Buk bilong Pikinini Empowers Parents through Parents Awareness Sessions on Nutrition
The Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) Nutrition Education Program team is currently rolling Parents’ Awareness Session and are getting positive feedback and “aha moments” as parents realize how simple it can be to feed their children a healthy yet affordable diet.
The sessions are part of BbP’s ongoing initiative to improve children’s health and ability to learn through nutrition education. The nutrition sessions are now taking place every Friday across all BbP Library Learning Centres and are quickly becoming a highlight for both parents and students.
With the introduction of the Nutrition strand to BbP’s curriculum, the program aims to go beyond literacy and numeracy by also teaching children—and their families—the importance of making nutritious food choices using affordable and locally available ingredients. Recognizing that good nutrition and hygiene starts at home, BbP’s Nutrition Education team is working closely with parents to ensure that healthy habits are introduced and reinforced in everyday family life.
At each session, parents are asked simple but meaningful questions like, “What is your version of a healthy meal?” Many responded with a common answer: rice, greens, and fish, highlighting that balanced meals can be both accessible and affordable. Children joined in the activities, helping their parents prepare colorful and nutritious meals representing different food groups, including rice, fried vegetables and tinned fish, eggs and greens, and an assortment of fruits.
The sessions also include an interactive cooking activity where parents and children worked together to build their own balanced meal lunch boxes. A crowd favorite was the "milk moustache”, which provided plenty of smiles and practical learning.
Growing children need a healthy breakfast and lunch which will greatly assist them with improving their focus and attention in the classroom and also provide them with nutrients protecting them from disease. The more time children spend in the classroom, instead of being at home sick - the more confident learners they will become and the better the overall education outcome they will have. Normalizing hand hygiene is an important aspect for avoiding intestinal worms and diarrhea.
The feedback from participating parents has been quite positive. One mother from one of BbP’s Motu Koita library locations shared, “Fish is the ultimate source of protein in our area. We always have fish with rice in every meal of the day.” Another parent said, “This session helps us understand the importance of nutrition for our children’s brain development.” Others expressed that while some food items like milk and meat may be expensive, they are grateful to learn that nutritious alternatives like seafood, leafy greens, and tinned fish can still offer essential nutrients. Parents appreciated the opportunity to ask questions, share local practices, and learn new ways to feed their children nutritious meals on a budget. Many expressed their gratitude for the practical, culturally relevant, and family-friendly approach of the sessions.
Buk bilong Pikinini sincerely thanks Trukai Industries and Sanitarium for their continued support in making the Nutrition Education Program possible. Other supporters of this program include Ilimo, 9 Mile Farm, SVS Mart, Zenag, Lae Biscuit Co, Waterfront Foodworld, Moore Printing, Exxon Mobil PNG. Their generous contribution ensures that more families can access life-changing information to support the health and learning of their children.
