A Primary School’s Plea for Books


A post by a Mr. Tony Koyangko for good hearted people to donate a book for the 2,500 students at West Goroka Primary School broke my heart! There are so many schools in PNG with a similar plea.

I visit the Moale Dabua secondhand clothing shop occasionally to buy good reading books. And so, I have a carton full of books, mainly fiction, collecting dusting at the corner of my room. I’ll be sending some of the books with complimentary copies of my own novel ‘Tam’gega – Fatherless Child’ next week via DHL.

Lately, I’ve been writing some children’s stories for ‘Library for All’. As a writer, I’d like to use my skills to help improve literacy in Papua New Guinea.

I’d like to write culturally relevant stories and publish them as books for our primary school students. But, I’ll need financial support to order thousands of the books to distribute to schools in the rural areas. Just a few thousands of kina to order and airfreight the books will do. If only our politicians had a heart!

While our politicians see it fit to spend millions of kina on a yoga program in Port Moresby, the quality of education has deteriorated over the past few decades. Many schools in PNG do not have classrooms, teachers and books. As a result, the children are losing interest in going to school.

Many of the students in the rural areas come from poor backgrounds. Families are often unable to afford a school uniform, a school bag or the necessary reading materials and stationary needed for their children to study. Books to enhance their knowledge about the outside world is a luxury to them.

I am sure there are lots of good Papua New Guineans who want to contribute something to the nation. Let’s create a brighter future for our children. Let’s help improve literacy and the opportunity for our students to reach their true potential and to fulfill their dreams.

Mr. Tony Koyangko can be contacted on Mobile no: (+675) 7633 0743. West Goroka Primary School, P.O.Box 1385, Goroka, EHP, PNG.
 

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