FACT: 48% of the children in Papua New Guinea will never be able to read this sentence.
In March of 2001, nineteen ALTs from Niigata, Japan volunteered for a Habitat for Humanity mission in Papua New Guinea's Waria Valley. The purpose of this project was to build houses for families who could not afford shelter. During our visit to the school we were exposed to the bare classrooms severely lacking teaching supplies. We were appalled. |
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- Students receive 2 pencils and 1 notebook for an entire year of school.
- 25% of the children in the Waria Valley cannot afford yearly tuition of US $20.
- The few textbooks they actually have are decades old.
- The neighboring village's school was recently closed due to lack of teachers.
- To most students, the thought of attending high school is impossible.
This is unacceptable... As a result, the Waria Valley Children's Project was established April 10th, 2001 to collect and send supplies and financial support to the village and community school. In our junior high schools, we collected over 10,000 school supplies that we're sending to the Waria Valley. Through the 1st GO!En Campaign, we raised 230,000 Yen which was used to return the the Waria Valley to build a teacher's house..
Joshua Trahan , Waria Valley Childrens Project in Papua New Guinea, 2001
I was one of 19 JETs who went to Papua New Guinea. I saw first hand the disarray of the school and the need for immediate attention for new materials and more teachers. The Waria Valley Childrens Project is a ladder to higher learning. The first step, allowing every student in the Waria Valley to attend school by setting up a trust to subsidize tuition. With all the children going to school, there will be a need for more teachers. In order to bring more teachers into Waria Valley the teachers must have a place to live.
The second step, build teacher's housing in Waria Valley. Although, there is no high school in Waria Valley without this primary education children have no chance of attending high school. The third step, having finished primary school in the Waria Valley helping to send students on to high school. The Waria Valley Children's Project will establish such a sponsorship programme. Finally, this project gives JETs a platform on which to stand. This is a project started by JETs and a chance for all JETs to help. We need help from more and more partners to make this project a success for the children of the Waria Valley. |
Mission Statement
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- Plan and support activities that build relationships and promote cultural exchange between citizens of Japan and Papua New Guinea.
- Provide support for children in Papua New Guinea who cannot afford school and families who cannot afford shelter.
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Achievements
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18 English teachers from Niigata ken volunteered in Papua New Guinea's Waria Valley village to build 4 houses for families who couldn't afford shelter.
- Collected over 10,000 school supplies and 300,000 yen, which we have sent to the Waria Valley.
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Contributed 40,000 yen towards the construction of a new teachers' house in the Waria Valley
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In Japan, raised awareness in the community and schools for the lack of access to education in Papua New Guinea and other developing countries.
More and more big things are happening, showing that it is possible to make a real impact. For more information, please contact Carlo Capua, or visit our website at www.tomorrowsforest.com. Kids should be encouraged to dream!
Cheryl Sula, Niigata-ken, Waria Valley Childrens Project in Papua New Guinea
Being a part of this project was exceptional because not only did i feel like my work was benefiting the family who would be receiving the house, i also felt as though i were making heart-to-heart connections with the people of Waria Valley. They appreciated our individual selves as much as they appreciated the work that we did. I can only say that I may have received more in return for my experience there... the opportunity to live in a land of brilliant colors among a beautiful people.
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Make it a Lesson
Want the PNG students to reply to your class? It worked in my JHS. Here's how:
1) Compare
As a class, use the attached pictures to make a list of the differences between the PNG classroom and your classroom. Examples include: electricity, individual desks, windows, shelves, books, book bags, school supplies, wall decorations (maps, alphabet, drawings, shelves), 1-floor school, no cafeteria, no library, no gym, etc.
2) Students become Teachers
Divide the class into groups, and let each group pick 1 or 2 differences from the list. "Let's introduce our school to these students in Papua New Guinea." Have them draw pictures and use simple English to describe their school to someone who may never have heard of Japan, much less seen a Japanese school.
3) Take it to the Next Level
If you send me the pictures your kids draw, I will personally take them to the school, show them to the students in Papua New Guinea, and ask them to respond to your class. I will also take pictures with the PNG students and pictures your kids made. Your school will love it. Mine did, and 2 prefectural newspapers came to cover the event. It only takes a phone call.
Teaching Tips
a) The 2000 Yen Question
As a class, make a list of all the things students can buy with 2000 Yen (ex. 8 Print clubs, clothes, snacks, tapes, video games, etc.) Then, explain that 2000 Yen can buy a YEAR of education for a student, yet more than 25% of them cannot afford 1 year of tuition. Less than 2% of all kids in Papua New Guinea who enter 1st grade will graduate from high school.
b) My record in one class was 348
Ask kids to count the pens and pencils in their pencil case; almost any class in Japan has more than the entire school in Waria Valley. Some students who have more than 30 items have more than the entire 1st grade class in Waria Valley.
c) BYOC (Bring your Own Chopsticks)
Rain forests around the world are be depleted, namely in Papua New Guinea, for disposable items like waribashi (wooden chopsticks.) Encourage your students (and you, of course) to use their own chopsticks to reduce both deforestation and waste.
If you want the PNG students to reply to your class (see "Make it a Lesson"), please e-mail me first (I have limited packing room), and send any materials (easy-to-pack items like sheets of paper, pictures are preferred), to:
Contact
Carlo Capua
President, Niigata Papua New Guinea Association
E-mail:
Website: www.tomorrowsforest.com
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