By Isabella Saleu

       Port Moresby, PNG, 3 June 2022 -- Five students from Don Bosco Technical School on the Chat Room of Wednesday 1 June 2022 have sent out a strong reminder to their peers that teamwork is essential for personal growth and policy change.

       The five boys, all in year eleven, spoke with confidence as they stormed the NBC Tribe FM studio with their topic: Importance of Teamwork.

       Opening the discussion was Mr. Luther Kuelinad who explained that teamwork was the ability to be an active and efficient listener in taking information and following instructions to carry out individual assigned tasks, contributing to groups such as family, school, church, and society.

       “Scholars overseas have researched that collaborative problem-solving leads to better outcomes. People are more likely to take calculated risks if they have the support of a team. Working in a team promotes job satisfaction and reduces stress”, he said.

       Explaining why it is important for young people to work as a team was Mr. Gad Walaun. He stressed that if young people harnessed this skill, it would help them become good communicators, increase their self-confidence, and build good relationships with others.

       “An example of the benefits of teamwork would be problem solving. If I am given a group activity, it would be done sooner and it would be to my advantage to learn new ideas from my friends, than if I were to do it alone. Likewise, we see teamwork a huge part of Jesus’s life on earth because he had 12 disciples that helped Him carry out His mission on earth. They followed Him everywhere and supported Him.” he added.

       Highlighting the lack of teamwork and support in the society was Mr. John Kawapuro who said if people lacked this important skill, they would all be working individually, and the stress of work would create anxiety. “Nothing would be done if there is no teamwork and support because there wouldn’t be any collaboration which would lead to grudges for not achieving their objective,” he explained.

       Mr. Kawapuro used the most loved NRL as a classic example of teamwork and collaboration; the entire team members of an NRL club contributed to results.

       Stressing the importance of teaching children teamwork at an early age was Mr. Kristoffa Ephraim, who said, a child was easier to teach than an adult, thus if children learned this skill when they were young, it would go a long way for them in school and eventually in the workforce when they contribute to society and nation building as every individual was part and puzzle of a society’s growth.

       “We can start by getting children involved in activities that are done in groups, so they understand the importance of it. As young people also, I call on you to be team players because we cannot progress if we want to do everything on our own,” Mr. Ephraim stressed.

       Mr. Anthony Molen who concluded the discussion said, “Let us not separate; communication is key to working together. And we are all one. Parents are first teachers at home and should teach their children skills such as teamwork and the government should provide opportunities that call for everyone to work together. There should not be room for individualism because we all need each other.”

---

---