Santos funded Oil Search Foundation (OSF) through its Community Development program has distributed 4,000 reading books to Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres in Santos project areas in Kutubu, Southern Highlands province.
The books were distributed to four ECE centres located at Kaimari, Wanunuma, Kei Point and Gesege villages along the Lake Kutubu. Each centre has approximately 30 children in attendance and received a total of 1,000 reading books respectively for their students aged three to six years.
Teachers, members of the communities and children at the four ECE centres were excited to receive the books and thanked the Foundation for the positive gesture without which the children would not have had access to reading resources.
Anna Kimi, a teacher at Kaimari ECE centre said the donation by OSF was timely because the school was expanding and needed more resources to increase children’s learning.
“As volunteer teachers, we make do with the little we have and the reading books will definitely go a long way in helping the children broaden their reading, speaking and writing skills,” Ms. Kimi said.
OSF Program Manager, Daisy Raburabu said the Foundation values early childhood education and has always been supportive through its partnership with NGO Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) to distribute reading books to rural communities.
Buk bilong Pikinini Program Manager, Marlyn Wini said BbP was grateful for the partnership with OSF in distributing books, literacy and numeracy resources to early childhood schools, as part of their vision to increase the literacy rate in PNG.
The reading books donated also included books for young people and adults who can visit the ECE centres and access the books. OSF and BbP have partnered together for over six years to improve early childhood learning in PNG through various development and training programs in addition to establishing literacy libraries for young children.
