Hugo Canning donates towards Tembari preschool classroom project

David Slape, general manager of Hugo Canning Co, discusses something with Hayward Sagembo, president of Tembari Children Care, when he visited the facility recently.
Tembari’s preschoolers sit on a blue canvas laid in front of their blackboard and bulletin board. This is where a third of Tembari’s 106 preschoolers hold their daily class because there is no more space for them in two other classrooms. (Pics by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ)

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

CORNED beef maker Hugo Canning Co has become the second company to help Tembari raise fund to build a classroom for its growing number of preschoolers.

Last Thursday, company general manager David Slape sent a cheque for K5,000 to boost the funds needed to build a 60-square meter multi-purpose hall aimed to house a classroom for Tembari’s more than 100 preschool children.

The fund is a fulfillment of a pledge David made during The Center’s 8^th anniversary last month.

In our talk with him during the celebration, David said he would like to see Tembari Children Care realize its dream of improving the lives of its beneficiary children through early education.

The first one to come forward towards this project is the AP Engineering Ltd of Takubar, Kokopo, East New Britain.

Company manager Engr Ariel Parro said his company has been in Kokopo for a long time and that he would like to give back to the community through a cheque donation of K7,000.

He made the donation last December.

The planned semi-permanent structure is estimated to cost K50,000.

At present, two preschool classes at Tembari hold daily sessions in makeshift classrooms.

The third class of about 40 kids is holding its class under a mango tree just next to the two classrooms.

Whenever it threatened to rain, the teacher of this group would be forced to send her children home as The Center doesn’t have enough space at the facility to shelter them from rain.

It has been raining in Port Moresby since January and this group of preschoolers has been disrupted during sessions for most of the time due to rain.

Incidentally, of the 175 Tembari children, 69 attend elementary and primary schools around Port Moresby.

Delivered to The Center with David’s cheque were 10 cartons of Golden Circle cordial drink (2 liter bottle) and several cartons of tinned fish that would go into the daily feeding of about 175 children who are orphaned, abandoned and unfortunate children.

The truth is Hugo Canning has been one of Tembari’s regular donors and David has not forgotten to send for foodstuff whenever possible.

Thanks a million, David!

Email the writer: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg

freddiephernandez@yahoo.com

tembarihdz@gmail.com

Saturday tutoring for Tembari’s schoolchildren

Janet Tema, Tembari administrator and preschool teacher (left, standing), during Saturday’s special tutoring session for The Center’s schoolchildren. The weekend class is aimed at helping Tembari’s graders to cope with their everyday activities at school.
A volunteer mother building fire for two pots of Arroz Caldo (rice soup), a favorite Filipino dish on Saturday. (More pics after story)

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

THE Tembari schoolchildren have started their special tutoring on Saturday.

A weekend affair, the activity aims to help them cope better with their respective day-to-day school activities.

This year, Tembari has 74 schoolchildren enrolled in different schools in Port Moresby. Some of the school fees were paid for by the Children’s Foundation and some were paid by the money raised by Rishabh Bhandari, Founder and Co-President of TCC while he is in the USA.

Majority of them are attending the Wardstrip elementary and primary schools in Gordon, Port Moresby.

Janet Tema, Tembari’s administrator came up with the idea of Saturday tutoring after five of the preschoolers, who graduated last year, were immediately moved to Grade 5 and 6 – all because they are already in their early teens.

Janet felt that the move from preschool to Grade 4 and 5, instead of settling in Grade 1, which is the normal process, would be tough for the five children.

She said the five kids – Nicholas Hivi, 15; Rua Raymono, 14, Joyce Nancy, 13; Audrey Steven, 12; and Emily Pange, 13 – just had a year of experience in school at Tembari’s preschool but were made to by-pass Grade 1 to go up to Grade 4 and 5 levels instead of taking Grade 1.

These kids entered the preschool at ages 12, 13, 14 and 15 – a first in their lives.

“They could suffer from Grade 4 and 5 shocks … “ Janet said.

Yesterday’s first-ever Saturday tutoring class concentrated on phonetics, aimed at helping the kids pronounce English words correctly.

I observed them for a while they pronounced the words written on the blackboard and my impression was that I thought they had a good training while they were at preschool under three teachers.

The first session lasted for more than two hours, held while I was cooking the day’s special lunch of Arroz Caldo, a favorite Filipino dish.

With the Saturday tutoring, something that many community-based schoolchildren in PNG not experience, Tembari’s children could perform better in their respective grade levels.

We would like to commend Janet, our administrator, for taking this important initiative that I’m sure would further help our children in their studies.

Education, as they say, is a big step towards becoming a good and citizen.

Truly, the Tembari children are off to a good start, thanks to our generous supporters and sponsors.

This is something we, at Tembari, are proud of.

Volunteer mothers busy themselves with cooking the day’s special lunch.

A pot of boiling arroz caldo (rice porridge) being garnished with sliced cabbage and snake beans.

Two pots boiling at the same time … soon its contents would be devoured by our hungry kids.

An old man, one of the volunteers at Tembari, poses for a picture, with some old tires showing in the background.

A Tembari boy helps cleaning rice grains that are soiled.

… while other kids play with used tires …while waiting for lunch to cook.

Children collecting 10 bags of rice from the blogger APH’s car. They are a donation from some Filipino friends.

Tembari preschoolers kill time inside the classroom while waiting for lunch to cook.

Older kids looking bored while waiting for lunch.

While these girls play nursery games …

Schoolchildren carry chairs to the classroom to prepare for their Saturday special tutoring to help them cope with their day to day school activities.

Children fall in line to wash their hands before lunch.

Children fall in line to wash their hands before lunch.

Children crowding over a basin of water.

Two mothers carry a pot of arroz caldo.

Mom scoops arroz caldo into a food bowl.

Food bowls to go…

Kids having lunch while sitting on the blue mat.

Kids carry chairs out of the classroom after their Saturday tutoring. (All pics by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea)

Email the writer: alfredophernandez@thenational.com.pg

freddiephernandez@yahoo.com

tembarihdz@gmail.com

jarahdz500@online.net.pg