Primary school first to receive new library

Momase

Zifasing Primary School is the first school in the Huon Gulf district in Morobe to receive a new model library from the Rural Library Voluntary Services (RLVS) with the support of Huon Gulf MP Ross Seymour.
Rural Volunteer Services Library is a non-governmental organisation based at 12-Mile in Lae that provides library services to young children.
The model library at the Zifasing Primary School, funded by the Huon Gulf MP, cost K100,000.
Speaking during the opening of the library on Tuesday the Rural Library Volunteer Service director Joyce Orere said the initiative to establish libraries to assist children was volunteer work driven by a passion for children’s learning.
Orere said the organisation began its services in a few rural schools in the Nawaeb district but could not extend its services into other areas because of funding issues.
She thanked Seymour and the Huon Gulf district administration who were the first district to fund a model library in Morobe.
“We have a passion to provide ‘hands on book’ experience for young children as a foundation of learning to improve reading skills for children when they get into primary and  secondary education which we see is a major problem in the country today,” said Orere.
“Students must have hands-on experience with books and we must have manual books in libraries so that students get to know the parts of the books and can be able to comprehend ideas.
“Because of the heart and the passion we have for children we have been visiting schools, running workshops and training teachers on reading and comprehension skills.
“Our focus is to help students in partnership with teachers because we believe in providing quality standards and we are learning locally but thinking globally because books contain the world.”
Orere said the major challenge the RLVS has been experiencing was in logistics in delivering books to rural schools.
Morobe Governor Kelly Naru and Huon Gulf MP Ross Seymour were present to officiate the launching of the new library and commended RLVS for its efforts.
Naru committed a vehicle to the organisation to assist in extending its work into other districts in the province.