A Friend of Tembari Children
WHETHER they knew it or not, individuals who spent money to sponsor the Saturday special feeding gig for the children of Tembari Children Care (TCC) have become stakeholders in their future.
And entities, which could be foundations, associations or business groups that provided funds, foodstuff, goods, services, materials and basic facilities to promote the welfare of these kids, have now a stake to claim in what the kids would become from here on.
The logic is simple: They paid for the kids’ food because they wanted them to enjoy a specially prepared meal – in this case, lunch.
They wanted them to have a meal rich in vital nutrients their tender bodies need for their day to day growing-up.
In short, these sponsors wanted to see these kids grow healthy and strong, and most of all, alert and intelligent.
On the other hand, donors of materials and basic facilities like simple tools, cooking utensils and implements wanted The Center to do its job with ease and efficiently, because by being able to do so, it furthers the interest of its beneficiary children.
But this is a long process, just like that of a growing young tree that would need thousands of sunshine days and breezy nights before it could become a great tree for every nature lover to admire and every lumberjack to behold.
Good food has a way of making this a reality. And more so with the good education that should start at their very young age.
Every time an individual or an entity extends help, be it in terms of funding or goods that would include foodstuff, clothing, medicines, books, pencils, writing pads, book readers, basic facilities and materials, he earns for himself a piece of a proverbial building brick.
Yes, my friend, it is this brick that would help build the foundation of the moral, intellectual and health edifice that would eventually make these kids useful and productive citizens of Papua New Guinea.
Our generous benefactors, however, would not be satisfied with holding just a piece of this brick.
They would want to acquire more of this because they wanted to see THAT an edifice is built from them and rise with them.
And in so doing, they are making certain that their stakes in these kids’ future are deeply buried deep into the ground, making them unshakable, safe from being uprooted.
They are aware that a single brick would remain just an ordinary piece of manufactured stone unless it is laid together with others and become a wall so strong enough to withstand the rumbles of doubts caused by those who did not believe in caring for these needy kids.
And I believe there are thousands of them across this country, including this white man who runs a timber company in Madang. He told me bluntly in his email: “I will never support what you are doing.”
But his tribe, anyway, will decline over time, I’m pretty sure of this, as it would vanish from consciousness of a caring humanity, and be consigned later to hell – the flipside of an uncaring heart.
On the other hand, our benefactors needed to pile up more bricks in order to build.
So what would they do to earn more bricks and eventually, a passage to the young hearts of our children?
Nothing, except to continue helping however difficult or cumbersome it may become later. It is in bleeding from one’s generosity that the gesture of helping becomes truly heaven-like.
Benevolent individuals know this; in more ways than one, they wished to bleed some more in the name of love for those in need.
For now, it is easy. But as the years go bye and the growing of these kids goes on, more resources have to be opened up to sustain their needs and make them shape up into individuals truly acceptable to our community and society as a whole.
We will look up to them as the next generation of future leaders.
The success of The Center in bringing about a good person in every child under its care is also the success of every stakeholder in this noble undertaking.
They are no different from well-meaning parents who put up big gamble in the future of their own children.
They would do anything to see to it that their child grow into someone who is caring, loving, respectful, healthy, intelligent and most of all God-fearing -- someone who is useful to society and a great son or daughter that humanity would be proud to cuddle.
The tasks of parenting are always difficult, demanding and resource-exhausting.
But such doesn’t deter them because they know they are investing in their future and their stakes are just too great for them to fail.
The Center’s benefactors are, more or less, well aware of this.
Like many parents out there, they don’t want to fail for the sake of the kids-- that is the Tembari children.
For as long as they could, they would give the Tembari children their best so that each of them could claim a rightful place in our society.
Yes, years from now.
***
Over a span of four months from February 2010, I managed to tell to certain entities and individuals the story of our lovely kids, of the many things they need to be able to live normally as children.
We never felt awkward asking people and institutions to help our kids, in the same vein that they – those who found this rare opportunity to help – did not feel awkward dipping into their pockets to bring out their kindness through their cash.
Following the lead of Digicel Foundation and We!Care PNG, they decided to become our benefactors and stakeholders in the Tembari Children’s future.
We are proud to present them to you:
1. Pacific Towing Ltd
2. John Whitfield
3. High-Energy Co Ltd
4. Ox & Palm (Hugo Canning Co Ltd)
5. Papua Niugini Freezers (PNF)
6. Malaysian Business Council (MBC)-Malaysian Association of PNG
7. Coral Investments Ltd
8. The Water Company
9. RH Foundation/ RH Group of Companies
10. British High Commission
11. PNG Children’s Foundation
12. Yes Limited
13. Pacific Industries Ltd
14. RBP Trading Ltd
15. Philippine Ambassador to PNG Hon Shirley Ho-Vicario
16. Celia and Boy Nunez
17. TJ Khoo (The National)
18. Nene Sta Cruz (Integrated Devt Services (IDS)
19. Anonymous exec from RH Group
20. Nanga Medical Clinic
21. Universal Ventures Ltd
22. Royal Papua Yacht Club
23. Andre Potgeiter
24. RD Tuna Cannery
25. Aqua Five (Bottled Water)
26. Nanga Medical Center
28. Ms Elaine, RBP Trading Ltd28. Several individuals/companies who sponsor our special Saturday feeding program: Nara Mundiandy, The National (permanent Saturday sponsor); CC Ang, RH Trading; John Francis Villalba, Pacific Industries (permanent Saturday sponsor); Robert Palomo, Red Sea Housing Construction Co (Qatar-PNG LNG) [permanent Saturday sponsor]; Albert Rocero, Coral Investments Ltd (permanent Saturday sponsor); Yes Ltd; Orly Alvarez (Transport Dept, RPNGC); SF Yong (Pacific Star), Rey & Lulu Lambo (permanent Saturday sponsors); Saturday Choir of RH (PNG) Group; Thomas Kuo
29. 29. Diane McLea (Miami, USA); David Ulg Ketepa (Michigan, , USA); Kubs Lalchandani (USA); Dr Younan (Palm Beach Surgical Center, California); Mike Gerber & Nancy Freitus (USA); Mr And Mrs R (USA); Ron Rutledge (USA);
30. 30. The mom-and-dad volunteers who cook for, and look after the needs of, the kids and the teacher-volunteers who see to it that their wards learn the numbers and alphabet.
(Our sponsored Saturday lunch for the 83 Tembari kids costs only K150.00 per person, which covers a special meat (fish or chicken) dish, veggies, steamed rice and cordial drink. Some had given more, allowing us to give the kids a generous heap of the day’s lunch. A rare bonus to the sponsors, along with the bricks they earn each time, is that I personally cook the dish, giving it a personal touch. And as they earn a brick, each of our benefactors also earn a passage into the heart of the Tembari kids, which is also a prepaid ticket to Heaven.)
RH Group executive director Nathan Ho and president of the Malaysian Association of PNG explaining to TCC volunteers, children and guests why the Malaysian community decided to help The Center with its finances. The MAPNG donated a cool K15,000 for the benefits of the 83 children under its care.
Malaysian High Commissioner to PNG Datin Blanche Olbery praising The Center for the good services it provides to the unfortunate children, and promised to help them in more ways than one.
RH Group executive director Ivan Lu (left) with VIPs from the business community Datuk Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail of Malaysia, Maybank vice-president Victor Tan and Nathan Ho witness the presentation of cheque donation to The Center.
A heap of scrap timber which was donated by Sarco Timberyard to The Center for its firewood needs.
Dinolla Tion, PR executive at RH Foundation, presenting ato Hayward Sagembo, TCC Co-Founder and Director, on behalf of an executive at RH Group.
Tembari children at lunch. They no longer fall in line for food but instead, they waited at the dining table for their meals to be served. In short, the food line is now a thing of the past as far as The Center is concerned.
Private air hostess Diane McLea meets the Tembari Children for the first time last March.
At least 42 children chairs were donated by RH Foundation to The Center for children’s use in their classrooms.
Volunteer cooking assistants behind three huge pots donated by a benefactor. – All pictures by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
Email the writer: alfredophernandez@thenational.com.pg
jarahdz500@online.net.pg
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