Kapi, 5, shares aspiration with peers on book week

FIVE-year-old Christabellyn Kapi of Kumaga village, Tari-Pori, Hela, wants to be a doctor one day.
She shared her aspiration with her peers during their book week celebrations at the Habare Literacy Library in Hela last week.
“I attend class every day because I want to become a doctor when I grow up,” she said.
“My teacher says, to be one, I must read a lot of books.”
Kapi said this during a classroom activity to commemorate the National Book Week.
Margret Andrew, a teacher at Habare Literacy Library, said it was pleasing to see that these children had big dreams of their own.
“As early childhood teachers, our role is to support their learning and help them develop key skills that provide the basis for future learning,” she said.
“With assistance from our partners, Oil Search Foundation (OSF) and Buk Bilong Pikinini, we had a week full of educational activities for our students.”
Andrew said the activities included picture drawing and dressing up as people the children wanted to be when they grew up.
“We invited a policeman, an accountant, teachers, nurses who came dressed in their work uniforms to motivate these children to focus on education if they wanted to become like them.”
Foundation chief of programmes Jean Martin said book week was a great time to encourage children to read more.
“Our support to the Literacy Libraries in Habare, Fugwa and Kikori (Gulf) is to create a safe space for children in their early years to develop a love for reading and other positive values enabling them to grow holistically.”