Tembari Children's Care (TCC) Inc

SYDNEY'S JAMROCK CREW CHEER UP TEMBARI KIDS

2015-11-03T18:48:00.002+10:00

The Jamrock Crew - (center of crowd, from left) Laura Stephenson, DJ Moto and Lisa Viola.

The Tembari children during Jamrock's presentation.

Jamrock Crew poster announcing their gig in Port Moresby recently.

LISA VIOLA, and her two buddies Laura Stephenson and DJ Moto – all entertainers from Sydney, Australia - cheered up the children of Tembari recently.

Here’s what Lisa has to say about their gig with the kids:

“On the 25th October 2015, The JAMROCK Crew visited Tembari children's care orphanage in PNG.

We were greeted by the beautiful students all looking smart in their yellow uniforms, assembled quietly outside one of the classrooms.

Hayward (Sagembo), the Tembari President, introduced us to the group, who all gave us a warm welcome.

It was so wonderful to meet everyone and discuss our return where we will run a series of dance and music workshops.

We look forward to bringing our passion for music and dance and sharing it with the children of Tembari and their community.

We also foresee a partnership with Tembari Children's Care Inc, helping bring awareness to the institution and it's fundraising efforts.

Thank you Tembari for hosting us and we look forward to returning later this year.”

- Lisa Viola

Sydney, Australia

The troika is planning to return next month for a Christmas bonding with the kids.

Aussie entertainers cheer up Tembari kids

2015-10-28T19:06:00.000+10:00

Angolan-Aussie recording star Lisa Viola (right, wearing shades) with Aussie entertainers Laura Stephenson and Japanese DJ Moto. They recently visited Tembari Center to cheer up the children. Learn more about Lisa at www.lisaviolaonline.com

More help rolls in for Tembari children

2015-10-22T19:03:00.000+10:00

The newly-opened elementary school building with four classrooms for at least 160 learners.

From front left: Malaysian High Commissioner to PNG Kuminding and Ivan Lu, chairman of the Malaysian Association organizing committee and former association president, showing off a dummy cheque for K50,000. With them are Tembari president Sagembo (centre back) and the center’s children.

The children of Tembari center.

1. The new toilet for the boys. A separate toilet tor the girls is found in the same building..

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

THE Tembari children are on a roll.

First, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill donated to the Tembari Children’s Center at 6-Mile, a two-level, four-classroom building through his foundation, The PM Peter O’Neill Foundation. This cost around K120,000 to build.

As a bonus, the foundation also built for the children an ablution block fitted with four toilets each for the boys and girls, and two separate wash basins. This facility also has four laundry tubs. The cost: At least K250,000.

The classroom building features an office upstairs and a kitchen below.

The building and the bath house were inaugurated two weeks ago, with the Prime Minister cutting the ribbon to signal them ready for use.

Now, enter the second reason why Planet Tembari (www.tembari.blogspot.com) continues to spin and celebrate even up to these days.

Just last week, the center received a grant of K50,000 from the Malaysian Association of PNG.

It’s no small amount to speak of as far as this second home to about 370 children is concerned. It is because the grant will support the facility’s daily feeding programmes for almost a year.

For about six years now, Tembari’s beneficiary children are enjoying a meal once a day from Monday to Saturday.

Part of the grant will pay for the personnel that make the Tembari programmes function efficiently. Four teachers educate the pre-schoolers and pupils in Grades 1 to 4.

Every day, three cooks tirelessly prepare the children’s early dinner, which they usually have by 5pm. After the meal, the kids go home to their relatives for the night and return to the center the next day for their classes – and meals. The cycle repeats itself daily.

Providing nourishment to the less-privileged children of the Oro Settlement at 7-Mile and educating them have been the two pillars that keep Tembari on overdrive.

These two major programmes are the main reasons why more and more poor kids from the settlement wanted to come to Tembari.

But despite the seeming outpouring of assistance, funds and foodstuff are limited.

With a tight annual budget to work with, the center’s management has decided to keep its direct beneficiaries at 200 – those we feed and provide education to -- although this could be increased depending on extra funding.

And today at my budget meeting with Hayward Sagembo, the Tembari president, I reiterated that we limit the number of our beneficiary children to 200.

I did it as the center’s Funds Custodian, a volunteer job that’s giving me a lot of headaches, especially when it comes to stretching our funds till the next donation comes, if ever one comes around.

The rest of the children are from well-off settlement families who send their children to Tembari for schooling as it is the only one available in the community.

And expectedly, the children have found more reasons to come to Tembari, especially at these times.

Prime Minister O’Neil said he wanted to help the children of Oro Settlement get an education, stressing that this would happen with Tembari’s involvement.

He promised Hayward Sagembo, Tembari’s president and founder Penny Sage-embo, a second classroom building. This way, more school-age children from the settlement will get a chance to enter school.

About a week ago, Malaysian High Commissioner Jilid Kuminding presented the cheque for K50,000 grant to the center.

Impressed with what he had seen at the center, the High Commissioner said he was pleased that Tembari was progressing well.

“This only shows the center is well-managed, otherwise people will not be willing to give. I commend the center’s management for its effort, which can be seen through the center’s progress.”

Ivan Lu, chairman of the Malaysian Association organising committee and former association president, said: “The Malaysian community is happy to be involved with Tembari because over the years, we can see that the center is gradually changing.”

The grant’s handover was witnessed by Tembari’s jubilant beneficiary children and local people.

“The Malaysian Association is pleased to continue supporting Tembari’s feeding programme, a gesture which we actually began six years ago,” Lu said.

“There have been many physical developments that transpired at Tembari since we first came here in 2010, when we presented our first grant.

“This means that the money which the Malaysian people in Papua New Guinea had raised is properly being used for what it was intended, and we are pleased about this.”

Lu said with funding benefits that change the lives of the less-privileged children, the Malaysian community in Papua New Guinea would like to be a partner in giving the kids new hopes.

Penny Sage-embo, Tembari’s founder and programme coordinator, said the new classrooms would give much comfort to the children, who until now still held classes under the mango trees within the Tembari premises.

She said each of the new classrooms, which would take in a minimum of 40 learners, badly needed writing desks.

“We will hire at least two more teachers to handle new classes, on top of the four we now have,” she said.

For the settlement children, the erection of the school building has assured them of a place at Tembari school every term.

The great thing is that it is just near home.

In fact, many of the Tembari-sponsored children right now are attending elementary education in at least four schools in far away Port Moresby.

The distance to schools from Oro settlement has been a big problem for many parents, who cannot afford K2 for their children’s daily bus fares, which meant there were times when the kids would miss school for a day or two.

For the Tembari management, the school building has become a very significant milestone, boosting its reputation as community-based organization in a poor settlement.

Founded in 2003 by Penny, Tembari started with only five street children, who were abandoned, neglected and orphaned.

Those days, Penny and two of her mother-friends were just chipping in some money to feed the children with whatever meals bought with their meager funds.

When I joined Tembari as volunteer in December 2009, there were already 78 children – abandoned, orphaned and neglected.

But the facility could only feed the kids three days in a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday -- with just kaukau, yams, veggies, sliced bread and cordial drinks.

Cooking Filipino dishes for the kids every Saturday using funds raised from expatriate friends, I asked the management if I could help seek donations so the children would have food six days a week.

The flow of support, in one way or the other, has continued to this day.

And now that Tembari is firmly rooted in the community as a facility that caters for the less-privileged children, Penny has bigger plans to push.

But right now, the important thing is that the kids no longer have to roam around the settlement when they should be in school.

They have finally found a second home in Tembari, where family love that has been missing at home is present here – always. It is their second home with lots of love around.

To date, the facility caters for close to 400 children, of whom 120 are direct beneficiaries of Tembari. And their number is giving more and more pressure on our meager resources.

We thank our donors, supporters and the goodness of our Lord. With their help, and God willing, the Tembari kids will get there.

Alfredo P Hernandez is Tembari’s Vice-President and Funds Custodian. Individuals or parties who would like to help can email; tembarihdz@gmail.com

Hayward Sagembo and wife Penny. – Pictures courtesy of JOE HENI/The Nationalpics

PNG orphanage, day-care facility receives generous funding grant

2013-11-05T23:14:00.001+10:00

Photo shows from left: Ivan Lu, executive director of RH Group PNG; Penny Sage-embo, Tembari founder; Malaysian High Commissioner Jilid Kuminding, Chew Pang Heng, MAPNG vice-president; and Hayward Sagembo, Tembari president. The picture was taken at the Temberi center. – Photo courtesy of JENNIFER NKUI/TheNational]

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

MY charity in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, - the Tembari Children’s Care (TCC) of which I am the vice-president and financial controller -- has received a generous donation of K40,000 (Php618,000) from the Malaysian Association of Papua New Guinea (MAPNG).

Turned over on Tuesday (Nov 5), the funding marked the third year that the community has been giving to Tembari, a community-based organization looking after 200 abandoned, orphaned and neglected children at the ATS-Oro settlement outside of Port Moresby.

Tembari, which provides pre-school, elementary and primary education to its beneficiaries, also conducts a feeding program from Monday to Saturday.

Last year, Tembari also received the same amount from the Malaysian community.

Tembari is providing various services to the beneficiary children with help from the business community, charitable groups, associations and individuals.

The facility was founded in 2003.

Malaysian community donates to Tembari

2012-11-16T00:28:00.001+10:00

MAPNG organizing committee chairman Ivan Lu and Pang Heng Chew (fourth and fifth from left) present the mock cheque for K40,000 to Penny Sage-embo (second from left). With them are the children-beneficiary of Tembari.

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

WITH funds in its bank account almost exhausted, day care center Tembari Children’s Care suddenly came alive to a windfall of K40,000 donation from the Malaysian Association of PNG.

The presentation of the generous donation in the form of a mock cheque for the amount took place at Tembari center at ATS Oro Settlement, 7-Mile, outside Port Moresby.

The mock cheque was received by Penny Sage-embo, Tembari founder and program/project coordinator.

MAPNG chairman of the organizing committee Ivan Lu said the funding was aimed to support the center’s feeding program and day to day operations.

He told the people from the Oro ATS Community that the association has been supporting and funding the center since three years ago.

“Make sure the charity organisation (Tembari) is responsible, transparent and accountable,” he said.

Lu, who is the senior executive director of Rimbunan Hijao (PNG), had urged that the money donated to the children’s facility be used wisely.

Saying that MAPNG had funded 16 other charitable groups, he stressed that the association also represents other sponsors and potential donors that may be interested in funding the center.

Centre founder and project coordinator Penny Sage-embo thanked the association for its support.

She said this was the third time the association had donated to the centre.

Sage-embo said since the centre began in 2008, there had no major funding by any donor or the government other than the Malaysian association and the Filipino Association in PNG.

Association vice-president, Pang Hang Chew said he hoped to continue the funding annually in the coming years.

MAPNG is headed by CC Ang as president.

Re-introducing the Tembari Children

2012-11-16T00:28:00.000+10:00

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari

WHEN I met the Tembari kids for the first time in December of 2009, there were only 78 of them.

To date, Tembari’s beneficiary children number 175. It used to be about 200 towards late last year, but for one reason or the other, part of the 25 absentee kids have not been coming for TCC services regularly while others completely dropped out.

The present 175 Tembari kids are receiving services such as preschool education, elementary and primary education alongside the daily feeding that takes place from Monday to Saturday. What’s more, they are getting a place they can call their home away from home.

We provide them meals every day – an early dinner – from Monday to Saturday, thanks to our generous donors.

Our beneficiary children are orphans, abandoned and neglected who live with their “bubu” relatives and guardians around the village.

Of the 175 beneficiary children, 28 are preschoolers, 95 are schoolchildren (43 elementary and 52 primary) enrolled at Wardstrip Elementary School (Gordons), 6-Mile Holy Rosary Elementary School, St Peter (Erima) Elementary School, Wildlife (Motokea) Elementary School, Philip Alaope and Ted Diro Primary (Murray Barracks), and the rest (52) comprise the following: Thirty-five (35) kids below 6 years; and 17 over-age kids (14 years old and below) but not in school.

At present, TCC’s Preschool Program covers 70 kids. Of these, 28 are TCC beneficiaries while the other 42 others are children from the community who are living with a complete set of parents – mother and father who are financially able to support them.

The outsider-kids are using our preschool facilities since we are the only preschool center at the village (ATS Oro Settlement); we have to take them in as part of our functions as a Community-based Organization (CBO). It is also a deal we signed with Digicel Foundation when they provided us with two fitted containers that now serve as classroom and office.

We receive foodstuff donations such as rice, tinned fish and milk from individual and corporate donors.

To provide services to such a big number of beneficiaries, TCC requires help from cooks, preschool teachers and others.

During my first year with Tembari (2010) as volunteer fund/foodstuff chaser, all help was provided by volunteers. But as I managed to get funding from donors and supporters, the volunteers demanded that they also be paid for their services just like the pre-school teachers.

There was a time when we were unable to pay the preschool teachers as funds ran short and the teachers walked out for several days, living the preschoolers with nothing to do at the center.

So, when I found new money, we hired a paid staff to do the daily dirty jobs. These hired staff comprise of three (3) cooks, one (1) center administrator; and a cleaner (janitor) who would keep the premises in order. This is alongside the paid preschool teachers.

We have to maintain a paid staff because this is the only way to keep them working for us and sustain our services to the children.

I am also thinking of hiring a night security guard to protect our property from drunkards, raskols and trouble makers in the village, at a rate of K100 a fortnight.

The whole village is aware that we are storing substantial foodstuff in one of our containers, which is a potential magnet for thievery.

The Head Teacher that we hired is a Certified Teacher who was retrenched sometime ago. She used to work as Head Teacher at her former school. At Tembari, she is responsible for designing and evaluating the effectiveness of the curriculum for our Preschool Program, running in-service training for the two support teachers, supervising the daily classroom activities, maintaining school records of individual preschoolers and other pertinent data and coordinating with the School Principal at Wardstrip on behalf of our elementary schoolchildren. She also handles a daily class. She lives in the community and was idle for some time. We realized that she got the experience that would help improve our early-age education program.

The Administrative Officer takes care of documenting donations that came in, monitor the daily withdrawal of foodstuff that would be cooked for the day’s meal; monitor and record the number of cordial bottles and milk packs used for the daily feeding; monitor the daily attendance of staff and beneficiary children during feeding that takes place in the afternoon (early dinner), taking stock of Tembari properties, liaise with Wardstrip Elementary School and donors. He also doubles as secretary and do official errands for Tembari.

Most important, he records spending related to the daily feeding program – cooking ingredients – checking if they are properly supported with receipts and related documents. And PMV fares.

The volunteer auditor from Deloitte has required us that such records of spending be properly supported with receipts otherwise, money spent without backup docs would be considered as unaccounted for. This is very difficult for our cooks, especially when they buy foodstuff (veggies and others) at the Gordon’s market where receipts are unheard of.

But I am trying to come up with the necessary forms – vouchers, petty cash vouchers, receipts, ledgers and others – to meet the requirements for transparency.

We are doing our best of institute changes in our financial operations because this is the only way to attract funding donors and assure them of transparency in the use of the money they donated.

For instance, I have done away with cheque signatories who are related – husband and wife. This is the case of Penny Sage-embo and Hayward Sagembo who are both officers of TCC. Penny is the founder-program coordinator while Hayward is the president.

Familiar with the complications resulting from having husband-and-wife cheque signatories, the volunteer auditor from a prestigious accounting-auditing in POM firm has demanded that one of them resign his/her signing authority.

I took over to become the second signatory, while a British expatriate, who actively supports our pre-school classroom building project, became the third signatory. So, this time, only Hayward Sagembo, the TCC president, the British expat-volunteer and I have the signing authority.

But before I sign any cheque, I see to it that I know the items the money would cover. And as soon as the items have been bought, I demand that the receipts be given to me for a tally-up with the drawn cheque.

This job is quite awkward because I don’t actually see the items that are bought - ingredients that go into the cooking of the daily meals and many other stuffs; I only see the receipts, if they are available.

I hope to appropriately handle our cash flows, and keep it going till the next funding from our generous donors come again - that is after a year.

We are maintaining two accounts: one at BSP and the other at Westpac.

If you think you can support us in our goal of improving the lives of the Tembari children so that they would have a normal life -- happy and with peace of mind, educated, well-nourished and healthy -- just like the rest of their more-fortunate peers in the community, please let me know.

For feedback, email the writer: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and alfredophernandez@y7mail.com

Tinned fish and all … an update

2012-11-02T16:38:00.001+10:00

The bunch of firewood donation that was delivered on Friday to Tembari center, courtesy of a timber dealer based in Port Moresby.

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

Firewood donation … The Tembari daily feeding program has received a big boost in the form of firewood donated by a timber dealer in Port Moresby. At least, the bunch of scrap timber and off-cuts which was delivered on Friday afternoon could last for a month’s cooking, according to one the mothers involved in preparing the kids’ daily meals. Until the firewood delivery, Tembari had being buying everyday a bundle at a cost of K10 – or K60 for a six-day feeding session. About 130 to 150 children are served early dinner every day. The firewood has been safely stored to prevent village thieves from being stealing it.

Electrical fire hits center … A few days ago, the Tembari office was hit by an electrical fire, caused by a faulty wiring. A small fire charred the entire installation at the center’s office, which is housed in a modified container. An inspector from PNG Power who came later said the wiring system starting from the switch box must be replaced. A hardware outlet – the Paradise Hardware – has provided the replacement materials, which would be installed soon as the center needs electricity for its various electrical appliances such as a freezer, fridge and premises lighting.

Cooking mothers prepare the day's meal...

Noodle consumption … Instant noodles have become an important part of the Tembari children’s daily meal. It is being cooked together with greens and sausages or chicken meat, if available, and served along with a bowl of rice. The soup of the noodle dish makes the rice meal enjoyable. The daily meal – dinner at this instance -- becomes filling, which could last the children the whole night. According to our cooks, they use at least six packs of instant noodles every day – from Monday to Saturday. With the cash crunch now bugging Tembari’s feeding program, I’m appealing to donors who may be able to supply Tembari children on a weekly basis a carton of noodles (one carton contains 42 packs), or four cartons a month. This would greatly relieve Tembari of the burden using its limited funds, which it could use instead on other items.

Tired of tinned fish … RD Tuna supplies the Tembari children 15 cartons of its product a month. During the earlier months after we first received this generous donation, tuna meat has become a major part of the children’s daily meal – dinner for that matter. Then after a time, one of the kids told me he got tired of having tuna every day for his meal, although it is cooked with greens. He said he wanted to have something that tastes like meat. Last month, a donor made it possible – he sent frozen sausages and frozen chicken meat, enough to cheer up the kids for three weeks. The goodies consumed, they fell back to tinned fish again. Since it was only a one-time sausage-chicken meat donation, the children have to settle for tuna once again until somebody would come forward to provide the kids this important meat protein. The meat donor spent at least K1,000 to make a great change in the children’s meal. Quite a sum, but it’s worth it for those who really wanted to help. In a way, he earned a credit for several building blocks towards strengthening the children’s future, and I am personally grateful for his gesture.

Tinned fish supply

2012-10-18T21:10:00.000+10:00

Representatives from RD Tuna Canners Ltd recently visited the Tembari Children’s Care (TCC) center at ATS-Oro Settlement at 7 Mile outside Port Moresby, PNG to cheer up the facility’s beneficiary children with foodstuff such as tinned fish. In photo are (from left) Karl Vincent M Queipo, executive director; Alpha J oan B Racanday, marketing manager; a RDTC staff; Hayward Sagembo, TCC president and Kernie D. Fanagel, program manager (RD Foundation) for PNG.

Tinned fish supply … RD Tuna Canners, Ltd, a pioneering cannery in Papua New Guinea, has assured the Tembari children of its continued support towards their daily feeding program. RDTC began supplying the day care center facility three years ago, a generous monthly food assistance offered by managing director Pete C Celso. And the tinned fish that the facility has been receiving monthly is not just an ordinary tinned fish product which RDTC produces but a high-quality processed white tuna meat that is being exported to the European countries. The cannery’s monthly supply of 15 cartons of 1.8kg cans is consumed by Tembari’s 150-160 beneficiary children over two to three weeks. The tuna protein goes with rice and veggie meals that are served every day from Monday to Saturday. Celso told this blogsite that his company would like to see the Tembari children benefit from the quality protein that comes with RD products. - AP Hernandez

Updates on tembari children

2012-10-12T15:30:00.001+10:00

The Tembari septic tank facility project in progress.

October 12, 2012

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

1) Septic tank facility. Through a private donor, Tembari Children’s Care (TCC) is now working on the installation of a septic tank for toilets that will be installed once the four-room classroom building project for our pre-school kids has been built at the compound. The dimension of the ditch that is now being worked on by a private contractor is more than 9 feet x 18 feet, with a capacity of 56,000 liters. The estimated cost of the project is about K20,000. The school building project is being funded by a group of individuals from the expatriate community in Port Moresby in coordination with the Australian High Commission. While Tembari has its own batch of preschoolers (those who come from very poor families at the settlement), another batch of preschoolers attending the same classes comes from families who could afford to pay. The problem is that Tembari is the only preschool facility at ATS Oro and that it cannot refuse this group of children, although the facility is designed for the less-privileged children from the community.

2) PMV fares for Tembari schoolchildren. Two Filipino companies have solved our problem concerning our elementary schoolchildren’s daily bus fares in going to their school at Gordons (Wardstip) from the ATS Oro settlement. The Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) and the Paradise Business Consultants, Ltd have chipped in a total of K1,000 (every month) to support the 30 children’s daily bus fares of K2 each -- going to school and coming home to the settlement. But it seems, problems continue to haunt our kids. The Tembari management has hired a 15-seater PMV to pick up the kids every morning at the center. The bus could only shuttle a maximum of 20, leaving another batch of 10. But due to the traffic congestion at Erima, especially at the roundabout, the shuttle bus could not return to the village as fast as it can for the other 10 kids. When it finally reached the center, it’s almost mid-morning and the 10 kids were late for school. Now, Tembari president Hayward Sagembo is looking for a bigger PMV which could take the 30 schoolchildren in one go. And by next school year, we are going to enroll our kids in just one school – preferably WardStrip so those whom we are supporting with daily bus fares could be picked up from one spot. Right now, our schoolchildren totaling 60 (30 of them can afford to pay the daily bus fares) are enrolled not only at Wardstrip but also in two other schools in Port Moresby.

3) Foodstuff such as tinned fish/meat needed. Our foodstuff stock is dwindling fast and we would have shortage soon to be able to support our daily feeding program. Right now we have about 150-160 children who are depending on Tembari for their daily meals. Tembari would like to provide the children with enough fish and meat protein to improve the quality of their daily meals. If your company could help us sustain the daily food needs of the Tembari children, please don’t hesitate to let us know. The children consume about 36 bags of rice (10kg) monthly, (15kg a day from Monday to Saturday) alongside other food items. We are also having problem with firewood that we use in cooking the kids’ everyday meal. Right now, our cooking staff would use three bundles of firewood (from 9 Mile roadside vendors) at a cost of K10 per or K60 a week. We don’t have enough funds for this expense, as we try to make use of it in buying ingredients that go with tinned fish/meat. We are appealing to timber companies with timber yards within in Port Moresby for their donation of off-cut timbers for firewood.

4) Land title hoped to come soon. Tembari is still trying to hasten the release of a land title to the 3,500sqm plus property that it occupies now. Our school project director – a British expat – is working hard to speed up the process of its release. I has been advised that the General Surveyor from the Lands Department visited our compound recently as part of the titling process. The property would be enclosed with a perimeter fence, which would cost some few thousands of kina. The project director is working out a funding for this, alongside the septic tank facility.

For comments, please email the blogster: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and alfredophernandez@y7mail.com

Tembari Children’s update

2012-09-30T13:53:00.000+10:00

By Alfredo P Hernandez
A Friend of Tembari Children

WHILE I WAS away from this blogsite, a number of significant events transpired, all for the good of the Tembari Children.

Company logos of Paradise Business Consultants (left) and Associate Builders and Contractors (ABC).

1. Schoolchildren bus fare assistance. Two Filipino companies have come forward to shoulder the cost of the Tembari schoolchildren’s daily bus fares from the ATS Oro Settlement to their respective schools around Port Moresby. For several days now, the children have been missing school as they don’t have K2 for bus fare. Their guardians and bubus cannot just afford this daily expense. The school principal at Ward Strip school has warned Tembari management that she would drop the children from this year’s roster if they continue missing their classes. To help out, the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) Ltd and Paradise Business Consultants Ltd – both in Port Moresby – will equally share the K1,000 monthly expense of Tembari’s 30 schoolchildren, according to Zeny Ala, a top executive of ABC. Her company is engaged in contracting and construction. Headed by general Manager Jovy G Baltazar, Paradise Consultants deals with immigration and business documentations and related services. The funds was turned over to me on Friday, September 28, 2012.

2. Three companies support Tembari’s netball tournament. The Tembari Children’s Care (TCC) Inc, has just concluded a netball tournament marking PNG’s 37th independence anniversary. Held at Tembari’s playground at ATS Oro Settlement, the four-day event was participated in by 20 men and women’s teams from the settlement. The awarding of trophies was held on Sunday, September 23. Three companies – Pacific Towing PNG, Curtain Bros and Sena Investments -- helped to stage the event, which was witnessed by hundreds of residents from ATS Oro settlement. Pacific Towing under its general manager John Whitfield defrayed the cost of trophies awarded to five teams. Together with other sports gear, Pacific Towing spent a total of K1,800 plus. Curtain Bros sent a cheque for K1,000 while Sena Investments through its executive Joey Sena chipped in K400. The funds shouldered the cost of holding the four-day netball event.

The generous foodstuff donations.

The expatriate members of the Methodist Church in Port Moresby during the visit at Tembari Center.

The Tembari kids who are about to meet their benefactors from the Methodist Church.

3. Methodist Church of Papua New Guinea cheers up Tembari kids. The Methodist Church of Papua New Guinea composed of Malaysian, Taiwanese and Chinese expatriate members visited the center recently to cheer up the children with goodies, songs and games and prayers. The group brought with them supplies of rice and other foodstuff good for several weeks. The visitors were headed by Andrew W Tiong, general manager for operations at RH (PNG) Group. This group also came to the center last year to donate foodstuff. Methodist Church in Papua New Guinea is the only Chinese Christian Church in Papua New Guinea. At present it has preaching centre at Vanimo and Kimbe. Majority of the congregation are people from Malaysia, Taiwan, and China. The interest of The Methodist Church in social welfare springs from the Bible teaching.

4. Movie treat for Tembari kids. Recently, 60 children age from 4 to 12 and 11 guardians were treated to an animated 3D movie at Paradise Cinema – a modern movie house at Vision City Mega Mall. The generous sponsor was RH Trading, whose HR & Administration manager Daneilla Tio coordinated the whole affair. The kids, who were treated with movie snacks, watched a 3D animated movie, their first experience in movie house cinema. After the show, the mall manager took the kids for a tour of Vision City’s shops and facilities. Three buses came to Tembari center to shuttle the kids to the mall and back to the settlement. RH Trading is a regular donor towards Tembari feeding program.

5. RH Foundation donates kiddie chairs. Recently, RH Foundation, the charity arms of RH (PNG) Group, delivered about 50 units of chairs for use by the Tembari preschool children. The new units replaced the worn out chairs, which RH donated two years ago. Mathew Werigi, the executive officer, said their foundation is always ready to provide for the needs of the Tembari children.

6. Regular supporters. The Tembari kids are regularly supported with foodstuff and modest funding by corporate groups such as RD Tuna Canners, Pacific Industries (cordial drinks), SVS supermart (flavored milk), Hugo Canning (tinned meat), and individuals that included top corporate executives (for supplies of rice and milk). The children are also getting funding support from the Malaysian Association of PNG (MAPNG), the Filipino Association of PNG (FAPNG), PNG Children’s Foundation and individuals, who on occasions, filled the gap in the foodstuff needs of the children.

7. Monthly water donation. Since two years ago, the Tembari center has never run dry, in terms of drinking water supply, while the entire settlement would experience such for most of the day. High Energy and Pure Water Company have seen to it that the children have enough water to use and drink every day. High Energy, a fishing company based in POM headed by general manager Thomas Kuo, delivers 5,000 liters of bulk water monthly for drinking and other use. On the other hand, Helen McIndoe, an executive at Pure Water, delivers 20 units of 19 liter-containers of purified water, one of her company products distributed in PNG. The three 5,000 liter water tanks that Tembari use these days have been donated by POM Rotary (two units) and RH Foundation.

8. Preschool classroom project. The construction of a four-classroom building at the Tembari center has been stalled as the project sponsor – Australian High Commission in POM – has to wait for Tembari management do produce the title to the property that is occupied by the center. Right now, a volunteer is working double time to secure the required land title to a 3,500sqm property from the Lands Department. Land Secretary John Ofoi has committed to help Tembari to get the title. At the moment, the perimeter fencing of the property is about to start, courtesy of one corporate sponsor. Likewise, the construction of a septic tank for the center’s toilet facility has begun, a project being shouldered by a corporate sponsor. The classroom project will cost K100,000. The paving and grading of the hillside portion of the property was carried out sometime ago and the land reclaimed would be used to accommodate another building for use as facility.

Despite all these good news, the Tembari Children’s needs, like for instance, food, grow every time. Improving their daily nutrition is a priority concern of Tembari management.

If you think you have the opportunity to help our children – in whatever way or form – especially in our daily feeding activities, please don’t hesitate to contact me through this email: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and alfredophernandez@y7mail.com

Tembari works on preschool’s land title

2012-03-15T14:03:00.000+10:00

Lands Secretary John Ofoi stresses a point to British expat Mauricio Diaz, sales and marketing manager of telco Global Technologies, who is Tembari school project manager. Secretary Ofoi is scrutinizing the documents that Tembari has presented to him towards acquiring a title to the 3,500 square meter property it occupies at Oro settlement, 7 Mile outside Port Moresby. The Secretary has assured Tembari that he will expedite the processing of its land title application so it could start building a preschool for its beneficiary children. – Photo by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ, Port Moresby, PNG

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

AS they say, “we are getting there …”

And this makes Tembari upbeat on the big prospect that it is going to have a title soon to the land its preschool center occupies.

It was the so-called turn of events that we at Tembari had never expected.

In our very first audience with Department of Lands Secretary John Ofoi last week, he assured me and my colleague Mauricio Diaz, a British expat-executive at a big IT company in Port Moresby, that all we have to do is complete the land titling requirements – survey map, sketches, plans, building plans and all – give them to him. He’ll take care of the rest.

Secretary Ofoi said: I’m taking the short route to award Tembari a land title … I will avail of the so-called “Ministerial Exemption” route … through which I could allot you the property for titling and nobody could ever lay claim over it …”

He said the other process is for our land title application to undergo scrutiny and evaluation by a lands board made up of people from different discipline. Depending on the outcome of the board’s evaluation, a decision to deny or award the title would be made.

It is an exercise that could go the short route or take a long-winding road.

The good Secretary said he was impressed with what Tembari is doing for many settlement children whose future was bleak until they where ushered in to Tembari’s loving arms.

“I’m very particular with groups like Tembari and I want to help it …”, Sec Ofo said after scrutinizing our documents and learning of the center’s plan on that piece of 3,500-square meter lot at Oro settlement at 7 Mile, outside Port Moresby.

He became interested in the preschool classroom building we are to build on property, which we hope could begin sometime this July.

“Tembari will get it (the land title) … and it will enjoy its use of this land for 99 years,” Secretary Ofoi said.

The title to the property is the very first requisite that the Australian High Commission said Tembari has to fulfill before it could green light the start of the preschool building construction.

The Aussie High Comm is the lead donor-sponsor of the school building project. The other project supporters are Hardware Haus, AzkoNobel, Malaysian Association of PNG (MAPNG), Filipino Association of PNG (FAPNG), PNG Stones, PNG Concrete Aggregates, AP Engineering Ltd of East New Britain, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Eda Ranu and the Lands Department.

Worth K100,000, the preschool building will house four classrooms for use by about 100 children who are Tembari beneficiaries and other settlement children with parents who can afford to support them financially.

Since Tembari is the only government-accredited CBO (community-based organization) at the settlement operating a preschool, it is mandated to accommodate preschool children from the community to get an early education together with Tembari children, who are abandoned, neglected and orphans.

But it is not only the 100 preschool kids that get the benefit of various services from the Tembari facility.

It is actually looking after about 200 unfortunate settlement children by providing them meals twice a day, from Monday to Saturday, sending 78 of them to elementary and primary school in Port Moresby, offering them other opportunities to learn like watching educational DVDs and kiddie movies, and cultural development programs such as involving them in cultural dances and song presentation and sport activities such as volleyball, football and rugby.

And most of all, the kids are given the tender, loving care that they are missing owing to the absence of their parents and most important, a home away from home.

The daily feeding activities are being made possible by sustained donations from RD Foundation, SVS Mart, High Energy Co, Pure Water Company, Pacific Industries Ltd, Malaysian Association in PNG (MAPNG), Hugo Canning, Filipino Association in PNG (FAPNG) and Homeguard Construction Ltd. There are individual donors whose foodstuff donation make the bulk of the monthly supplies but wished not to be unidentified.

The acquisition of a land title to Tembari’s premises is only the start of many things that would enhance the welfare and development of our beneficiary children.

So to Lands Secretary John Ofoi: Sir, I salute you for this gesture to help us provide a better life to our unfortunate beneficiary children.

The land title that you are going to award to Tembari will be the key to everything great, as far as our beneficiary children are concerned.

May your tribe increase.

Email the writer: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and alfredophernandez@y7mail.com

Tembari nearing new highs

2012-03-15T14:02:00.000+10:00

Penny Sage-embo (left) thanking corporate sponsors and supporters of Tembari’s daily feeding programme during the day care centre’s ninth anniversary on Saturday. With her is Queen of Tembari Phylis Topogo,14, one of the first beneficiary children who is attending secondary school.- Nationalpics by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

Corporate guests during Saturday’s celebration that included Marina Van der Vlies (second from left), CEO of Digicel Foundation

By ALREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

THE Tembari Children’s Care (TCC) is on a roll.

The streak of progress that our day care facility has been enjoying since 2010 – the year when corporate sponsors and generous individual donors began arriving in good measure – could reach a higher peak this year.

That is when it finally starts putting up a K100,000-kit classrooms for its preschoolers and elementary schoolchildren.

And soon, it would get a land title to the 3,500-square meter property it occupies at Oro settlement outside of Port Moresby.

During its 9^th anniversary on Saturday, Penny Sage-embo, the founder of Tembari and the facility’s programme coordinator, told me these two milestones, which are now in sight, are making everybody at the center quite upbeat.

Finally after nine years of uphill struggle for recognition from the community hosting its home, Tembari is about to get there, so to speak.

All these were made possible by the sustained support by donors from the corporate world and from individuals who find Tembari’s calling something worthy of support.

It would be appropriate to recall once more that from 2003 to 2009 – a grinding six years in the life of the facility it never received any sustainable funding.

It was fortunate that in 2009, Digicel Foundation took notice of Penny’s endeavor to keep some 78 street children under its wings. That time, Penny was now operating as a day care center and also a preschool for its ward.

Queen of Tembari Phylis Topogo (left) warning a child for being a trouble-maker instead of studying hard in a skit that highlighted the big role of corporate sponsors and supporters in changing their lives – from being village street children to one who are now in school and having proper meals everyday. Topogo,14, who attends secondary school, was herself among the first few abandoned children who were taken in as beneficiary when Tembari Children’s Care was founded as a day care facility in 2003 by Penny Sage-embo. – Photo by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

The center has provided them a safe playground at its premises and fed them at least three times a week with kaw-kaw, greens and watery cordial.

With support from a few volunteer mothers who had chipped in to buy the foodstuff, Penny was able to keep the mind and soul of these unfortunate children intact and inspired.

And to boost Temabi’s early education program, Digicel Foundation provided it with two community learning centers (CLCs) in the form of container vans fitted into classrooms.

Fast forward to Saturday, the day when Tembari marked its 9^th year as a community-based organization registered with the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA).

Penny said: “We are looking forward to start a K100,000 school building middle of this year.”

“At the same time, we are hoping to soon acquire a title to the 3,500 square metre property that Tembari is occupying,” Sage-embo said.

She said the Department of Lands Secretary John Ofoi has assured the day care facility would be allocated the property towards its educational program for the settlement children.

Sagembo said that aside from operating a pre-school that benefits 40 Tembari children and another 60 from the settlement, Tembari is going to progress into an elementary school programme, initially with each class in Grade 1 and Grade 2.

“They will hold classes at the four-classroom building that we are going to build by July,” she said.

Right now, the Tembari preschoolers are holding classes in two community learning centres (CLCs) donated by Digicel Foundation in 2009.

Sage-embo said this school year, Tembari would be looking after 200 children, providing them meals twice a day, from Monday to Friday and one meal on Saturday.

Of the 200 children, 58 are in primary schools in Port Moresby with 30 of them at Wardstrip in Gordon. The rest are in other schools in the city.

Likewise, the facility has 67 elementary schoolchildren with 58 of them at Wardstrip.

It is also providing early childhood education, or preschool, to 40 children.

Aside from this, Tembari is taking care of 25 non-schoool age children, who like the rest, are neglected, abandoned and orphaned children.

In a brief remark before guests that included corporate executives and community leaders who attended last Saturday’s open house activities, Sage-embo thanked Tembari’s s corporate sponsors and supporters of its daily feeding programme.

The sponsors are RD Foundation, SVS Mart, High Energy Co, Pure Water Company, Pacific Industries Ltd, Malaysian Association in PNG (MAPNG), Filipino Association in PNG (FAPNG), RH Foundation, YES Ltd (money remittance service), Hugo Canning, High Energy Co, Homeguard Construction Ltd, RBP Trading and a number of individual donors who wished not to be named.

Likewise, Sage-embo thanked the sponsors of the school building project that included Australian High Commission, Hardware Haus, AzkoNobel, Malaysian Association of PNG (MAPNG), Filipino Association of PNG (FAPNG), AP Engineering of East New Britain, Eda Ranu, the Lands Department, PNG Concrete and Aggregates, PNG Stones Ltd, RH Group (PNG), Paradise Interiors, Curtain Bros and Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC).

The lunch food served to the kids on Saturday was sponsored by YES Ltd, a Filipino-operated money remittance service in Port Moresby and individual donors who wished not to be mentioned.

Tembari preschoolers perform a nursery song in front of guests.

Personally from me: Our donors and supporters are superb. They have never failed me when I approached them for something that the Tembari kids needed.

It is for this reason that we’re working hard for the sake of the children whose future all lies in the hands of our donors and supporters.

The foodstuff they sent has kept the Tembari children’s spirits high and their stomachs full.

But while they are helping us feed our children, donors have also dug deeper into their pockets to provide them education.

Food and money -- two elements in the lives of the less-fortunate Tembari children -- are combining to make them realize that some big, bright future also awaits them.

And with the tender loving care that Tembari provides, their lives are gradually going full circle.

Tembari’s preschoolers await lunch last Saturday.

Tembari preschoolers queue for lunch last Saturday, after the Open House with invited guests.

Kids receive donuts and flavored milk for snacks, courtesy of SVS mart, YES Ltd, Mr & Mrs Ronald Dizon of Monian Ltd, Nara Muniandy of The National, The Water Company and Pacific Industries.

Tinned fish from RD Foundation and bottled water from Pure Water Company. RDF is supplying Tembari with 15 cartons of tinned fish every month while Pure Water Company delivers every month bulk water to fill up a 5,000 liter tank and also supplies the center with 20 containers of purified water (19 liters) every week. Another company, the High Energy Co, also supplies the facility with 5,000 liters of drinkable water every month.

Crowd from the community watch the Tembari children's sing-sing performance.

The SVS supermarket supplies Tembari with 10 cartons of flavored milk every month. The freezer and the fridge in the picture are donated by the Australian High Commission.

Preschool children shows off unused 2011 diaries which they will use as writing pads. The donation from The Ella Murray International School (TEMIS) in Port Moresby comprised 16 cartons, with each containing 80 pieces of diaries. – All pictures by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

Email the blogger: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and alfredophernandez@y7mail.com

Tembari marks 9th year with open house at center

2012-02-27T13:38:00.000+10:00

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

THE Tembari Children’s Care (TCC), a day-care facility, will mark its 9^th year as a government-recognized community-based organization (CBO) with an open house at the center at Oro settlement outside Port Moresby on Saturday, March 10.

Penny Sage-embo, Tembari founder and programme coordinator, said the centre will showcase its on-going programs for about 200 beneficiary children that included early childhood education (pre-school), elementary and primary schooling and feeding, among others.

“This year’s celebration would allow us show the center’s progress from 2010 when our generous sponsors and supporters began coming in with assistance,” Sage-embo said.

Founded in 2003, Tembari began with a handful of street children who were taken care of by some volunteer mothers from the settlement.

Those days, the children, who were orphans, abandoned and neglected, were provided simple meals of kaw-kaw and veggies at least three times a week, alongside motherly care from volunteers.

It was only in 2009 when Tembari began offering early childhood education to its beneficiary children with help from Digicel Foundation, which provided a classroom facility and teaching materials.

That time, there were already 78 beneficiary children, with most of them preschoolers who were provided meals at least three times a week. Their schooling was handled by three volunteer teachers.

It was only in 2010 when the centre began feeding the children from Monday to Saturday with rice and protein and occasional fresh milk, thanks to the generous assistance from a number of corporate and individual sponsors.

The anniversary activities will start at 8.20am, with the arrival of guests comprising donor-sponsors and supporters.

A group of Tembari chidldren’s sing-sing group will perform as part of TCC’s cultural program.

This year, we expect to look after 116 elementary and primary school children plus 40 preschoolers.

The rest of the kids would be those of non-school age – from 4 to 2 years old.

All in all, we are expecting to serve close to 200 children this year that also include preschoolers from settlement families with fathers and mothers who have means to support them adequately.

These parents send their children to Tembari because it is the only preschool facility operating at Oro settlement.

It is good that this year’s school fees of our school children have been shouldered by the government. However, the cost of their school projects would be paid by sponsors.

The March 3 event will also see the feeding of the beneficiary children and in this occasion, I would like to serve them something especial for their Saturday lunch.

If you think you are able to donate protein such as sausages or chicken and bread (buns or loaves) and cordial drinks towards this occasion, please don’t hesitate to let me know through the email provided below.

They would also welcome – with open arms – ice cream!

This once-in-a-blue-moon lunch treat would make the Tembari children’s day very special.

Contact the blogger: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg

Homeguard Construction donates K1,000 towards Tembari feeding program

2012-02-26T15:30:00.000+10:00

Tembari children having soup while waiting for the main course of rice and

chicken stew during one of their Saturday feeding activities. – Photo by AP

HERNANDEZ

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

THE Homeguard Construction based in Port Moresby has donated K1,000 towards the feeding program for Tembari children.

The cheque for the amount was delivered to me last Thursday.

It would go a long way towards the daily feeding activities at the Tembari center located at Oro settlement outside of Port Moresby.

Having checked the prices of foodstuff such as noodles and biscuits in one of the supermarkets around, I learned that the fund would buy at least 17 cartons of cheap biscuits and at least 15 cartons of instant noodle soup.

You see, these items would support the daily noon snacks of our beneficiary preschoolers, who, this school year would number close to 40 aside from some 90 preschool children from the Oro community.

What I am trying to say is that we are expecting at least 40 beneficiary preschoolers from the community who are orphans, neglected and abandoned.

After their classes which begin at 8am are done by noon, the kids are served snack foods such as noodles or biscuits along cordial drinks and fresh milk if it’s available.

The rest of the preschoolers who would be numbering 90 this school year would go home for lunch. They are children from families with means to support them through school.

But the Tembari preschoolers don’t usually go home to their bubus, guardians and relatives.

They stay put at the center through afternoon doing some educational activities including watching DVD kiddie programs until the main feeding activity for the day takes place later in the afternoon. This is the late dinner comprising rice and protein, which could be tinned meat or tinned fish cooked with veggies.

About this time, the Tembari beneficiary children attending schools at two major elementary schools in Port Moresby – one is the Wardstrip Elementary School -- would be homing in for the early dinner, which they share with the preschoolers.

This year, we expect to have about 116 elementary and primary school children plus 40 preschoolers. The rest of the kids would be those of non-school age – from 4 to 2 years old. All in all, we are expecting to serve close to 200 children this year.

After the feeding, they go home for the night to come back the next day for school.

Since Tembari preschool is the only one operating at Oro settlement, many parents have decided to send their young learners to our school.

As a CBO, or community-based organization registered with Investment Promotion Authority (IPA), the Tembari Children’s Care (TCC) is mandated to take in learners from the community if their parents decided to have them schooled at our facilities.

It is just unfortunate that our facilities could no longer handle some 130 preschool children coming to us this school year.

So far the center has only three classrooms – one of these is a 20-footer junked container van converted into a classroom to accommodate at least 30 kids sitting like packed sardines.

Actually there used to be two fitted out container vans from Digicel Foundation. But since Tembari did not have an office space and some place to store foodstuff donations, the TCC management has opted to use one of the two containers for this purpose.

This school year, two small classes of at least 20 each will hold classes in two makeshift classrooms on both wings of the container van, which serves as the main classroom.

The rest would be holding classes under the tree nearby.

Three teachers, who are paid monthly stipends, handle the classes.

Meanwhile, Tembari’s school building project has been put on hold pending the issuance of a title covering the 3,500sqm-property on which the centre stands.

The main classroom project sponsor – the Australian High Commission – has required a legitimate land title to the property before it finally gives the go signal for the classroom building construction.

The cost of the project is more than K100,000 and the funds are just waiting to be tapped.

One of our early school project sponsors is AP Engineering Ltd based in Kokopo, East New Britain, which donated K7,000 to start off the funding raising drive. APEL is owned by Filipino-PNG citizen Engineer Ariel Parro.

The other sponsor is the AkzoNobel, a paint maker.

If you think you are able to help the Tembari kids with foodstuff to sustain the center’s daily feeding program, please don’t hesitate to contact this blogger through the email addresses provided below.

Meantime, I would like to thank HomeGuard Construction for its generous donation.

As you would know, HG would pop once in a while a generous cheque to cheer up the Tembari children.

The company just did last week and I would relay this gesture to the children once I delivered the foodstuff to the center.

For feedback, please email the blogger: aphernandez@thenational.com.pg and alfredophernandez@y7mail.com

RH Trading staff cheer Tembari kids on Chinese New Year

2012-02-18T16:19:00.009+10:00

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

RH TRADING, Papua New Guinea’s biggest trading house, capped the celebration of the Chinese New Year this year with a visit to the Tembari children on Saturday.

From January 23 this year, Chinese people across the globe celebrated the Year of the Dragon.

Led by CC Ang, general manager of RH Hypermart, the group composed of Filipinos and local personnel came to the centre with a lot of goodies for the kids.

More than 100 Tembari children showed up to each receive “Ang Pao”, a red envelop usually presented at gatherings or on holidays such as the Chinese New Year.

The envelopes contained token amount, which delighted the children as it was the first time that they received a gift such as this one.

The red colour of the envelope symbolises good luck and is supposed to ward off evil spirits.

Ang said they visited the children to present to them several goodies such rice, noodles, milk, tinned fish and candies, among others to mark the close of the Chinese New Year’s celebration.

Hayward Sagembo, president of the Tembari Chidren’s Care (TCC) thanked the visitors, saying that it was one of those occasions that the Tembari children would receive visitors from the expatriate community.

Sagembo noted that groups from the Malaysian community such as RH Trading has been one of those that continued to be around to bring foodstuff donations badly needed by the children.

Tembari is a day-care facility providing preschool education to more than 100 children alongside elementary and primary schooling to more than 100 others.

The centre also provides twice-a-day feeding session from Monday to Friday to the beneficiary children, with help from various donors and supporters in Port Moresby.

If you think you are able to donate something to the children, please don’t hesitate to contact this blogger through the email provided below.

For feedback, please email the blogger: aphernandez@thenational.com.pg and alfredophernandez@y7mail.com

'Santa Fredo' cheers Tembari kids

2011-12-18T12:08:00.032+10:00

APH playing Santa Claus on Saturday to Tembari kids.

Nathan Ho (left) says that RH Hypermart would like to see the children get an education.

The RH Hypermart big boss Nathan Ho (center) with his 20 staff pose for a picture with the Tembari children.

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

CHASING away those rain clouds that have been hanging over Port Moresby for almost every day, the sun stayed big on Saturday, giving us a great day during our modest Christmas hamper party for the 200 Tembari kids.

And I had a great time giving away to them Christmas hampers. I was back as “Santa Fredo”.

The Tembari kids were a happy lot: each received four sets of Christmas presents.

Two gift pacts were distributed by the super-generous RH Hypermarket.

As my personal Christmas presents to them, I gave away two sets of bulky Christmas hampers.

All in all, there were 800 Christmas gift pacts and these cheered the kids no end.

Don’t be surprised – each of the RH Hypermarket gift packs contained favorite snack foods.

My hampers contained a lot more – fresh orange and apples, kiddie books, toys, candies, snack foods, tinned fish, flavored powder drinks and school items.

But the big story here was the invasion of about 20 RH Hypermarket staff, led by their boss Nathan Ho, executive director of RH Trading, the trading arm of RH (PNG) Group.

Coming in full force to the Tembari center, the RH Hypermarket army brought with them several boxes of Christmas presents, two sets of barbecue grills, lots of pork, lots of chicken wings, lots of sausages, of buns, 48 liters of ice cream, tons of bottled water and a crates of candies.

The Tembari kids could not just believe their eyes.

At the foot of the Christmas Tree were heaps and heaps of Christmas presents. Just like last Christmas.

I had promised them that they will again get a lot this Christmas.

Just like last year, I played Santa Claus to them on Saturday.

During our hamper party last Christmas, the kids had called me “Santa Fredo”. It was a cue from them that I should deliver again this Christmas.

And I did, thanks to my generous donors.

Because of them, I was able to produce 400 Christmas hampers which I raised from my donors: RH Hypermarket, RD Tuna, SVS supermarket, Pacific Industries, Buk bilong Pikinini, Homeguard Construction, Paradise Consultants, Your Express Service (YES) Ltd, and from expatriate-friends led by couples Celia and Caezar Nunez, Abet and Corina Barles and Claire and Cesar Tungol, and TJ and Gina Khoo; Rosa Yip; and Tony Valdez, Lourdes and Jocelyn - all of HiTRON.

Well, they were the same groups who supported my Christmas hamper party last year.

In a brief remark, Ho said told his staff and the audience that RH Trading has made Tembari children its beneficiary under the company’s RH Cares Programme 2011 with the motto “Save the Children”.

In fact, he brought a nice banner proudly announcing that our kids were this year’s beneficiaries under such a program.

“We would like to see the Tembari children become good citizens and good leaders of this country in the future,” Ho said.

Speaking of the many Christmas presents they brought with them, he said it was their way of cheering up the Tembari children during the holiday season.

That’s why the Tembari kids had been inspired to put up two sing-sing groups to entertain our special guests.

And of course, the RH Trading group came not unprepared.

While half of the staff manned the barbecue grill, the other half had engaged the children in parlor games like sack race, hula-hoop, volleyball and ball race.

Watching the kids, I was pretty sure they were having great fun.

And not to be left out, our 10 volunteer mothers also got their hampers from me. Theirs were a bit special – each contained “meri blouses” – something I knew they would really appreciate more than the foodstuff that came with their hampers.

With this, I am proud to report to my donors about a great day at Tembari on Saturday.

You guys made our day. You made Christmas for the Tembari kids.

There are no other words to describe your kind generosity.

And for this, I owe you big.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

APH with his Christmas hampers.

APH stands in front of the RH Hypermart banner.

Tembari kids queuing for their Christmas hampers.

RH Hypermart staff distribute Christmas presents to Tembari kids.

Ice cream is served.

RH Hypermart food brigade... at the grills with chicken wings and sausages.

Lunch time ....

For feedback, please email the blogger: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and alfredophernandez@y7mail.com

Filipino community witnesses Tembari children sing-sing group

2011-12-05T13:23:00.013+10:00

The FAPNG officers with Penny Sage-embo (center) after the turnover of Christmas donations towards Tembari children on Sunday. Others in photo: newly-elected FAPNG president Rey Angeles (third from left); Hayward Sagembo, Tembari president (second from right); and former FAPNG president Tony Valdez (right).

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

THE Tembari children sing-sing group had a grand time performing at the Christmas party of the Filipino community on Sunday.

It was the first time for the children to show their dancing talents before a crowd of Filipinos.

The Christmas party was held at the Don Bosco Technological Institute in Port Moresby.

They had performed the previous Saturday at the Botanical Garden as their share in the celebration of the International Children’s Day. But the audience was mostly locals and a handful of tourists.

On the other hand, it was a first for the Filipino Association of PNG (FAPNG) to invite a sing-sing dance troupe at its annual Christmas party as part of the entertainment segment.

The children’s gig was not part of FAPNG earlier plans.

A month ago, one of the FAPNG officers emailed me to say that they would like to invite 10 of the Tembari children as their guests at the party.

I’m familiar with the association’s yearly party and it was usually parlor games for the adults and the children, little speeches and lunch and exchange gifts among the children.

Knowing that the Tembari children have their own sing-sing group for traditional dances from their villages back in Oro province, in the northern side of Papua New Guinea, I proposed that they should also perform at the party – for free.

When the news got around at the Tembari center, all the kids became excited and wanted to join.

However, the Tembari management had decided to send only 18, who immediately rehearsed their repertoire – a two-dance segment representing two dances from their villages.

The Tembari kids were awesome in their colorful village attire and in their dances.

A number of Pinoys had their pictures taken with the kids.

Highlighting the celebration, newly-elected FAPNG president Rey Angeles presented several boxes of Christmas presents to Tembari founder Penny Sage-embo and president Hayward Sagembo.

The goodies had been raised by the association from members’ donations.

And for about three weeks, FAPNG carried out a “drop box” campaign in which it posted boxes at some major shops and supermarkets in Port Moresby for toys and other items.

Thanking FAPNG, Penny told the audience that the Filipino community has been supporting the Tembari children for quite some time now.

“I feel very grateful for the wonderful gestures of the Filipinos here in Port Moresby towards our children,” Penny said.

FAPNG is very familiar with Tembari children.

Since the administration of former president Joey Sena (2009), the association has been donating a portion of its funds raised from two yearly concerts featuring known Filipino entertainers.

These two concerts are held every February – as Valentine’s concert – and every September as part of the Independence day celebration known as” Hatid Saya”.

The Tembari children’s sing-sing group is also performing at functions to raise funds for the unfortunate children in Oro province.

Tembari is planning to put up a day care facility and a preschool for these children.

Prospective donors who need more information may contact Patison Kopada, TCC administrator, on phone 3422047 and cell phone 726 19552

A Tembari sing-sing group performs at the FAPNG party on Sunday.

Ms Phyllis Topogo, Queen of Tembari (right) with two of her escorts during their performance.

A Tembari sing-sing group performs a traditional dance depicting the story of Noah’s ark and the Great Floods. – All pictures by AP HERNANDEZ, Port Moresby, PNG

Email the blogger: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and aphernandez58@yahoo.com

Queen of Tembari 2012 proclaimed

2011-12-05T13:13:00.008+10:00

Phyllis Topogo, 14, proclaimed the Queen of Tembari for 2012.

Ms Topogo is being led by her escort in front of the audience after which she delivered her speech about her desire to help raise funds for the needy children in her province of Oro.

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari

A 14-year-old girl from Ioma 1, Oro province, in the northern side of Papua New Guinea has been named Queen of Tembari for 2012.

Phylis Topogo bested six other “princesses” who represented their respective villages in the recent Oro-Tembari cultural dance presentation held as part of this year’s celebration of Children’s International Day at the Botanical Garden in Port Moresby.

Ms Topogo and the other princesses belonged to their respective sing-sing groups that performed during the event.

Each of the groups presented their village’s traditional dance.

The princess of each dance troupe then spoke to the audience about her desire to help raise funds for the unfortunate children of their province while being evaluated by a panel of three judges.

Hearing all them spoke, the judges decided that Ms Topogo should be the first Queen of Tembari because she was able to convince the audience that she would be able to do the job of fundraising.

Incidentally, Phyllis is a beneficiary of the Tembari Children’s Care (TCC), a day care facility at ATS Oro settlement at 7 Mile outside Port Moresby.

The young girl, who is one of the abandoned children under the care of Tembari, belong to a tribe in Ioma 1, in Oro province.

Penny Sage-embo, Tembari founder and program coordinator, said that Phyllis has been briefed on her role as Queen of Tembari, particularly of her job to help raise funds for the less-privileged children in Oro province during the year 2012.

The other sing-sing dance troupe princess were Alice Sagembo, 20, who represented Tembari; Rebecca Sepora, 15, of Kokoda; Shondie Dumbu, 14, of Ioma 2; Arnet Hivi, 14, of Kivori-Kairuku; Julie Iari, 15, of Central Kaiva; and Brenna Yaugira, 18, of Tufi.

The cultural presentation was sponsored by Tembari as a means to raise funds for its beneficiary children in Oro province, who are orphans, abandoned, unfortunate and neglected.

Tembari is hoping to set up a facility that would cater for those children, according to Tembari founder Penny Sage-embo.

Donations toward the cause are still welcomed. Donors may call Patison Kopada, Tembari administration, on cellphone 72619552 and Penny Sage-embo, Tembari founder, on 71256547.

The Ioma 1 dance troupe in action.

Tembari receives books from Buk Bilong Pikinini

2011-11-27T13:46:00.010+10:00

Expatriate journalist Alfredo P Hernandez receives from Francesca Kupe, office manager of Buk Bilong Pikinini, a "bilum" of children’s books which are part of the 347 pieces of old and new books donated to Tembari Children’s Care (TCC) last Wednesday. – Photo courtesy of Buk Bilong Pikinini.

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

THE Tembari children were proud recipients of books from Buk Bilong Pikinini (Books for Children), a book charity based in Port Moresby.

The donation was turned over to me last Wednesday by Aussie expatriate Diane Popple, children’s book evaluator, and Francesca Kupe, office manager of Buk Bilong Pikinini.

The many boxes that I received contained 347 new and used books collected from different libraries and publishing houses in Australia as well as individual donors.

This donation is very timely because we have a growing number of schoolchildren and preschoolers who, at their young age, needed to be exposed to the joys of reading.

These books would help us start a mini-library which would lend books that our young learners at Tembari would have particular interest in.

Buk Bilong Pikinini aims to focus on early learning (as a key to literacy) through the creation of small libraries in communities based localities such as near settlements, clinics and market places.

“We collect books from private individuals and publishing houses and seek to obtain funding for our libraries through various fundraising efforts as well as through corporate sponsorships,” BBP said on its website.

For the school year 2012, Tembari will have 117 schoolchildren in elementary and primary schools and about 110 young learners at the facility’s preschool.

Ms Popple told me that they heard about Tembari children from a friend of hers, Ms Narelle Levey, who teaches at the Ela Murray International School (EMIS) in Port Moresby.

She said that one of her kids is studying at the school.

Ms Popple said that My Levey had recommended Tembari tobe one of the recipients of book donations that BBP would be making in the next several weeks.

Ms Popple contacted me through email to relay the good news about a bunch of books that would be coming to Tembari.

Thanks a lot, Buk Bilong Pikinini!

Email the blogger: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and aphernandez58@yahoo.com

Oro community sing-sing: Lucky day for German couple

2011-11-27T13:00:00.023+10:00

Ruddy is a member of the Kokoda cultural dance troupe that performed at the Oro community sing-sing show at the Botanical Garden on Saturday. The show was a fundraising effort of the Tembari Children’s Care (TCC) day care facility.

Ruddy (right) performing with her dance troupe. – More pictures by AP HERNANDEZ after the story.

By ALREDO P HERNANDEZ

A Friend of Tembari Children

A GERMAN couple who were on the last day of their tour of Papua New Guinea felt very lucky on Saturday.

“We have been here in PNG for a month, visiting villages that included those along Sepik river in the hope that we could see sing-sing groups there…” said Stefan and Christina Lang.

“But there was none … and we were in Lae for the same thing … but it was not the season for such a cultural show… so we moved around some more until we came back to Port Moresby,” Stefan told me.

The couplewere to leave the city today on their way back home via Manila.

“So, we decided to just visit the Botanical Garden (in Port Moresby) for some more interesting pictures that we could shoot and show back home,” Stefan said.

“But when we were at the gate, we saw a group of children in traditional attire … we asked what was it for and we were told that there would be a sing-sing show going to be held today …”

“We got excited and immediately bought tickets,” Christina said.

The show that the couple encountered was actually the one presented by the children from Oro settlement at 7 Mile outside Port Moresby.

On Saturday, about 80 children from seven ethnic groups in Oro province gathered for a rare presentation of traditional dances at the Botanical Garden.

The children, who belonged to seven villages in their home province of Oro, presented the respective tribal dances of their villages.

The dancers were from Tufi, Oro province; Central Kaiva, Oro province; Kivori-Kairuku, Central province; Central Ioma No. 1, Oro province; Central Ioma No. 2, Oro province; Kokoda, Central province; and Tembari group from Oro province.

Each of sing-sing group had its queen who competed for the title Queen Tembari of 2012.

Tembari referred to a day care facility called Tembari Children’s Care (TCC) which looks after about 200 unfortunate, abandoned and orphan children from the Oro settlement.

A number of those who participated in the dance are actually beneficiaries of Tembari, which is the show sponsor.

The sing-sing was Tembari’s contribution to the celebration of the World Children’s Day this month.

It was also held to raise fund for the unfortunate children back in Oro province.

After the show, the German couple made a token donation towards the fundraising effort.

Tembari is hoping to set up a facility that would cater for those children, according to Tembari co-founder Penny Sage-embo.

For your donations, please contact Patison Kopada, Tembari administrator, on telephone 726-19552 and cellphone 726-19552 and telephone 3422-047.

The Tembari sing-sing group.

The Oro Ioma No. 1 dance troupe

The Oro Ioma No. 2 dance troupe

Dance group from Kivori-Kairuku, Central

Dance group from Tufi, Oro province.

Dance group from Central Kaiva

Email the blogger: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and aphernandez58@yahoo.com

Another milestone for Tembari children

2011-11-20T12:15:00.015+10:00

The graduates of Tembari preschool. Of the 38 who will move to Grade 1 next January, 16 were unable to attend as they did not have the attire required for the occasion, as their guardians were unable to afford it. - Picture by AP HERNANDEZ

Blogger AP Hernandez poses for a picture with the preschool graduates. More photos after story. - Picture by TEMBARI

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
A Friend of Tembari Children

ON SATURDAY, I felt as if I was a father of a child graduating from the preschool.

But then, I felt being more than just one father, because the 38 Tembari preschool children who hurdled their preschool education to move to Grade 1 next January, were all my children.
I have been taking care of them, alongwith TCC trio, Rishabh, Penny and Hayward; for quite sometime now, looking for people who would provide them food, money, materials, services and above all tender, loving care.

So, on Saturday, the people at Tembari were very proud.

This was because their effort to promote the well being of 100 preschoolers, 38 of whom who just graduated, and another batch 79 older children attending elementary and primary schools, had reached another milestone.

The impression from Mrs Lyneth Turia, school head mistress of Wardstrip Elementary School, about such endeavor was heartwarming.

She said: “Tembari is doing a great job of providing early education to the community’s less-fortunate school-age children and it is my duty to give them an opportunity to advance in their education -- in my school,” she said.

She said that the 38 graduates will get their slots at her school when it opens next January.

In fact, Mrs Turia has been a big fan of Tembari children, whom she began taking in since 2009, when the first batch of preschoolers moved to Grade 1.

This school year, Tembari has 100 preschoolers and 79

When the 38 new Grade 1’s enter Wardstrip next year, Tembari will be having a total of 117 learners.

“For the 2012 school year, Tembari children would be accounting for more than 10% of the total intake of Wardstrip elementary,” she said, adding that the school will have 1,085 places next year.

And for next year, our preschool would take more than 40 new learners – from families with means to educate their children and from those who don’t have, and therefore Tembari would have to look after them.

cost. Somehow we can do more for tembari children, but for more resources we need some more donors.

We are personally appealing to anybody who is able enough to
Since the number of beneficiaries have increased by 38, whose school fees would cost about K3,800 (US$1,700), on top of those who are now in the elementary and primary levels, we should be doubling our efforts to find donors to shoulder the cost. Somehow we can do more for tembari children, but for more resources we need some more donors, as per rishabh (founder) says, We need to do learn some Olympic games to tembari children that they can itentify on global level.

I am personally appealing to anybody who is able enough to fund the education of the Tembari children.

This is an opportunity for you to help these children, by taking a stake in their future.

Help us educate them.

Your input into their learning could shape the kind of persons they would be years from now.

In future, they could be one of those who would be running this nation.

We – you and me – should be concerned.

Wardstrip Elementary School Head Mistress, Lyneth Turia (left), hands over the prize to one of the preschooler's top student.

A mother scrutinizes the report card of her preschooler.

Hayward Sagembo, TCC’s Co-Founder and Director, and Penny Sagembo, TCC’s Co-Founder and Co-President, show off a clay pot dish they prepared for the graduation guests led by Wardstrip Elementary School Head Mistress Lyneth Turia.

Janet Tema, Tembari's coordinator for early childhood program, distributes the report cards to her learners.

Volunteer moms preparing lunch for the children after the graduation program on Saturday. - Pictures by AP HERNANDEZ

For feeback, email the blogger: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and aphernandez58@yahoo.com

Oro children in cultural show

2011-11-20T12:12:00.000+10:00

A GROUP of children from Oro settlement at 7 Mile outside Port Moresby will hold a cultural show as their share in the observance of the International Children’s Day.

The cultural presentation will be held at the Botanical Garden’s Picnic Point on November 26.

Numbering about 100, the children will be performing traditional dances of their home villages, which lie along the Kumusi River in Oro province.

The participants, who ages ranged from 18 and below, represented the seven districts of Oro settlement.

During the daylong cultural presentation, the quest for Miss Tembari 2012 will also be held.

Each district will have a contestant to vie for the title, who will be judged according to their performance as cultural dancers and on their replies as to why they would like to be the Queen of Tembari.

Three community leaders from the settlement and three expatriate guests will make up the judging panel.

The title winner will raise funds for the Tembari children during the year of her reign.

The cultural show also aimed to raise funds to build a Tembari Chilren’s Care (TCC) resource centre in Oro province and to support the children’s education.

Donations towards the children’s education will be highly appreciated.

Sponsored by Tembari, the even is part of the day care facility’s community outreach programme.

Gate tickets are available at K15 – adults, and K5 – children.

For more information, please contact Patison Kopada, Tembari administrator, on telephone 726-19552 and cellphone 726-19552 and telephone 3422-047.

Curtain Bros delivers 20TEU container

2011-11-13T13:15:00.005+10:00

Justin McGann walks up the hill to measure the length of the perimeter that borders the property occupied by Tembari Children’s Care at Oro community at 7 Mile outside Port Moresby.

Justin comes down from the hill, still counting the paces he made from the time he started going up the terrain. – Photos by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ, Port Moresby, PNG.

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
A Friend of Tembari Children

ON Saturday, a 20TEU container was delivered to Tembari.

It is a donation from Curtains Bros, an engineering giant in Papua New Guinea, with headquarters in Australia, that is involved in massive projects at various PNG LNG sites in the highlands and elsewhere.

The delivery day, Mr Cameron got in touch with us to find out where Tembari is located. And we told him.

Hearing about the place, he said he’s familiar with it. There would be no problem getting there with the goods, he assured us.

The container donation was a response to our earlier appeal for such a facility.

Earlier, Justin McGann, another executive at Curtain Bros, sent an email to say that his company would like to donate one unit, which we could use to store our foodstuff and other facilities like freezers, refrigerators, cooking wares and many others.

Until today, foodstuff donations are kept at a container that used to be a classroom that also doubles as an office, a library/reading space and of course, storage.

The whole place is a mess, with all these things sitting together in a very tight place.

At Tembari, we have been feeing the need for a decent space to work in and this could only come once another container is given to us by some kind donor.
Finally, on Saturday, the thing arrived.

And aside from sending us the container, Curtain Bros would also like to send one of its bulldozers to reclaim some square meters from the hillside that borders our paved premises.

We have started demolishing that portion of the hill so we could get some more space for Tembari premises, in preparation for the construction of a classroom building for our preschool children.

But a few hours bulldozer work had cost us a fortune – courtesy of the contractor who charged us K900 for a five-hour work. And yet the job has remained unfinished.

Mr McGann had earlier visited the Tembari premises to see for himself the extent of earthwork that would be needed once he sent us the “dozer”.

And curious about the perimeter that borders our property that covers more than 3,000sqm, he went up the hill and measured it by walking and counting the steps he made.

An experienced bushman, Mr McGann was accurate almost to the mark when he came down from the hill with his measurement.

And he told us that should we need a surveyor to prepare a map of the property that Tembari occupies, he could organize a team of surveyor quickly – for free.

In PNG, the services of a surveyor cost a fortune and a penny-less charity like Tembari would not be able to afford it.

Curtain Bros is standing by for this. Just holler them.

Thanks, Justin McGann .. thanks Rod Cameron. Thanks Curtain Bros for your generosity.

Email the writer: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and aphernandez58@yahoo.com

Filipino community adopts Tembari children this Christmas

2011-11-13T13:11:00.002+10:00

The sing-sing group of Tembari that will perform at the Christmas part of the Filipino Association of PNG on Sunday, December 4. The children have been invited as FAPNG guests. – Photo by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ, Port Moresby, PNG.

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
A Friend of Tembari Children

THAT Christmas is finally here has been confirmed to me by the giant Christmas tree at the parking lot of the Vision City Megamall in Port Moresby.

And of course, the stores that have begun to fill up the first and second floor of the mall have also started dressing up their interiors in time for the Christmas holidays.

And the good news is that the Filipino community has decided to adopt the Tembari children this Christmas.

Already, the Filipino Association of PNG (FAPNG) has launched a campaign to collect old and used clothing and other goodies, which it will give as Christmas presents to the children of the Tembari Children Care (TCC), a day care facility at 7 Mile outside the city.

Starting this Monday, FAPNG will set up donation drop boxes at Vision City Hypermart, SVS supermart BS Mart and at Filipino restaurant The Point.

The goodies would be turned over to Tembari children early next month, shortly before the association holds annual Christmas party on December 4.

The party has to be held earlier as most of FAPNG members are flying home for the holidays.

At its latest meeting, the FAPNG council decided that the Pinoy’s coming Christmas celebration should involve the community instead of enjoying the day among themselves.

This way, the event would have relevance that FAPNG has been trying to achieve – to cheer up unfortunate children who, luckily, belong to Tembari.

And at the party, 10 Tembari children will be invited to meet the Filipino children –face to face. It would be a new experience for the Pinoy kids meeting their Papua New Guinean counterparts.

For its part, the 10 selected children are now practicing some traditional songs and dances that they will present to the Filipino community.

This is the first time ever a sing-song group (cultural group) would feature at the Filipino Christmas function.

I have been informed that FAPNG is considering adopting the Tembari children – for good - as a way of giving back to the community.

One reason is that if the group could focus its attention to the 200 or so less – privilege children of the facility, it would be able to witness whatever transformation they would undergo.

This way, the Filipinos would know if their assistance to Tembari is bearing fruits.

All this boils down to one important thing: That the Filipino community has taken up a big stake in the future of the Tembari children, and it wants to make sure that it is playing a vital part in changing their lives for the better.

By the way, FAPNG is headed by the new president, Rey Angeles, the proponent of the “adopt-the-Timbari Children” project.

An appeal: Christmas goodies for Tembari Children

2011-10-30T13:42:00.005+10:00

Santa Fredo distributing Xmas hampers to 114 Tembari children during a Christmas party last year. Santa Fredo is appealing for donors of Christmas items that he plans to distribute on December 17.

Christmas goodies distributed to 114 Tembari children during a Christmas party last year. Gift items were raised from goodies sent in by generous donors. This Christmas, there will be 200 kids who are looking forward to Chrismas presents.

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
A Friend of Tembari Children

I AM PERSONALLY appealing to people who are financially able to help on behalf of my children – the Tembari kids.

Christmas is fast-approaching; the holiday season, however, would mean nothing to them. Blame this on their poverty.

In fact, each and every one of our 200 beneficiary children could only survive everyday because of the food and the special care they receive from The Center.

Otherwise, life for them would be miserable, always in the fang of persistent hunger. And outside the premises of The Center, hunger is everywhere.

And the poverty of the Tembari kids makes Christmas irrelevant.

Help me put meaning to the Birth of Jesus on the lives of these unfortunate children because right now, Christmas would just remain a flat, colorless word to them – materially and spiritually.

So, this coming Yuletide season, make it a bit hopeful, joyful and meaningful for them, at least on the material side of things.

Play an invisible Big Santa to them.

Send something that would make them happy – candies, chocolates, foodstuff, toys, clothes, or anything that you think would help them better their everyday life.

Did you see the smiles of your own kids when you gave them their presents last Christmas?

You can have the pleasure of imagining the same when the Tembari children receive your goodwill.

I’m pretty sure coughing up a few kina for Christmas stuffs wouldn’t necessarily make you poor.

If you have some idea about how to cheer up these kids, don’t hesitate to let me know.

I would be more than happy to coordinate and plan with you. My contacts are 324-6712 (office landline at The National newspaper, Editorial Department) and 72231984 (my cell phone number). Or my email addresses at the end of this blog.

My plan is to prepare a plastic bag of goodies (or hamper if you wish) for each of the Tembari children, which we would like to distribute on Saturday, December 17, during my special cooking gig at The Center.

(I wish, I could take their pictures with the goodies! And show them to you…)

This would be a big day for them, I’m pretty sure of this, having experienced the same during my younger days at out school’s Christmas party.

Help me make this a Christmas party for them on December 17, a Saturday, where they could sing carols while clutching in their hands a bag of goodies that you have sent.

It won’t cost you a lot to be a part of this special occasion. But the dividends would be tenfold because the 200 Tembari children will feel you are all Heaven-sent.

Contented children – the privileged ones like yours -- never think this way.

Of course, your other best option this Christmas is to ignore – totally ignore -- and imagine you’re not part of humanity that is about to honor the Holy Infant Jesus.

But to all of you, anyway, Merry Christmas!

Email the blogger: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and aphernandez58@yahoo.com