Fincorp's Generous Book Donation Inspires a New Chapter for Young Readers at Holy Rosary Primary School
Excitement filled the air at Holy Rosary Primary School today as students eagerly browsed through new books following the official handover of 1,000 library books by Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) and corporate partner Fincorp.
The generous book donation presented today forms part of Fincorp's K20,000 sponsorship towards Buk bilong Pikinini's School Library Re-establishment Program, which is enabling the distribution of 4,000 books schools across Papua New Guinea. Holy Rosary Primary School is one of the four beneficiary schools and today received 1,000 library books valued at K4,600.
The book donation includes hardcover storybooks, early readers, novels, dictionaries, atlases, general reference books and teacher resource materials, providing students and teachers with greater access to quality learning resources to support their reading, research and classroom learning and teaching.
Opening the formal remarks, a student representative, speaking in place of the Head Boy, thanked Fincorp and Buk bilong Pikinini on behalf of the student body for the generous book donation.
"Thank you for giving our school these books. They will help us learn more, read more and achieve our dreams. We promise to take good care of them and make the most of this opportunity," he said. Receiving the books on behalf of the school, Head Teacher Mr Stanley Tonny, accompanied by Deputy Head Teacher Ms Sebina Masuri, expressed his sincere appreciation to Fincorp and Buk bilong Pikinini for investing in the education of Holy Rosary Primary School students. Mr Tonny said the donation comes at an important time for the school, which, together with its elementary section, has more than 3,000 students and a teacher-to-student ratio of approximately 1:90 to 1:100. "Support like this is vital in helping us provide our students with quality educational resources. We are grateful to Fincorp and Buk bilong Pikinini for recognising the importance of literacy and investing in the future of our children," Mr Tonny said. He added that while the school looks forward to the construction of its new library and classroom buildings, the donated books will immediately be placed on the bookshelves in the school's IT Laboratory, where students will have access to them during reading and research sessions.
Speaking on behalf of Buk bilong Pikinini, PR & Marketing Team Lead Ms Mary Sawa encouraged students to make the most of the opportunity now before them. "These books have come to your school free of charge through the generosity of Fincorp and the many organisations and individuals who have supported this journey, from our book donors in Australia to our logistics partners who helped bring them to Papua New Guinea. Now that these books are here and easily accessible, we challenge each of you to set a reading goal and see how many books you can read before the end of the year. Every book you read brings you one step closer to achieving your dreams." Ms Sawa said Buk bilong Pikinini remains committed to increasing literacy rates in the country by improving children's access to quality books through partnerships with organisations such as Fincorp, Blue Water Shipping Svitzer PNG, the Rotary Club of Boroko and the Warragul Lions Club.
She also acknowledged the schools, businesses, charities and individual donors across Australia who have carefully collected and donated books through Buk bilong Pikinini's Canberra warehouse. Those books are then shipped to Papua New Guinea with the generous support of Sea Fast and Express Freight Management, before being distributed to schools across the country with the assistance of PNGAir and Express Freight Management.
Closing the formal remarks, Mr Adriaan De La Rey, Head of Unsecured Sales, Sales Department at FinCorp, said the company was delighted to support Holy Rosary Primary School through the donation. "At FinCorp, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to discover the joy of reading. I encourage every student to see each book they open as the beginning of a new adventure—an opportunity to explore new places, meet inspiring people and learn something new. Reading builds imagination, confidence and knowledge, and these are qualities that will open doors throughout their lives. We are proud to support initiatives that invest in children's education because today's readers become tomorrow's leaders, innovators and professionals. Our partnership with Buk bilong Pikinini reflects our shared commitment to creating a lifelong love of reading for the next generation," Mr De La Rey said.
The books were officially handed over by representatives from Fincorp and Buk bilong Pikinini to Class 8A, with Mr Tonny and Ms Masuri accepting the donation on behalf of the entire school community. Following the presentation, students wasted no time exploring the collection. Many excitedly spoke about their dreams of becoming pilots, doctors and lawyers, careers that begin with curiosity, education and a strong reading culture.
Buk bilong Pikinini also encouraged more organisations to partner in supporting literacy across PNG. An investment in education is one of the greatest investments anyone can make. Through partnerships with corporate sponsors, book donors and logistics providers, Buk bilong Pikinini continues to expand access to quality books for children across the country. Organisations wishing to support schools and students in need are encouraged to partner with Buk bilong Pikinini through its website on www.bukbilongpikinini .org as well as on email admin@bukbilongpikinini.org and help inspire the next generation of readers.
