Buk Bilong Pikinini (BbP)

The Buk bilong Pikinini team recently visited Pacific Towing on Motukea Island to witness the intricacies of operating a tugboat, leaving them impressed by the responsibilities involved.

This addition to the series aims to provide children with valuable insights into the world of operating a tugboat, all while showcasing Michelle's incredible journey as a girl-boss in a male-dominated industry.

To mark the occasion, a new 5-year Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Sir Mahesh Patel who represented CPL Foundation, BbP Executive Officer Leanne Resson, and BbP Founder and Chairperson Anne-Sophie Hermann.

Adding to the festive atmosphere, the children adorned themselves as pharmacists and nurses, embracing their roles by dispensing "pretend medication" in the form of jelly beans to their "patients." This creative activity not only sparked their imagination but also fostered a sense of empathy and care.

The elementary school teachers were elated to receive the books for their classroom library shelves.

The reader series features Papua New Guinea children in professional roles alongside role models as they discover what is required for different jobs that could be theirs in the future.

The sets currently cover 13 professions, with another six to be launched during Book Week this year.

Credit Corp PNG has once again shown its commitment to the community by supporting Buk bilong Pikinini's mission for early childhood education.

CEO Danny Robinson and his team visited the Vabukori Library Learning Centre to present a cheque donation that will go towards the rental costs of the organization's warehouse, which stores books and literacy materials for young children in Papua New Guinea.

The organization's Inclusive Education Officer, Noah Agino, has been busy reading his story 'I am Noah' to the children at the Library Learning Centers.

Noah, who has a hearing impairment, shares his experience growing up with the disability, and is joined by Jonathan, who also has a hearing impairment, and Rena, who has mild Autism. 

Both children are thriving in the BbP ECE program and are enthusiastic learners.

Buk bilong Pikinini's programs are designed to be inclusive and welcome children with disabilities to learn alongside their peers. 

The schools, which include Vekabu Elementary, Doromoku Elementary, Doura Primary School, and St. John Bosco, Kuriva, previously received training in the BbP program, which encompasses School Library management.

The initiative aims to offer instant libraries to support teaching and provide students with books for their studies and enjoyment. Teachers expressed gratitude for the training, resources, and books, and thanked BbP and the Swiss Embassy for their support.

The previous two libraries, located in Pari village and Vabukori, were opened in 2019 and 2022, respectively.

This is the third library under a five-year sponsorship commitment between Steamships and BbP, with the other two located in Pari Village and Vabukori, opened in 2019 and 2022, respectively.

Steamships Managing Director, Rupert Bray, stated that the partnership with BbP directly supports early childhood literacy and learning, contributing to the communities they operate in, and aligns with the company's core values of development and learning.

When they were just mere babies when Anna and Pouem contracted Tuberculosis. Anna contracted TB in her brain which left her paralysed down her left side. Pouem contracted TB in the spine, which caused a severe distortion to his body. Young Matthew was born with a cleft palette. At the age of two, he contracted meningitis.

Pouem and Matthew both attended BbP’s special needs program when they were hospitalised at the Port Moresby General Hospital and had sincere wishes to continue in BbP’s program once discharged.

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.