By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
A Friend of Tembari Children
THE Tembari Children’s Care (TCC), a day-care facility, will
mark its 9th year as a government-recognized community-based organization
(CBO) with an open house at the center at Oro settlement outside Port Moresby on Saturday,
March 10.
Penny Sage-embo, Tembari founder and programme coordinator,
said the centre will showcase its on-going programs for about 200 beneficiary
children that included early childhood education (pre-school), elementary and
primary schooling and feeding, among others.
“This year’s celebration would allow us show the center’s
progress from 2010 when our generous sponsors and supporters began coming in
with assistance,” Sage-embo said.
Founded in 2003, Tembari began with a handful of street
children who were taken care of by some volunteer mothers from the settlement.
Those days, the children, who were orphans, abandoned and
neglected, were provided simple meals of kaw-kaw and veggies at least three
times a week, alongside motherly care from volunteers.
It was only in 2009 when Tembari began offering early
childhood education to its beneficiary children with help from Digicel
Foundation, which provided a classroom facility and teaching materials.
That time, there were already 78 beneficiary children, with
most of them preschoolers who were provided meals at least three times a week.
Their schooling was handled by three volunteer teachers.
It was only in 2010 when the centre began feeding the
children from Monday to Saturday with rice and protein and occasional fresh
milk, thanks to the generous assistance from a number of corporate and
individual sponsors.
The anniversary activities will start at 8.20am, with the arrival of guests
comprising donor-sponsors and supporters.
A group of Tembari chidldren’s sing-sing group will perform
as part of TCC’s cultural program.
This year, we expect to look after 116 elementary and
primary school children plus 40 preschoolers.
The rest of the kids would be those of non-school age – from
4 to 2 years old.
All in all, we are expecting to serve close to 200 children
this year that also include preschoolers from settlement families with fathers
and mothers who have means to support them adequately.
These parents send their children to Tembari because it is
the only preschool facility operating at Oro settlement.
It is good that this year’s school fees of our school
children have been shouldered by the government. However, the cost of their
school projects would be paid by sponsors.
The March 3 event will also see the feeding of the
beneficiary children and in this occasion, I would like to serve them something
especial for their Saturday lunch.
If you think you are able to donate protein such as sausages
or chicken and bread (buns or loaves) and cordial drinks towards this occasion,
please don’t hesitate to let me know through the email provided below.
They would also welcome – with open arms – ice cream!
This once-in-a-blue-moon lunch treat would make the Tembari
children’s day very special.
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