A Friend of Tembari Children
THE Filipino Association of PNG (FAPNG) and the Super Value Stores (SVS) are going to support the Tembari Center in bringing up the 97 children now under its care.
Businessman Joey Sena, who is serving his second term as president of FAPNG, told me they have agreed to set aside some funding to The Center from proceeds of a concert dubbed “Hatid Saya” (Courier of Fun) to be held on Sept 25-26 to mark Papua New Guinea’s independence day.
The forthcoming concert featuring known Filipino entertainers aims to raise funds for its various activities and for charitable groups like the Tembari Children Care (TCC).
Joey said FAPNG is happy to support the cause that The Center is pursuing towards its beneficiaries that included orphans, abandoned, neglected and unfortunate children.
Last year, FAPNG raised money to support police operations in keeping law and order in Port Moresby.
Lina Hanafi, whose family operates SVS supermarket chains in the country, has noted the modest success that The Center has achieved over the last eight months in effecting a change in the lives of the former street children under its care.
She told me in an emailed message that her company could help us with some of our urgent needs.
The daily operations of The Center are being funded by modest grants from donors.
Every month, the facility spends about K1,500 for water bills, foodstuff like biscuits and vegetables, allowances of volunteer teachers’, volunteer mothers and volunteer caretaker.
The Center collects water from a village tap operated by the village’s association several meters from The Center.
Sometimes, The Center would also shoulder its schoolchildren’s bus fares in going to their schools in the city when their guardian parents did not have money.
This year, The Center looks after 42 schoolchildren enrolled in 11 schools around Port Moresby. It also has 45 preschoolers at The Center being taught alphabet and numbers by three volunteer teachers.
Towards the end of September, the British High Commission in PNG’s grant to The Center for its daily milk feeding program would come to an end.
The High Commission is spending K1,200 a month for the milk needs of the children from Monday to Friday. The assistance began last March.
The milk served every Saturday is being provided by another donor.
For the past seven months, fresh milk has become an important part of children’s daily diet. Milk has done a great job in improving their nutrition.
Under our milk program, four children would share a pack of one-liter fresh milk. So everyday, they consume about 24 liters of fresh milk.
It’s only because of generous individuals and institutions that The Center is able to offer them this very important food.
For this reason, I am appealing to individuals or groups for help in sustaining the daily milk needs of our 97 children.
Without their support, the Tembari children would be deprived of the many health benefits from this great food.
Preschoolers enjoying themselves inside their classroom while waiting for lunch to be served last Saturday. Lunch was catered by a kai-kai shop at Erima owned by a Malaysian couple. 
Catered food in several trays donated by Malaysian expatriate businesswoman Vinns, owner of a kai-kai shop at Erima.Email: alfredophernande@thenational.com.pg
jarahdz500@online.net.pg
freddiephernandez@yahoo.com
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