We envision a new model for Papua New Guinea, and a way to transform our future…and it starts with our children!
With chronic waves of homelessness and despair sweeping PNG, we see a new future instead. A future of hope, of promise, and prosperity for all.
We envision a multi-building center for our children to live in and learn, which we will call Pikinini Village. We will create this as a new model, which is local to Port Moresby, but which can be duplicated throughout Papua New Guinea with other centers to make PNG a sustainable and strong place, and ensure that we have a bright future.
We hope to get the land first, which will be the first phase towards this new model…the first Pikinini Village, which will be a model of many more to come. This will help guarantee a strong future for Papua New Guinea in the modern world. We can stay ahead of the massive homelessness and chronic proverty that so many children and young people are born into…we envison the first Pikinini Village of many to come.
We have a nice two-story residential compound with standalone offices, parking spaces, visitor meeting area, and a nice backyard garden area too. Under construction are the Pikinini Kitchen, Store Room, Visitor’s Restroom, and Toolshed.
The new place is called the “Family Home Care” (FHC). The FHC is home for up to 75 vulnerable children who have lost one or both of their parents. We also provide few nights of accommodation for visiting homeless children within the city of Port Moresby. These children are given unconditional love and care apart from food, clothes and other basic necessities of life. Most importantly, they are also guided by our Christian beliefs and principles, which are fundamental to their spiritual growth and development.
The children are under the love and care of Mr and Mrs Pake. Family Home Care was established as a result of the growing numbers of children living on the streets as urbanisation continues, especially in Port Moresby and other major urban centres in PNG.
The kids love the new place. For example, Sabastian, a 11-year-old boy, when asked how he feels about the new place, said: “Since we moved into this new place, I felt so happy. I started looking around, and it’s quite a big area. We also have a park opposite the road side — I love this place.”
Elisabeth surrounded by her friends, is a role model for her other 45 brothers and sisters under the care of Life Care PNG.
Special thank you to the Post-Courier for sharing the good word !
A GRADE 11 Marianville Secondary School student in Moresby Northeast is one of the fortunate 400 street children who were given a second chance at education by Life PNG Care, a charity organization that helps unfortunate children.
Elisabeth Kalop, 18, from West New Britain Province, is now a boarding student at Marianville Secondary School.
She was taken in by the Life PNG Care (LPC) five years ago and has never looked back. She is determined to give back positive results to her sponsors and the government when she completes her education.
Elisabeth expressed her gratitude towards her sponsors and the organisation director Collin Pake for supporting her as a sponsor and also being a parent to her. She joined the organisation (Life PNG Care) in 2016 when she was doing Grade 7.
“They had helped me to buy my school fees, uniforms and stationaries, and most of all they gave me the love that a parent could give,” Elisabeth said with tears in her eyes.
She said she grew up with the LPC since Grade 7 in 2016 to now (2020) in Grade 11. She said she had received all the support that she ever needed from the organisation.
“The support that I needed from my parents was not there at that time I needed it. So coming to this organisation, they’ve given me everything that even my parents could not give me. And most of all I really appreciate it,” said Elisabeth.
She has another 45 brothers and sisters who are under the same care of organisation director Collin Pake. “Being in Grade 11, I am a role model and a big sister to the house. I won’t let my parents (Mr and Mrs Pake) down, as I am motivated by my father through his hard work and commitment towards us,” said Elisabeth.
“I thank God for placing me in this organisation (LPC) because God has a plan for me,” she said.
FOUR HUNDRED street children in Port Moresby will go to school this year through an education program initiated by a charity organization.
The total cost of educating these 400 children is just under K500,000 money that was raised entirely from public and other donations, the charity organization says.
Life PNG Care, which has been helping unfortunate children get a second chance through education since 2013, said these 400 include 85 children in elementary, 223 in primary, 86 in secondary and six in tertiary institutions. This figure is an increase of 100 from last year’s figures of 300, Life Care PNG figures show. It said the total cost to educate all these 400 students this year is K480,000.
Life PNG Care director Colin Pake said the figure could have been 500 for this year, but 100 children dropped out because it could only afford to send 400, a tough scenario it has faced since the inception of the education program in 2013, when it started with only eight children.
“Initially, Life PNG Care had registered 500 children this year but we are able to assist only 400 children due to limited resources,” Mr Pake said last week.
“Unfortunately, 100 children have been left out. We do not know what these 100 unfortunate children will do, as the school year has started. I think they will add on to the statistics of the out of school children in PNG.
“I believe one factor affecting these 100 children left out of school is because of the government’s introduction of school fees components for this year. Special children under this category, especially orphans and unfortunate ones should be assisted by the government. They are fully registered to benefit under our SPEP but they are left out,” Mr Pake said.
Elizabeth Kalop, 18, is one of the lucky 400. She is in grade 11 at the Marianville Girls Secondary School in Moresby Northeast. When the Post-Courier visited her last week, she was full of gratitude for Mr and Mrs Pake, who she now calls mum and dad….
Tears welled up in her eyes when she recounted the love and care the Pake family gave her when she needed it the most. she is very determined to complete her education and pay back the help, and be the big sister to other children at Life PNG Care.
