Group helps kids learn

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Monday, May 2, 2011

By ALISON ANIS
LEARNING with Buk Bilong Pikinini (BBP) in Papua New Guinea is fun and exciting as most of the youngsters from 6-Mile, Port Moresby, found out last Friday after a brief visit by two scientific officers from the Botanical Gardens at the University of Papua New Guinea.
Education and scientific officer Linda Pohai and animal keeper Ishimu Oragike captivated the children with stories on insects and how they survived in their natural habitats.
Children were shown pictures of spiders, millipedes and water bugs and told of how they co-existed with the environment.
The children also got a glimpse of different specimens of insects that are kept in bottles.
“This is all part of the early childhood development initiative and presentation by visitors from the Botanical Gardens and is in line with the BBP learning theme for April, which is on insects and bugs,” executive director Alison Knott said.
“We try to make them aware that learning is fun and, at the same time, get them to understand more about animals and insects and the diversity of the country.”
The team earlier visited more than 90 children at the BBP learning centre at Lawes Road clinic and Koki market.
BBP was launched in 2008 in Port Moresby and was the initiative of Anne-Sophie Herman, the wife of former Australian High Commissioner to PNG, Chris Moraitis.
Knott said services were free of charge and the idea was to provide reading and learning material for children visiting hospitals or health centres in the city.
She said BBP had five established sites in Port Moresby, including the Port Moresby General Hospital.
BBP also has centres in Goroka and Lae.
“We will be launching a BBP site in Alotau, Milne Bay, next month,” Knott said.