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Children of Baruni Waste Dump 2011

In 2011, ChildFund Australia supporters contributed over $260,000 to the Children of Baruni Dump Appeal, an initiative to raise much-needed funds for children living in the wastelands around Papua New Guinea`s capital of Port Moresby.

Working in partnership with Brisbane-based company Pro-Ma Systems, ChildFund is supporting the St Peters Literacy School, which provides free education, uniforms, books and meals to children from Baruni, Six Mile and other informal settlement areas.

Children who live too far away to make daily travel to school a safe option stay overnight at the school in basic and inadequate accommodation. Donations will help improve the lodgings for children and help establish long-term, sustainable activities to improve the health and nutrition of children enrolled at the school.

Children have been involved in the design of the program from the outset, contributing their own ideas, views and opinions to the design and planning process. Since the launch of the project, there have been significant achievements:

  • The vegetable gardens have been dug and crops of pak choi, green boy, tomato and peanuts planted. There have been three successful harvests so far. Additional seeds were purchased with the income from selling the excess yield which are now being planted.
  • The piggery, which the children helped design, has been built. There are currently 13 pigs mucking about in their new home and munching on meals of cassava and sweet potato leaves.
  • The chicken coop has also been constructed and a dozen nutritious eggs are laid every morning.
  • Agricultural training for the children and teachers on how to successfully grow and harvest vegetables and breed healthy animals has begun and several modules have been completed with more training to come.
  • The children have had three health check-ups by Susu Mamas, visiting doctors from the Australian Defence Force and Colgate Palmolive. Check-ups included treatment of minor cuts and coughs and ear, nose, throat, and general checks. 38 students were vaccinated against tuberculosis, 41 students received a tetanus vaccination and 46 students received treatment for worms. Dental check-ups were conducted by Colgate Palmolive who also did hand washing awareness. The students were given tooth brushes, toothpaste and hand soap for washing hands.
  • 86 children have officially had their birth registered €“ certificates are ready to be distributed when school reopens on Monday 4 February.
  • The concrete foundation for the new lodgings has been laid and construction will soon be underway.
  • A 6 person school board of management has been formed, members each have roles and responsibilities and work together to efficiently run the school.

Thank you to everyone who donated to this worthy appeal and helped improve the health and wellbeing of the children of Baruni Dump.

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