Emily Robert has been volunteering at the Ampuc Elementary School, at Bumbu’s Waria Compound, for three years
She is one of eight teachers who sacrifice their time to teach children from the surrounding areas of Voco Point, Chinatown, Bumbu and Butibam Village.
She is urging the Ahi LLG president and Lae district leaders to assist them with teaching and learning materials.
“Not on the payroll but we teach as volunteer teachers,” she said. “Sometimes it’s hard; we come to work hungry but we still come to school to teach the children so they can have a better future.
“Right now we don’t have teaching materials; we make do with whatever is there.
“We try our best to encourage our students to strive to be better citizens and to show others that they learnt good values in this school.
“We don’t have plenty materials like chalks, blackboards, tables and chairs. Our students sit on the floor and we teach them. We have the heart to teach them so they can have a better tomorrow.”
Established three years ago, the elementary school is currently waiting for approval from the Department of Education after submitting relevant documents to register the school.
Ampuc Elementary School was established in 2020 by senior teacher, Enewe Sowegi, after seeing the need to educate children between the ages of three and eight around Lae’s notorious squatter settlement.