Our Work

School named in honour of Peter O’Connor.

CHILDREN at the O’Connor Community Learning Centre at Gerehu Stage 5 were among 310 children to receive Christmas presents.

THE Peter O’Connor Foundation agreed this month (September, 2015) to fund the cost of an extra teacher and assistant for three months at Ginigoada at a cost of K9,750. Ginigoada is a program that runs two-week life and business skills courses to help young people from settlements around Port Moresby into employment. Pst Mike Field, the Ginigoada Foundation Manager, expressed his appreciation to foundation board member Rio Fiocco.

In response to the need in the local community, in early 2010 a basic numeracy and literacy training program called ‘Esi Skul’ began The school was to help children who had either never attended a school, or who had fallen out of the for-mal school system, gain and regain basic skills in literacy, numeracy and social sciences. The hope was that many of these children, having completed a year at the Esi Skul would be able to transition into the formal school system. The students are broken into grades, and the school does deliver training at the various grade levels. Using phonics and simple training techniques, the children quickly pick up reading and comprehension skills. Mathematics is taught using traditional methods of scales and sums. The children are very bright, but just lacking opportunity, and they learn very quickly. To date many of the Esi Skul children have made the…

The Peter O’Connor Foundation has contributed 25,000 kina to a program that runs two-week life and business skills courses to help young people from settlements around Port Moresby into employment.

The foundation helps the Anglican Diocese of Port Moresby support an educational project for children who would otherwise have little or no education prospects.

Two 30 cubic metre shipping containers of educational materials have been sent from Cairns to Alotau, PNG.

Photographs showing recent work of The Peter O’Connor Foundation in various schools in PNG — supplying books, computers and desks.

THE O’Connor Community School Gerehu has celebrated World Environment Day (5 June 2015) with some colourful traditional dancing.

The foundation’s four main areas of work are: the O’Connor Community School in Gerehu; help to the Anglican Christ the Redeemer School; help to the Bishop of Alotau (through the Catholic Diocese of Cairns); and help to Ginigoada (Employment preparation course).