"I would like to invite the children of Wondama Bay to safeguard the unity and integrity of the Republic of Indonesia," he remarked at the groundbreaking ceremony which marked the start of constructing the district's Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI) office in Wondiboi on Saturday (October 14).
Waterpauw noted that the development of the office reflected the West Papua provincial government's genuine care about the capacity-building of local young talents.
He expressed hope that young people in the region would optimize the function of the office as a gathering spot and center for creativity.
"Young people are the hope of the nation and country and the driving force of development. Young people should continue to hone their abilities and skills," he said.
On the occasion, Head of West Papua's KNPI Sammy Djunie Saiba said constructing the KNPI building was an answer to local youths' longing for a representative office.
"Young people in Wondama Bay have been waiting for almost 20 years to have a representative office. The long wait has come to an end," he stated.
The young people who are active at the KNPI- Wondama Bay Chapter hopefully continue to bolster synergy and collaboration with various stakeholders, including regional governments, the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and local communities.
Meanwhile, Deputy Head of Wondama Bay District Andarias Kayukatui said he highly appreciated the provincial government for its efforts to construct the KNPI office.
He said the Wondama Bay district government expected local youths to utilize the office optimally for improving their capacity.
"Hopefully, youths will genuinely use this office as a place for enhancing their creativity and competitiveness," Kayukatui remarked.
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Translator: Fransiskus S, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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