John Taka
Pronouns: He/Him
Organisation: Seeds of Hope PNG
Country of Origin: Papua New Guinea
Profile
John Taka is from a rural area of Papua New Guinea. He said he grew up in a community with poor infrastructure, lack of education and healthcare and a great deal of unrest. As he grew older, John overcame many hardships and today, he is an advocate for giving back to his community. He founded the charity Seeds of Hope PNG, which provides financial support for children’s education through funds raised from the sale of agricultural produce. He said the charity also helps those less fortunate in the villages by providing uneducated or unemployed youth with seed capital or funding to start small and medium-sized enterprise projects. Seeds of Hope PNG has also built roads to make his village more accessible.
John said he identifies as a peacebuilder, encouraging people to stay out of trouble through the provision of education. He said that when he sees the government failing to provide adequate facilities, he steps in and takes care of his community. Poverty reduction at the local and national levels is one of his main aims. John’s peacebuilding efforts have not gone unnoticed, as he won the Queens Young leader award in 2015 and the title of One Young World Ambassador – a position he still holds.
Story
‘If the young people cannot contribute ideas to make this world a better place, who is going to do that for us?’ John Taka advocates for young people taking responsibility. He said, only young people have a voice that other generations cannot express.
John used to witness members of his family and community travel long distances to sell their produce and access healthcare. Now, he said, he is able to help his village and for him, this continues to be of the utmost importance. He said, ‘it’s about giving back to the community’. In terms of his organisation, Seeds of Hope PNG, this means helping people become self-reliant. As the first person from his community to earn a bachelor’s degree, John said he strives to be a role model for the younger generation. He believes that a role model should not be involved in politics or conflicts. Instead, a role model is someone who seeks peace and works to make the community better than it was before.
John said he also believes that education is essential for a successful peacebuilding process. Educating young people enables them to become aware of current issues, learn to distinguish between right and wrong and avoid getting involved in conflict. By facilitating education for the children in his village and acting as a role model, John hopes to do just that and encourage young people to work towards change and peace. For John, peace means living in a harmonious community, free from destruction and disruption. Access to essential services such as education and healthcare is key to living in harmony. John said he believes the government is not doing enough to support rural communities, which require more attention. Taking responsibility, John asks himself what he can do personally to make people feel that someone is thinking about them. Success in his work, like seeing underprivileged children attending school and roads being built, inspires him to do more for his community.
John provides some concrete tips for youth peacebuilders starting their own local initiatives:
Identify other members of your community who share the same passion.
Networking is important. Your network can help with funding, extending your reach and ultimately achieving your goals.
Be accountable and, more concretely, be transparent about your projects in order to maintain the trust of your community members.
John said he is a firm believer that this is our time as young people to communicate and share ideas in order to help solve many of the world’s challenges. With a voice that no one else can express, it is the youth’s turn to bring about change.
Published in 2025