Deloitte Australia donates K119,000 to literacy programmes

Deloitte Australia has donated A$50,000 (K119, 420) to Papua New Guinea-based charity Buk Bilong Pikinini (BbP) to help address the nation’s literacy challenges.
The donation is part of the WorldClass Impact Programme, Deloitte’s global commitment to impact 50 million futures by 2030.
Deloittte Australia chief executive officer Richard Deutsch said: “The great work our Deloitte team does with Buk bilong Pikinini to increase literacy is a phenomenal example of WorldClass in action, literally impacting the lives of future generations.
“This is important to the PNG community, and very rewarding for our team.
“At Deloitte Australia, I’m determined to make sure we’re focused on solving the world’s most-complex problems, and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing with Buk Bilong Pikinini, one book at a time.” Deloitte PNG managing partner Benjamin Lee said Buk bilong Pikinini played a vital role in helping to educate children in PNG, where many schools did not have access to libraries.
“This substantial donation will enable BbP to repair and run the Koki Markets Library and Learning Centre for one year,” he said.
“It will also provide funding for library kits for 10 local schools in PNG.
“Literacy is the key to education, which in turn is the key to getting a job and succeeding.
“The knock on effect of illiteracy is that teenage children are drawn to street life.”
Anne-Sophie Hermann, the chair and founder of Buk bilong Pikinini said: “We are immensely grateful for this significant and tangible example of Deloitte’s commitment to education and literacy levels in Papua New Guinea.
“Deloitte and BbP have shared values and a strong track record of working together to make a positive impact in PNG.
“The 2015 census recorded the adult literacy rate in PNG as 63.4 per cent, noting it’s possibly even lower.
“Community and business leaders acknowledge literacy challenges are a major obstacle to Papua New Guinea’s progress as a nation.”