Building Safe Spaces for Youth: Take 5 Training in Papua New Guinea

In partnership with UNFPA, Take 5 travelled to Papua New Guinea to equip youth workers with practical tools to create safe, engaging, and connected spaces where young people can build resilience and thrive. This marks Take 5’s first partnership in the Pacific Islands, a milestone for the movement and for the communities it will reach.

In September 2025, representatives from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) attended a Take 5 workshop in Cape Town, South Africa. Experiencing the model firsthand sparked a strong desire to bring the Take 5 approach into community-based programmes in Papua New Guinea.

In response, Jose Peffer and Jeff DeCelles from Take 5 travelled to Papua New Guinea to deliver two four-day trainings in Mendi and Port Moresby. Together, 60 coaches and 5 UNFPA staff members were trained to facilitate the Take 5 routine with young people in their communities. Both locations present significant challenges: these are hyper-rural settings where access to mental health services, sport, and recreational activities is extremely limited. In Mendi specifically, Take 5 is being used in programmes working to end sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV) and violence against women and girls. In this context creating safe, trusted spaces for young people is not just beneficial, but urgent.

The training highlighted how the Take 5 routine can be adapted across different settings. From sports teams and schools to churches, workshops, and open community spaces. Participants recognised the value of the routine’s intentional structure, using energisers, check-ins, breathing, play, check-outs, and closing reflections to create environments where young people feel safe, included, and engaged.

At the end of the workshops, participants completed feedback surveys, with 87% rating the training as “excellent.”

Many participants spoke about the importance of the “check-in and check-out” moments, explaining that hearing others share their experiences helped them feel less alone and more connected. Participants also emphasised how making learning fun strengthened relationships, improved retention, and encouraged active participation.

“When we make activities fun and enjoyable for young people, even for a short time, they can forget about their stress.”

Sitting in circles, learning through play, and building “our culture” together created a welcoming atmosphere where people felt comfortable participating and returning each day, added Jose Peffer (Take 5 Training Specialist).

The training built confidence not only in delivering the Take 5 routine, but in creating positive experiences for young people facing difficult environments. Participants left with concrete plans to bring Take 5 into schools, churches, and youth programmes, and to train additional coaches within six months, extending the model into communities and villages across Papua New Guinea.

📍 Location: Mendi and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

👥 Partners involved: Take 5, UNFPA, Waves for Change

📸 Photo and video credits: Waves for Change / Take 5

Want to bring Take 5 to your community?

Visit https://take-5.org/ to access resources, learn more or get in touch.