Buk Bilong Pikinini (BbP)

BbP held an event at the Book Shop & Reading Corner at Theodist, where seven students were dressed in Theodist uniforms to receive the cheque handed over by Corporate Development Manager, Ryan Pini and Purchasing Manager, Shaun Pini. 

Ryan Pini said, “Like Buk Bilong Pikinini, Theodist acknowledges the value of early childhood education and understands that an investment in our children is an investment in the future of Papua New Guinea.” 
The former swimming champion and manager also read one of the new readers to the children. 

Twenty (20) BbP students went on a special tour to inspect all sorts of mining and construction equipment at the Hastings Deering work site and they were so excited to get into an excavator simulator, giving a real-life experience of how a real machine is operated.

The event in concurrent with the 2022 National Book Week saw 20 Buk bilong Pikinini students and two teachers visit the BSP POM Branch to launch the BbP 13 Books series, “When I Grow Up I want to be a Banker”.

BSP Group Chief Executive Officer, Robin Fleming officially launched the Book when reading the content to the BbP students. 

These teachers are from rural communities in Hela and Gulf provinces and travelled to attend the annual Buk bilong Pikinini teacher refresher training in Port Moresby this week.

This initiative is a part of the Foundation’s commitment towards investing in early childhood education in PNG.

The group comprises of seven women and three men from Fugwa and Habare in Hela and Kikori in Gulf Province. They join 40 other early childhood educators from around the country committed to help the next generation of Papua New Guineans.

Niunet Chief Executive Officer, David Valentine, paid a visit to BbP’s Library Learning Centre located at Monier 9 Mile Rouna Quarry for this occasion.

BbP has developed an app especially for PNG’s children which supports the children’s curriculum learning via games, stories and audio books, this in agreement with Niunet includes assistance for BbP’s IT systems and website.

A special event is set for 25^th of November, to thank all donors and stakeholders

BbP opened its first Library Learning Centre (LLC) in 2008 on the 8^th of April at the Port Moresby General Hospital, about a year after the organisation was founded by Anne-Sophie Hermann (wife of the then Australian High Commissioner to PNG – Chris Moraitis) and friend Anna Mukerjee.

Ten years ago, BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) saw the opportunity to address this need to partner with Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) Children’s Libraries, with an emphasis on serving children from diverse backgrounds and with diverse needs as part of the banks community values.

Through the partnership BSP supported BbP in funding its operations at 3 libraries in Lae (Unitech), Manus and Goroka, since 2012.

The opening of the LLC is the second in a series of five local level governments that are in partnership with Steamships Trading Company, NCDC and the Motu Koita Assembly in support of education for children in the Motu Koitabu communities.

BbP thanked the Vabukori Women’s Development Association also for their partnership in making this library come to fruition.

Officiating in the cutting of the ribbon was Bbp board director and steamships representative Mia Bray with MKA Chairman, Dadi Toka Jr.

Namba Wan Trophy Limited (NWTL) has been supporting BbP with volunteers and the donation of food items and treats for a number of large events for the last couple of years.

During the graduation, the Children enrolled in BbP’s programs each received a backpack, a pencil case, exercise books and stationery and are now ready to enrol next year.

NWTL donated more than 8000 pencils, 500 ball pens, 900 rulers, 2900 exercise/notebooks, 700 backpacks and 2900 pencil cases valued at K40,000 to the school.

BbP states its program has shown year after year, that children who have attended the Early Childhood Development program are well ahead of their peers.

As part of BbP’s in-house developed curriculum, the children have been taught phonics, segmenting and blending and many are now able to read. They have been taught discipline and classroom behaviour and are ready to focus on learning.