Bapi, Simon selling veggies to help parents

National
Defthon Bapi (right) and Shemila Simon of Kagua-Erave in Southern Highlands selling vegetables at the Mt Hagen market in Western Highlands. They are helping their parents earn money to pay their school project fees. – Nationalpic by PETER WARI

By PETER WARI
DEFTHON Bapi and Shemila Simon are helping their parents raise money for their education by selling farm produce at the market – in preparation of term 1 classes starting on Jan 31.
The Government has released K316million for its free education policy funding but parents will still be required to pay projects fees, fares, uniforms and stationery for their children. Bapi and Simon, of Kagua-Erave in Southern Highlands, were yesterday selling carrots and ginger at the Mt Hagen market in Western Highlands.
Bapi will be in Grade 7 at the Mendo Primary School in Southern Highlands while Simon will be in Grade 4 at the Tarangu Primary School near Mt Hagen.
Bapi said students should help their parents and not let them do all the work, like what he had been doing during the long school holidays.
“I am happy that the Government has paid my school fees. So I will buy clothes and pay the project fees,” he said.
“I have six brothers who are school leavers and living in the village. I want to enter a tertiary institution. The money spent by the Government on school fees should not be wasted.”