THE FEEDING PROGRAM IN PNG
SUMMARY
Children are helpless without parents and don’t get to enjoy a family’s love and GFS Feeding is trying to make them understand and feel that we are there to assist in whatever we can do for them with the little funding received from GFS Australia through the 2018 grants.
A total of five feeding were done during the 2018 year. The fourth and fifth Christmas feeding saw many Homeless and Orphans children posted out clearly the risky situation they live and how they struggle to do school work because some of them go to schools in the city and the challenges they face by not continuing their education is very sad.
Abandonment is one major cause children choose to roam the streets because their needs are not met by their unemployed parents or extra mouths to feed. Some live with defector family which is more difficult because the support dependent is only the left hand. Others pull out to live in the streets because of peer pressure. They have certain dark corners to have a night’s sleep or even in the toilets, and wear the same clothes for a longer period of time or until maybe worn out, they don’t get to have a proper bath daily, except in the city drains or at the beach.
FEEDING
On 18th December 2019, we held our Christmas 4th and 5th feeding at two (2) separate locations (see figure 1.3 and 1.). Volunteers from CHRIST THE KING YOUTHS, one GFS female member from St Martins Youths, and three observers (1 male, 2 female) from SDA church. The team also manage to do awareness during feedings. A CTK Youth (originally Catholic) namely Ignatius Sola, who is continuing formal education despite his orphan status was the role model of the day with a lot of encouragement and praise for GOD and the Church.
Feedings are done with open Prayers and sharing words of encouragement for a better person through Christ message. Children are very co-oporative and always bow their heads in Prayer, after that we give small bus fares. Third feeding was a separate feeding for the underprivileged settlement children at ATS, who have been encouraged to participate at POM Road Runners club that hosts Saturday afternoon races. POM Coordinator has been a part of this event together with her husband who is a former PNG Rep runner.
During our Second feeding at the National Library, a group of young adults came alone asking about the work we were doing, so we happily explained to them about GFS Feeding Ministry Program. John Kenneth we came to know is the gang leader and person in charge for Orphans and Homeless children who do criminal activities for survival in his area was very supportive of our program.
May our good Lord bless you all for your time, effort and investment to the feeding team. The feeding team have also been touched when they interview children and so will continue to do awareness to the general public on their rights and what they go through in real life situation.
Thank you very very much for being a part of this exciting and touching and lifesaving ministry.
Donations can be made to GFS Australia Inc.
For more details go to https://gfsaustralia.org.au/gfs-australia/our-projects/