This is a heart-warming story of an inspirational young woman, born in Brisbane, raised in West New Britain Province and who is currently doing her studies in Queensland.
Tiana Reimann is the founder of the Bucket of Love Foundation. Her love for her country PNG, challenged her to make a difference to communities. Here is how a simple bucket changed the lives of many villagers in just four months.
“Although it was challenging with my studies and other working commitments, I will still do anything for my country, Papua New Guinea. The people here have taught me so much in life and there is no better place I could call home,” Tiana states.
How did you come up with the name “Bucket of Love?”
The Bucket of Love Foundation idea was birthed on Valentine’s Day this year. I guess you can say my time wasn’t spent with a Valentine that day! It all started when a Shaun Glastonbury, sport centre coordinator in Brisbane noticed my PNG spider photography on Facebook. It was a real coincidence how he found me but he contacted me about all the chlorine buckets he collected from the pool. He was searching for someone who could utilise the buckets in some way and I couldn’t have thought of a better use for them than those “wantoks long ples” (our people in the villages in WNB). I went to see the buckets stacked upon each other and since it was Valentine’s Day, I thought, why not call it the Bucket of Love?
That same evening it was as simple as creating a logo, info graphics and a Facebook page where I invited my friends. From there, the spark turned into a fire and I was inundated with support from friends and family. My friend Natasha Wetzel and I contacted various schools and were able to gather many more valuable items. I was truly shocked about the wastage some Australian Businesses go through with hundreds of perfectly good uniforms or sporting equipment usually disposed of. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure I say!
My love and interest for West New Britain Province
Living in West New Britain and travelling with my parents out to my second home, Baia, made me realise that life in the remote communities was tough. Women in PNG walk for miles to fetch water for drinking, cooking, doing laundry and dishes and of course gardening. Many families don’t have the luxury to buy a tank or to install a water pump in their villages. Most work in the village is done manually.
Children in remote villages don’t have access to fully kitted classrooms, books, sporting equipment and other educational material. With those experiences I initiated the Bucket of Love Foundation page on Facebook to collect used items and fundraise for this cause. This quote.” Everyone has the potential to change a single life today.” is the motto behind the Bucket of Love Foundation. I always believe that when you have the power to change a life, you can make an impact in society no matter what the consequences.
Challenges
Costs of shipment is roughly estimated around $4000 from Brisbane to West New Britain. I had a bit of hurdle in fund raising for logistical arrangements but with the help of the Reimann family I was able to bring all items to Kimbe. Additionally, my businesses such as Tiana Reimann Photography and Zambilla & Co also raise money towards this cause. You can find both pages on Facebook for more information.
Smiles that brighten up a dull day
With the assistance of Natasha Wetzel, the first shipment containing goods worth over the value of $6000 were delivered to communities at the remote villages of Baia and Kove area. Seeing the joy written on people’s faces, especially women and children when handing out donated books, shoes, clothing, sports equipment, buckets and many other items was such a beautiful and rich experience for me. The smiles on children’s faces are etched in my memories. There is truly joy in giving and seeing a small random act of kindness impact people’s lives.
Acknowledgement and Support to Bucket of Love Foundation
I would like to thank all the volunteers and sponsors of the Bucket of Love Foundation here in Australia who have donated their time and belongings towards this initiative. The Bucket of Love Foundation has received a lot of interests from communities back in West New Britain, and I’m doing my best in getting everything ready for the next rounds of shipment and delivery. I am currently keeping a register of all the villages and schools which lack the support from the delegated authorities and I aim to help those in the upcoming shipment in December.
I also thank my immediate family for their support towards this initiative. Those willing to assist this cause, can contact me through the Bucket of Love Foundation Facebook page or tianareimann@gmail.com. I would be happy to discuss how we can work together on projects.
