For generations, Josephine’s family has lived in the same rural village in Papua New Guinea. Her parents and grandparents never received any education. Earning only a few dollars a day, they go without many basic human needs.
Josephine’s life could be a repeat of the generations before her, but she is determined to live for more.
Josephine dreams of being able to read.
She dreams of being able to attend school.
She dreams of knowing the world beyond her village.
She might dream of a life beyond her village, but as an uneducated girl, statistics say her story will be one of sickness, hunger, child labour or even forced marriage to provide for her family.
Without education, poverty will continue to be the story of her family.
Your gift can provide an education that stops the generational cycle of poverty for children just like Josephine.
Right now, only one in three children in Papua New Guinea complete their primary school level education.
Howard Hungi, Headmaster of Wanakipa Primary School, expressed how critically they rely on MAF. “With no road access, the community cannot access basic services and the school is unable to get educational materials and resources for the students,” Mr Hungi said.
“All new school building materials and supplies were delivered by MAF, enabling the operations in Wanakipa Primary School,” he added. “Every schoolbook we have in our library was flown in by MAF.”
“I firmly believe that without MAF’s presence, essential services in Wanakipa, including Wanakipa Primary School, would cease to function. Truly, it’s because MAF is here that I can be here.”
The team at Bilum Books explained to us that one of the key reasons the education system is crumbling is the lack of training for teachers. “Many of them have had no training since they first became teachers, maybe fifteen or twenty years ago.”
“Literacy levels are very low in PNG, and we know that if people are literate, there’s going to be development.”
In response, MAF transported 1,200 kilograms of new school workbooks and teaching manuals in partnership with Bilum Books. These flights enabled a three-day course for teachers to equip them to teach from the new schoolbooks, with a major focus on literacy training.
One recipient of school supplies flown by MAF is Job Thomas. He said, “I am encouraging students that there is something beyond their village that they don’t know. But there is only one way to get there. The only way is education.”
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