BBP WRAPS UP LITERACY WEEK WITH A FUN MARKET DAY

Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) today brought its week-long Literacy Week celebration to a close with an engaging Market Day at its UPNG Library Learning Centre, giving young children the opportunity to put their learning into practice through fun, play-based activities focused on financial and nutritional literacy.

As an organisation committed to increasing literacy rates in Papua New Guinea, BbP recognises that literacy extends beyond the ability to read and write. Through its Literacy Week activities, BbP has highlighted different forms of literacy, including general literacy and numeracy, as well as STEM, financial and nutritional literacy, using practical activities to make learning meaningful and enjoyable for children.

Parents and teachers transformed the learning centre into a mini marketplace, setting up a series of stalls where students took turns role-playing as customers and cashiers. As part of their preparation, the children also created their own pretend notes and coins, helping them recognise different denominations, understand their values and become familiar with handling money.  And before making their purchases, students first visited a pretend ATM to withdraw pretend money, which they then used to purchase items from the different stalls.

Through the activity, students practised recognising money, making purchasing decisions, adding amounts, calculating change and understanding basic buying and selling – all while developing confidence in a realistic and familiar setting.

The Market Day also incorporated nutritional literacy, with students learning about food choices and healthy eating through the marketplace experience.

“Children learn best when they are having fun and can connect what they are learning to the world around them. Market Day allowed our students to experience financial literacy in a way that was practical, interactive and exciting,” said BbP Founder and Vice Chair Anne-Sophie Hermann.

“Literacy is much more than reading a book. It is about giving children the knowledge and skills they need to understand, participate in and navigate everyday life. Through activities like these, we want our children to see learning as something enjoyable, useful and relevant to their future. And we are incredibly grateful to all our donors and partners, both those who joined us this week and those supporting us from behind the scenes. Your continued investment in literacy gives our children opportunities to learn, explore and build the skills they need for a brighter future. Thank you for believing in our children and in the importance of literacy in PNG.”

The Market Day was supported by more than 30 volunteers from BbP’s valued donor and partner organisations, including ExxonMobil PNG’s Yellow Army, Sir Brian Bell Foundation Support Squad, Bank South Pacific’s Marketing, Retail and Sales teams, Ilimo and 9 Mile Farm, Fone Haus, Trophy Haus and Nambawan Trophy Haus Limited (NWTL), Ela Motors, Santos Foundation and UPNG representatives, who assisted students throughout the activities.

The organisation further expressed its appreciation to Force Security Services and Yolande Gui, NWTL’s Executive Director, for supporting the transport arrangements for BbP Founder Anne-Sophie Hermann during her visit to Port Moresby for Literacy Week.

BbP extends its sincere appreciation to all its donors and supporters, both those who supported Literacy Week and were present during this week’s activities and those who could not attend, for their continued commitment to supporting literacy and education in Papua New Guinea. Their ongoing support helps BbP provide children with access to books, learning opportunities and practical experiences that build skills and confidence for life.

The Market Day follows a week of Literacy Week activities across BbP’s Library Learning Centres, which have provided children with opportunities to explore literacy through STEM, financial education, nutrition, career awareness, reading and practical life skills.

For BbP, the week has reinforced an important message: literacy is not only about learning to read – it is about giving children the skills, knowledge and confidence to understand and engage with the world around them.

Through creative, play-based learning experiences, BbP continues to make education enjoyable while helping prepare Papua New Guinean children with essential skills for life.