5 November 2012
Parliamentary Secretary Marles visits Buk Bilong Pikinini library
Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs and Foreign Affairs, Richard Marles visited the Buk Bilong Pikinini Library at Koki in the National Capital District on Monday 5th November 2012.
Mr Marles was accompanied by the Minister for Religion, Youth and Community Development, Loujaya Toni.
The Library at Koki was opened in 2010 and caters to more than 200 children every day.
Buk bilong Pikinini, which was established in 2007, is an independent not-for-profit organisation that has so far set up nine children's libraries throughout PNG. In PNG there are few functioning libraries outside the school system and most children do not have access to books at all. Only half of school-age children go to school and the literacy rate in PNG is low. By establishing small libraries in community-based localities near settlements, clinics and market places, Buk bilong Pikinini provides children with access to books and a chance to foster a love of reading and learning.
With its strong commitment to improving educational levels in PNG, the Australian Government, through AusAID, has donated K2.2 million to Buk bilong Pikinini to enable it to continue expanding its operations.
Loujaya Toni, Minister for Religion, Youth and Community Development and Member for Lae, is also a strong supporter. She recently announced that she would match AusAID’s grant to Buk bilong Pikinini of K2.2 million, to enable the organisation to establish libraries in Morobe, her home province.
Mr Marles and Mrs Toni were both very impressed with the library. ‘It was wonderful to see how popular the library is, not just with children but also with adults’ Mr Marles said. Since September, the Koki Markets library has also been providing learning opportunities to adults, with its pilot adult literacy program called ‘Buk bilong PapaMama’.
“Illiteracy is very high in this country and there are few opportunities for children to access books to read”, Buk bilong Pikinini co-founder Ms Hermann said. Research has shown that the earlier books can be introduced into a child’s life, the more chance there is of that child becoming literate. It is up to everyone in PNG to encourage their children to read and advocate for opening of public libraries in this country.