September 13, 2024 – Port Moresby Nature Park
To celebrate Book Literacy Week and subsequently International Literacy Day on August 19 to August 23 and September 8 respectively, TotalEnergies EP PNG, Operator of the Papua LNG project, partnered with Buk bilong Pikinini to launch a new reader entitled “When I Grow Up, I want to be a Botanist”, on August 23, 2024.
Papua LNG is thrilled to collaborate with Buk bilong Pikinini to roll out this Reader Level 4 book, with the aim of inspiring children to become environmentally conscious.
The latest addition to the “When I Grow Up…” series, the books were originally created to encourage children to imagine their futures in various professions and to think about what they would like to be when they grow up.
Buk bilong Pikinini has now published 25 books covering a wide range of topics, including transport, culture, sports, sales, hospitality, financial literacy, environment, design, and medicine, thanks to sponsorship from the Sir Brian Bell Foundation, which covers printing and shipping costs.
At the event, TotalEnergies Biodiversity Advisor Dr Jane Mogina, who is featured in the book, read to 200 five-year-olds in attendance. In her remarks, she emphasized that education begins at an early age and at home.
“I participated in this because I wanted to introduce the children to the concept of respect for the environment and that it should start at an early age,” she said.
“I wanted the children to get excited about the plants in their homes and villages and want to learn more about them because from a conservation point of view, the more you know about something, the more you learn to love it,” she added.
In 2022, Papua LNG signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Buk bilong Pikinini, leading to the establishment of a library and the donation of 1,000 books to primary schools in Wabo, Poroi 2, Evara, Muro, Orokolo, and Are’ava-Harevavo last year.
By fostering a deeper appreciation of literacy and environmental awareness, the Papua LNG project aims to ensure the continuity of these values, reinforcing a sense of belonging and identity within the community.
The Project is honoured to contribute positively to the lives of individuals and the broader community, encouraging a stronger social fabric and preserving the connection between people and their environment.
