Ministry opens library in Popondetta

POPONDETTA, Northern, has a new community library thanks to an initiative by the Adventist Youth Ministry.
Opened on April 20,and designed to cater to young people as young as three, the literacy centre is the brainchild of the Youth, Ambassador, Pathfinder and Adventurer Club (Yapa), an offshoot of the local Seventh-day Adventist church.
Popondetta Seventh-day Adventist Jeanne Kirewo-Bedamu, said: “The newly-opened Yapa library will help children in the community.
“Reading will help a child attain a brighter future and when a child is educated, he or she can positively contribute to the church, community, province and the country.
“I thank the donors for their support of childhood literacy and I urge parents to encourage their children to use this library.”
Kirewo-Bedamu thanked their youth ministry member Marjory Kirewo, a key player in completion of the project.
Kirewo works for the Oil Search Foundation and secured funding through their small grants scheme programme to help equip our library with books and a shelf.
“The foundation’s vision states that every adult and child in PNG should have access to functioning and effective health and education service and I wanted my people to be included in that vision,” she said.
“If we make services like libraries accessible to children and give them the opportunity to explore through reading, they will become productive adults.
“I believe people want to help their community but funding is a problem.
“The small grants scheme is a great initiative to help employees implement small projects.”
The Yapa community library opens on Sundays and during the school holidays.