Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) learn to cook and “eat a rainbow” for superpowers

The Rainbow Kitchen and Restaurant, Stationery shop, Craft shop and supermarket were open for business at BbP’s children’s Literacy Week Market Day.

Students dressed in aprons and chefs’ hats, cleaned beautiful produce from 9 Mile Farm, with the assistance of David Mead, to get the vegetables ready to be peeled and chopped in the Rainbow Kitchen. Mini professional chefs learnt to prepare healthy foods and snacks with Chef Julz of Trukai and get them ready to be served in lunchboxes by Exxonmobil PNG volunteers at the Rainbow Restaurant.

BbP children are being encouraged to “eat a rainbow” of differently coloured fruits and vegetables, rice, fish, eggs and peanuts every day to give them the health and energy to be attentive and focused in class. The lunch boxes were packed with freshly cooked Trukai rice, slices of three colours of capsicum, egg and lettuce, tuna, carrot and cucumber sticks with freshly made peanut butter.

In order to practise their financial literacy skills, the children withdrew pretend money from a BSP ATM and did lots of shopping at the Craft store, Zenag Egg shop, Theodist Stationery shop and Supermarket. Shopping trolleys and baskets were filled and the mini shop keepers kept track of their pretend earnings in their cash registers.

BbP’s Literacy Week Market Day is an opportunity for students to learn through fun play-based learning activities. Parents, teachers, BbP team and partners work for many weeks to put this educational day together for the students.

The BbP nutrition program resources and awareness sessions have been developed specifically for PNG children and the PNG context. They seek to focus on the importance of eating locally produced and grown fruits, vegetables, protein and grains found at markets and gardens to ensure children are eating a balanced diet for well-being and learning.

BbP thanks the Sir Brian Bell Foundation, David Mead, Brian Bell Group, Trukai, CPL/CPL Foundation, the AHC JF and Deputy Joanne Laundes, Ilimo/9 Mile Farm, SVS Mart, Sanitarium, Moore printing, BSP, Colgate-Palmolive, Zucci Mode, the Sourcing Company, Panamex, Zenag eggs, Supreme group, Waterfront food world, Dolly RD Tuna, Theodist and of course our Literacy Week sponsor ExxonMobil PNG for your support for our nutrition program launch and activities.

Buk bilong Pikinini’s published books are available for purchase from Theodist and directly from Buk bilong Pikinini’s office and webshop: https://bukbilongpikinini.charity/