you have gained the recognition of all the partners like church groups and the government. I am thankful to be here personally, and see for myself what is happening and find out ways where the provincial administration can lend its support,” Mr James said.
“Commencing this year and going forward, the provincial administration will give special recognition to such institutions,” he said.
Mr James, on behalf of the Southern Highlands provincial administration, committed K40,000 for the completion of the girls’ dormitory at the centre.
The Mendi-Minihu district also allocated 120 sheets of roofing iron to the teenagers to build their own houses once they resettled into the community.
According to Mama Rebecca, they will assist in building the houses for the teenagers and also buy some gardening tools and give them to start their lives.
Mr Rami, Mr Albert, Mr Nambisi and Mr Ari will resettle in the Kape constituency, Mr Kumi will resettle in the Reta constituency and Mr John will resettle in Kiburu.