By HAIVETA KIVIA
BUBIA Lutheran Primary School laid out a fitting and tremendous welcome and farewell for the United States Navy and its partners involved in the Pacific Partnership 2011, last Friday.
The ceremony at the school along the Highlands Highway and 11 miles outside of Lae, was supposed to be where the official ribbon cutting for projects carried out and completed by Pacific Partnership 2011 but it turned out to be filled with dancing, singing and showering of gifts in praise of the goodness of the people of the United State of America and its government.
Children from four different regions of Papua New Guinea performed dances from their regions for the US Navy Seabees, Australian Sappers and PNG Defence Force Pukpuks (Engineers) and later showered the servicemen with gifts.
The two classroom buildings, restrooms and bore water facilities were officially opened by United States Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Ted Taylor, the commander of USS Cleveland captain Roth and Morobe Governor Luther Wenge.
Ambassador Taylor was very thankful to the people of Lae for looking after the servicemen and women of the US Armed Force, along with their partners.
“We have come to help you but the way you have helped and supported the men and women of US Armed Forces is special,” Mr Taylor said.
He added that memories and friendship formed by servicemen and women with people of PNG will live long as the buildings and they are good memories of friendship.
He said the servicemen and women of Armed Forces of US is the pride and their nation holds these people in high regard.
Governor Wenge and chairman of Bubia School Board Dr Peter Gendua acknowledged the projects by the soldiers and agreed that what were given to the remote school by the US Government and its people are precious gifts.
During the past five years, the US partnership program has provided medical, dental, educational, and preventive medicine services to more than 220,500 people and completed more than 160 different engineering projects in 16 countries all over the world.
The ceremony at the school along the Highlands Highway and 11 miles outside of Lae, was supposed to be where the official ribbon cutting for projects carried out and completed by Pacific Partnership 2011 but it turned out to be filled with dancing, singing and showering of gifts in praise of the goodness of the people of the United State of America and its government.
Children from four different regions of Papua New Guinea performed dances from their regions for the US Navy Seabees, Australian Sappers and PNG Defence Force Pukpuks (Engineers) and later showered the servicemen with gifts.
The two classroom buildings, restrooms and bore water facilities were officially opened by United States Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Ted Taylor, the commander of USS Cleveland captain Roth and Morobe Governor Luther Wenge.
Ambassador Taylor was very thankful to the people of Lae for looking after the servicemen and women of the US Armed Force, along with their partners.
“We have come to help you but the way you have helped and supported the men and women of US Armed Forces is special,” Mr Taylor said.
He added that memories and friendship formed by servicemen and women with people of PNG will live long as the buildings and they are good memories of friendship.
He said the servicemen and women of Armed Forces of US is the pride and their nation holds these people in high regard.
Governor Wenge and chairman of Bubia School Board Dr Peter Gendua acknowledged the projects by the soldiers and agreed that what were given to the remote school by the US Government and its people are precious gifts.
During the past five years, the US partnership program has provided medical, dental, educational, and preventive medicine services to more than 220,500 people and completed more than 160 different engineering projects in 16 countries all over the world.
Once again, big thanks to the American servicemen and women for all they have done. They have indeed done a lot for the people of PNG in the last 5 years through the US-Partnership Program.
ReplyDeleteIt is now up to us, the recipients, to look after and maintain the "precious gifts" left behind by them. Unfortunately, we (PNG) have a disease called NEGLIGENCE and we should not let these gifts fall victim of this disease. It is up to Governor Wenge and chairman of Bubia School Board Dr Peter Gendua to take it from there.
All in all,PNG is sure to have a lot of such visits from the US under the US-Partnership Program in the coming years. See you then !