About Us
Buk bilong Pikinini
Charity Association number:  5-33-85
 
Primary Business Address in Papua New Guinea:
Buk bilong Pikinini 
PO. BOX 5791 
Boroko, Capital National District
Papua New Guinea 
 
Telephone:  + 675 340 8827 
Fax:             + 675 323 3559
Email:          bukbilongpikinini@gmail.com
 
Business Address in Australia:
Buk bilong Pikinini
Anne-Sophie Hermann 
C/- PNG High Commission
39-41 Forster Crescent
Yarralumla 2600, ACT
Australia
 
Telephone: +61(0) 2 6373 3322
Email: bukbilongpikinini@gmail.com or bbp@pngcanberra.org 
 
 
 
Our Mission
Creating children's libraries
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Buk bilong Pikinini is an independent charity based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea which aims to foster children’s enjoyment of books. In PNG there are few functioning libraries outside the school system and most children do not have access to books at all. 

The purpose of Buk bilong Pikinini is to focus on early learning (as a key to literacy) through the creation of small libraries in children’s hospitals and also near clinics, market places and settlements. We collect books from private individuals and publishing houses and seek to obtain funding for our libraries though various fundraising efforts as well as through corporate sponsorships.

An important factor in sustaining Buk bilong Pikinini libraries is the employment of teacher-librarians to mind and secure the books, but also to fulfill the intention of this charity, which is namely to introduce the children to books and to read to them.

Our main ongoing expenses are salaries for our ever-growing number of employees, library maintenance and administration costs.
 
Founders

Buk bilong Pikinini was founded in March 2007 by Anne-Sophie Hermann (right) and Anna Mukerjee (left). Anne-Sophie Hermann is now based in Canberra and continues to work for Buk bilong Pikinini. The Papua New Guinea High Commission has generously provided her with an office - see Contact us for details. 

 

 

Ali Nott is now Buk bilong Pikinini's Executive Director and is supported by a large group of volunteers - see Contact us for details.


 
 
Patron

Buk bilong Pikinini is proud to have Christine Anu as the charity's patron. Christine visited Papua New Guinea in March 2009 where she toured the Buk bilong Pikinini library at Port Moresby General Hospital, performed in the grounds of the Australian High Commision and assisted with fund raising efforts.

 

 
 
Quotes on Literacy
“Papua New Guinea is fighting an uphill battle against illiteracy and this battle cannot be won without libraries and books.”

“Over the last 32 years we have not seen any real investment in the development of libraries in Papua New Guinea. If this trend continues we will pay a heavy price for it in the future.”

Oseah Philemon, Editor of ‘The Post Courier’

The United Nation’s General Assembly proclaimed 2003 - 2012 as the UN Literacy Decade: Education for All. It reaffirmed that literacy was the heart of basic education for all, and that creating literate environments was essential to eradicating poverty, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development.

“..if most of our people have literacy skills, and have access to information sources, we will be able to survive and prosper in the information age.”

“Illiteracy is everybody’s concern, and there is an urgent need now for all sectors in government and society, that eradication of illiteracy be one of our national development priorities.”

Sir Paulias Matane, Governor General, PNG
(quoted in ‘The Post Courier’)