BSP has delivered its 10th 50for50 GivimBek Initiative project – enabling students and teachers at Tufi Junior High and Primary School to have improved access to water and learning resources.
The school has received two 5,000-litre water storage tanks, a solar-powered water pump, six whiteboards, teacher resource materials and a collection of learning resources, including reading and reference books, atlases and encyclopedias.
The support addresses some of the practical challenges faced by the school, particularly reliable access to water.
Tufi Junior High School was forced to suspend operations during its first year due to prolonged dry conditions and limited access to water. Students, teachers and families previously had to walk long distances down steep ravines to collect water and carry it back uphill to the school.
The new solar-powered pump now enables water to be pumped directly from the source into the storage tanks, providing a more reliable supply for cooking, cleaning, washing and other daily school needs.
The improved access will also reduce the time and physical effort required to collect water, allowing students and teachers to spend more time focused on learning and education.
Tufi Junior High School Principal, Mr Menson Ganeba, said the support would make a meaningful difference for students and teachers.
“As a new school, we continue to face many operational challenges. Access to resource books, teaching materials and classroom equipment such as whiteboards has been a major need. This support will improve our learning environment and strengthen the resources available to both our students and teachers.
“The junior high school relies heavily on the support of our primary school teaching staff, and these resources will go a long way in improving the quality of education we can provide to our children. We are sincerely grateful to BSP for investing in our school and our future.”
The school’s Board Chairman, Mr Malcolm Gava, said reliable access to water had been one of the school community’s most pressing challenges.
“The lack of water was affecting school attendance, food supply and the daily operation of the school. During the dry
season, teachers and families had to travel long distances along difficult terrain to collect water for cooking, cleaning and washing.
“With the installation of the solar-powered pump and water tanks, a major burden has been removed. This project will improve health, safety and living conditions for both staff and students.”
The project was delivered through BSP Financial Group Limited’s Staff Community Initiative Program and 50for50 GivimBek Initiative and was nominated by BSP employee Ms Nikitta Arua, who is from Oro Province.
Ms Arua said supporting a school in the community where she grew up made the project particularly meaningful.
“Seeing BSP invest in a school within my own community has been incredibly rewarding. I hope these resources will inspire young people to pursue their education, dream bigger and create opportunities for themselves in the future.
“What began as a simple idea has become a project that will benefit an entire community. Together with my BSP colleagues, we are proud to give back and make a meaningful difference for future generations.”
BSP Southern Region Area Manager Retail Bank, Ms Dianne Rali Kome, who attended the handover with the Popondetta Branch team, said the project showed what can be achieved when organisations and communities work together to address practical needs.
“Community development is most successful when people come together with a shared vision of creating better opportunities and improving lives.
“This project demonstrates how collaboration between BSP, local communities and schools can create practical, sustainable solutions to real challenges and deliver lasting impact.”
The Tufi Junior High and Primary School project is the 10th community project completed under BSP’s 50for50 GivimBek Initiative, which empowers BSP employees to identify projects that respond to needs in communities with which they have a personal connection. Recent community projects have been delivered across Madang, Western Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Hela, Simbu, Western Province, National Capital District, Autonomous Region of Bougainville and Central Province.
The initiative forms part of BSP’s 50th Anniversary commitment to supporting communities, with projects also delivered across Madang, Western Highlands, Eastern
Highlands, Hela, Simbu, Western Province, National Capital District, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and Central Province.