Background and context
Milne Bay is a province of Papua New Guinea, with its capital in Alotau. The province covers 14,345 km² of land and 252,990 km² of sea. Alotau is a sheltered deep-water harbor, surrounded by lush forests and mountain ranges to the north and south. Along its northern shore lies a narrow coastal strip with sago and mangrove swamps.
Milne Bay includes more than 600 islands, of which around 160 are inhabited. The province has approximately 276,000 residents who speak about 48 different languages, most belonging to the Eastern Malay-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family.
Economically, Milne Bay relies on tourism, oil palm cultivation, and gold mining on Misima Island. In addition to these industries, many small-scale village projects support cocoa and copra farming.
The Catholic presence in the region began in 1932 with the Mission in Eastern Papua (now Milne Bay Province). The Diocese was originally established as the Prefecture Apostolic of Samarai on 13 June 1946. It was elevated to the Vicariate Apostolic in 1956 and later became the Diocese of Sideia on 15 November 1966. In the early 1970s, when the mission headquarters moved to Alotau, the Diocese was renamed the Diocese of Alotau.
The Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate (MSI Sisters) are present and active in the Diocese of Alotau. They are based on the mainland in Alotau and contribute significantly to education, community development, and pastoral outreach in the region.
Le Missionarie dell’Immacolata hanno una comunità nella diocesi di Alotau dal 2000.
Project Summary
This project aims to empower children who lack guidance and support, especially those unable to attend school due to financial difficulties. It enhances their skills and learning through innovative teaching methods, including animation.
Target Audience
The project will target 100 children, 50 of whom are aged 4–10 and 50 of whom are aged 11–18 and do not have parental care. Some of these children come from low-income families on different islands around Milne Bay Province. These children often lack access to quality educational resources and are at risk of falling behind at school.
Project Description
There are many children who drop out of school in the province due to family problems, single mothers, poverty and physical and psychological abuse, but above all due to financial constraints.
Weekend classes are split into two groups. Teachers use short videos, clips and animated drawings to teach and capture the children’s attention.
The children are introduced to drawing, charts, group activities, action songs and indoor and outdoor games. They are helped through counselling to become responsible future citizens, both psychologically and morally.
The teachers (MSI Sisters) also accompany them on visits to the hospital and the home for the elderly. Moral education continues in school, with the same teachers delivering the curriculum in the children’s respective schools.
This programme runs throughout the academic year, in line with the Province’s educational calendar.
Monitoring and evaluation
The project’s progress will be monitored through regular assessments of children’s academic performance and involvement in church activities. Feedback from teachers, parents, students, and the community will help evaluate its effectiveness and areas for improvement.
Conclusion
This project has the potential to transform children’s educational experiences by making learning more engaging and meaningful. With your support, we hope to make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of these children and their communities.
We sincerely thank you for your kind consideration and support for this important initiative.
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