Goodman Fielder commits a year’s supply of flour

Tembari children and volunteers pose in front of a flour donation from Goodman Fielder. The company will supply the day care center with 200kg of flour every month. Volunteer mothers will bake bread for the preschool children’s noon time snacks.



By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

THANKS to the Australian Embassy here in Port Moresby.

It knew who to approach for foodstuff donation intended for the Tembari children.

Being a giant Aussie company whose Asia Pacific head office is based here in Port Moresby, Goodman Fielder became the first bet as source.

You see, Goodman Fielder is one company that owns the flour brand Flame, which is also a brand name for stock feed. It also owns Meadow Fresh milk brand, Meadowlea margarine and butter product; snack item Twisties; the popular bread loaf Bilas, and Tuckers, a popular ice cream.

Since it has been involved in charity works ever since, it did not hesitate to assist Tembari with foodstuff.

Goodman fielder came strong with a monthly donation of 200kg of flour – to last for one year.

This is great!

Diane de Villiers, customer service and marketing manager, told me on Saturday that she learned about Tembari from the Australian Embassy.

And of course, the company later became one of the four corporations that have pledged to build a K120,000-classroom building for Tembari’s preschool education program.

The flour donation came very timely.

As you would know, Tembari runs a feeding program that serves meal to about 200 beneficiary children twice a day.

Of this number, 79 are in three grade school, more than 100 in preschools and the rest are non-school age.

At noon after our preschoolers, who are grouped in three classes, finished the morning classes, they, together with their younger buddies, would eat snacks of biscuits and cordial drinks (sweetened/flavored water), or bread/bun that our volunteer mothers would bake in the morning.

They don’t go home yet. They stay on at the center to play, browse picture books and watch children’s education programming on DVD player,

But since we ran out of flour supply some three months ago (a donation from Lae Biscuits), we shifted to biscuit snacks.

In the afternoon, all the Tembari children would gather together for an early dinner (served at 5pm).

Those attending the three grade schools in Port Moresby would come home to Tembari after finishing classes in the afternoon -->

After the meal, they go home for the night to their respective guardians/relatives who live around the settlement.

And repeat the process the next day.

In short, it is only at Tembari where they could expect food, something to last them the whole night.

The GF flour donation would ensure that the children’s noon snack would be tummy-filling and enjoyable.

Well, we are certain that the Tembari-baked bread that our kids would munch every time would go better with a generous spread of Meadowlea butter.

Cheers!

Tembari kids show off the promo T-shirts from Goodman Fielder with Diane de Villiers and other donors.

Diane de Villiers, customer service & marketing manager distributes promo T-shirts to Tembari kids.

Diane de Villiers with other executives of corporate donors.

Email the blogger: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and aphernandez58@yahoo.com