Another milestone for Tembari children

The graduates of Tembari preschool. Of the 38 who will move to Grade 1 next January, 16 were unable to attend as they did not have the attire required for the occasion, as their guardians were unable to afford it. - Picture by AP HERNANDEZ



Blogger AP Hernandez poses for a picture with the preschool graduates. More photos after story. - Picture by TEMBARI


By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
A Friend of Tembari Children

ON SATURDAY, I felt as if I was a father of a child graduating from the preschool.

But then, I felt being more than just one father, because the 38 Tembari preschool children who hurdled their preschool education to move to Grade 1 next January, were all my children.
I have been taking care of them, alongwith TCC trio, Rishabh, Penny and Hayward; for quite sometime now, looking for people who would provide them food, money, materials, services and above all tender, loving care.

So, on Saturday, the people at Tembari were very proud.

This was because their effort to promote the well being of 100 preschoolers, 38 of whom who just graduated, and another batch 79 older children attending elementary and primary schools, had reached another milestone.

The impression from Mrs Lyneth Turia, school head mistress of Wardstrip Elementary School, about such endeavor was heartwarming.

She said: “Tembari is doing a great job of providing early education to the community’s less-fortunate school-age children and it is my duty to give them an opportunity to advance in their education -- in my school,” she said.

She said that the 38 graduates will get their slots at her school when it opens next January.

In fact, Mrs Turia has been a big fan of Tembari children, whom she began taking in since 2009, when the first batch of preschoolers moved to Grade 1.

This school year, Tembari has 100 preschoolers and 79


When the 38 new Grade 1’s enter Wardstrip next year, Tembari will be having a total of 117 learners.

“For the 2012 school year, Tembari children would be accounting for more than 10% of the total intake of Wardstrip elementary,” she said, adding that the school will have 1,085 places next year.

And for next year, our preschool would take more than 40 new learners – from families with means to educate their children and from those who don’t have, and therefore Tembari would have to look after them.

cost. Somehow we can do more for tembari children, but for more resources we need some more donors.


We are personally appealing to anybody who is able enough to
Since the number of beneficiaries have increased by 38, whose school fees would cost about K3,800 (US$1,700), on top of those who are now in the elementary and primary levels, we should be doubling our efforts to find donors to shoulder the cost. Somehow we can do more for tembari children, but for more resources we need some more donors, as per rishabh (founder) says, We need to do learn some Olympic games to tembari children that they can itentify on global level.


I am personally appealing to anybody who is able enough to fund the education of the Tembari children.

This is an opportunity for you to help these children, by taking a stake in their future.

Help us educate them.

Your input into their learning could shape the kind of persons they would be years from now.

In future, they could be one of those who would be running this nation.

We – you and me – should be concerned.

Wardstrip Elementary School Head Mistress, Lyneth Turia (left), hands over the prize to one of the preschooler's top student.

A mother scrutinizes the report card of her preschooler.

Hayward Sagembo, TCC’s Co-Founder and Director, and Penny Sagembo, TCC’s Co-Founder and Co-President, show off a clay pot dish they prepared for the graduation guests led by Wardstrip Elementary School Head Mistress Lyneth Turia.

Janet Tema, Tembari's coordinator for early childhood program, distributes the report cards to her learners.

Volunteer moms preparing lunch for the children after the graduation program on Saturday. - Pictures by AP HERNANDEZ

For feeback, email the blogger: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and aphernandez58@yahoo.com