Buk Bilong Pikinini

The event was graced by notable figures including Chairperson Anna Bais, deputy chair Ruby Kerepa, Treasurer Michelle Hauofa, CPL Group Marketing Manager Christopher Lam, City Pharmacy Marketing manager Momo Carol Ako, and CPL Foundation Project Coordinator Regil Wanwanji.

Commencing with opening prayers, the ceremony took a delightful turn when 5-year-old Miss Cecilia Baia captivated the audience by reading a Buk bilong Pikinini-published reader titled “My Village: Tatana Island.”

The event, held in celebration of World Mangrove Day 2023, saw a collaboration between local experts from The Nature Conservancy, Coastline Care Project, and volunteers from the esteemed Platinum partner, Steamships.

Expressing deep gratitude, the team extends their thanks to the generous donors in Australia for their contributions of numerous boxes of excellent stationery that will enable the organization to facilitate engaging craft projects and coloring-in activities for the children.

A special mention goes to the Rotary Club of Weston Creek for their remarkable donation of multiple van loads of stationery. Their support has been instrumental in ensuring a steady supply of materials.

Councilor Peter Raim, who is also the LiteHaus Country Director, and Chris Black, the Lead Content Curation and Engineer of Niunet Team, handed over the donation to BbP's PRM Manager, Nelly Wak-Namean.

During the visit, the team also stopped by the BbP Koki Library Learning Centre, where Niunet CEO and Chief Technical Officer, David Valentine, read the BbP-published reader "When I Grow Up I Want to Be an ICT Officer."

The reader featured Valentine as a role model.

Companies Hebou Constructions, Monier, Airways Hotel and the Sir Theo Foundation – all under the banner of the Constantinou Group of Companies have been supporting BbP libraries since 2008, when the very first library was opened at Port Moresby General Hospital.

The libraries assist five-year-old children with an Early Childhood Education program, which includes literacy, numeracy, digital learning and cultural knowledge. It provides children solid foundations before they start school and gives them the best possible chance of becoming literate from a very young age.

Buk bilong Pikinini’s Early Childhood Education program helps to provide children with the foundations in numeracy, problem solving and various play-based STEM activities throughout the year, however, more should be done in fostering careers in Information and Communications Technology or ICT.

 BbP believes that with the launch of their new publication entitled ‘When I grow up – I want to be an ICT officer’ it will help children understand and choose jobs and skills needed in the field.

Buk bilong Pikinini, with the launch of its book ‘When I grow up – I want to be a Farmer’ seeks to inspire children in considering a career in modern farming.

Children of the BbP program were given the opportunity to visit the 9 Mile Farm and one child was chosen to feature wearing the full farming outfit on their trip to see how the produce is grown and understand all about cows and what dairy products are.

BbP Executive Officer, Leeanne Resson thanked PNG Air and said the airline has been supporting them for the past three years and is still going.

“This partnership is an important partnership because they assist Buk bilong Pikinini with our reestablishment Library Kits. We are able to get these kits in schools across PNG. Within the first three quarters alone, we were able to restock 68 schools with the kits and this would not have been possible without the support from PNG Air.

Bbp says girls and boys should be introduced to STEM from a young age to encourage them to pursue a career in medicine, science or engineering.

Bbp’s Early Childhood Education program provides the necessary learning foundations and activities, but there is nothing better than having the children learn first-hand how certain jobs operate.

Today’s excursion took 5 year old Dorcas Kilalema on a great opportunity to explore what it takes to be an engineer with Exxon Mobil PNG.

Book bilong Pikinini (BbP) has once again selected one lucky child to go on an excursion to see what goes on behind the counter in a Bank and learn what it takes to be a Bank Teller.

Five-year-old, Piro Billy Namean was chosen to feature in the reader titled, “When I grow up I want to be a Bank Teller.” Books are a valuable way to motivate children in realizing and learning the type of career they would like to have in the future.