Papua New Guinea Career Counsellor
Commonwealth Point of Light 185. Lazarus Towa
Lazarus Towa, representing Papua New Guinea, is a youth worker at ‘Unemployment Initiates’, an organisation which links young people with employment opportunities and provides skill-enhancing support for writing cover letters, CVs, and preparing for interviews.
Lazarus has assisted more than 600 young people into full-time employment through his Facebook Group where he advertises current job vacancies and offers a resume editing service. Lazarus also manages a database of over 30,000 example CVs to help Papua New Guineans successfully enter the workforce.
Lazarus said:
“Serving humanity is very priceless, and the reward for inner satisfaction you will get is something money will not buy or match it up. I started volunteering my time, and limited resources that I have to assist others find meaning in life, though it be assisting job seekers, scholarship counselling, career change advising, providing vital information at hand for those who will be needing and so forth. The only satisfaction that keeps me going is the smile and the joy that others find through my volunteer help.
“I started volunteering and it became obvious in 2014, when I finished from the university and into the workforce. Since then I have received a few awards and recognitions for my volunteer work. And it was not a surprise for being selected for 2021 Commonwealth Points of Light Winner. I am very humbled by this recognition and am sincerely thankful to Her Majesty The Queen for this honour.”
Keith Scott, British High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, said:
“I am delighted that Lazarus has been recognised as a Commonwealth Point of Light award recipient. Many talk about building a better future for all, but few act to make that happen. Lazarus’ track record of drawing on the challenges he faced growing up to help young Papua New Guineans apply for jobs not only helps provide many with a positive start in life but also enables Papua New Guinea as a whole to make use of much of its own young talent that might otherwise be missed. He has shown how to make a real difference to lives in his community and is a worthy Ambassador for Papua New Guinea in the Commonwealth family of inspirational volunteers. Many congratulations!”