Lucas Silsu Karo is the founder of Agents of Change, a multifaceted initiative that provides a safe space for youths, assists in community engagement and gives back to the countless neglected in the various settlements of Port Moresby.
Mr. Karo is very passionate about what he does, and while he only views his genuine acts of kindness as a ‘hobby’, these small things have added up to make a big difference to those he helps. With the aim of inspiring change, Mr. Karo has ensured his actions do not go rewarded by public applause or sponsorship by those that see his work with Agents of Change. Instead he works to inspire others, especially the youth, through his actions.
“The idea is to get a group of like-minded young people together so that we can bring change, even in the smallest way to the communities where they are residing.”
Since starting off in 2017, Agents of Change has been working as a community building block that focuses on developing the youth of settlement communities around the city by engaging in group awareness sessions, church activities and sporting games such as volleyball, to name a few. Mr. Karo says that through these activities, these young people start to discover their talents and they become more aware of the value they have and the potential they have to contribute meaningfully to society.
“For most of these youths that are unemployed and not in school, they are seen as drug bodies or thieves. These activities help them to change the way they think about themselves, about their future. Especially in the awareness sessions, we try to help them change their attitude, behavior and conduct so that they find motivation to do more.”
An amazing opportunity that Agents of Change provides for these young people is to have access to education. In partnership with the Department of Education’s TVET Program, many of who had dropped out or left school before finishing Year 12, now had the chance to continue in technical schools under the program.
“There is hope and drive in these youths (that did not finish school) and for us at Agents of Change we saw that, so we connected with the TVET Program to give them an opportunity. Just last month we got over 90 youths, who were out of school for three to four years as grade 8 and 10 leavers, to apply and get placement at Mapex Training Institute through TVET.”
“Many of these young people, some as young as 18 up to 25 and 30 year olds who lose interest in pursuing education because they think they do not fit into the system once they leave, are forced to survive on their own,” says Mr. Karo.
The initiative by Agents of Change allows them to pursue the goals they abandoned and create a better future for themselves. This is an opportunity many youths living in the settlements are not given, that is why Mr. Karo believes in what he does. By getting these youths back into the education system and off the streets, there is less a chance of them resorting to crime and wasting away their more productive years.
Another facet of Agents of Change is its group-orientated environment and the building of leaders within the communities. He gives the youths that show leadership qualities, roles in the team or within the various programs they run, so that in turn gives them a responsibility and a sense of pride in their roles.
“So usually every year during Christmas we organize fun days where we cook food and play games, and sometimes we organize that whenever I have some extra coins. For the youths that are given leadership roles during these activities or even in our team, we want to raise them up so we talk to them and let them know that we see the potential in them. They must know that once they are given the title as a team leader, they have to be an example to others so they must not go back or follow others, they must lead.”
Mr. Karo believes that fostering change in young people has the power to create a ripple effect and bring change to the whole country, not just their families and the communities they live in.
“The idea is that we want youths and those around them to realize that there is more to life and more that they can offer to change things for the better. That is why we start with the family unit, through awareness and speaking to an individual to change the way they think and their outlook on life, and our hope is that doing this will change a family and inspire their neighbors and relatives, and then spark something in the community, the town and then the district, electorate, province and eventually in the long run the country.”
Operating out of his own pocket, Mr. Karo has and will continue to work through Agents of Change to affect the lives of the people that need it the most, using their own young people to do so. With the support of his team, they will continue to visit community settlements in areas such as 8-mile, Paria, Bushwara, 14-mile, 9-mile, Erima and Wildlife to name a few, in providing food to families, engaging with people through awareness, visiting churches and schools, and delivering water through water carts or even at times using Mr. Karo’s private car, all as a way of giving something back with what they can offer. Making a difference in these communities, one youth at a time.