School children at remote Upper Bundi at the foothills of Mt. Wilhelm in Chimbu Province have a reason to smile after receiving 3,000 library books recently.
Eight schools including two primary and six elementary schools received the much needed library books presented by Digicel PNG Foundation Men of Honour recipient Vincent Kumura.
Kumura is also a promoter for eco-tourism and the Managing Director of the Snow Pass Eco-Lodge (SPEL) in Bundi, Eastern Highlands Province.
The boxes of books were airlifted to Yandera and Snow Pass Primary School and six other elementary schools.
These schools are ranked as “Zone 4” schools meaning they are the furthest from most of the basic government services such as better road access, health care, and others.
Jacaranda Atlases, Encyclopedias, junior fictions and non-fictions, teachers’ resource materials, Science and English books, National Geographic magazines are some of the many items donated to these schools.
Kumura said the sad fact is that these primary schools have never had a proper library or any reading materials since their inceptions in 2001 (Snow Pass) and 1979 (Yandera).
When delivering the books, Kumura told the students about the importance of reading and education.
He thanked Manjimap SDA Church in Western Australia for packing and shipping the books and the Ramu Community Resource Centre Association (RCRCA) for donating the books.