Books bound for Papua New Guinea

Sophie Cairns and Evandah Steadman, pictured here in the HB Williams Memorial Library, are looking forward to travelling to Papua New Guinea to set up two school libraries with books donated from New Zealand. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell

Sophie Cairns is heading to Papua New Guinea tomorrow with a team of five others to set up two school libraries and fill them with books they have collected over the past year.

She is part of a charity called From Me which collects donations of books from schools and libraries across New Zealand to go to PNG.

Sophie now lives in Gisborne where she works remotely as a graphic designer. She and her partner Evandah Steadman often work from the local HB Williams Memorial Library.

“Three of the team who are going are part of the charity From Me and there are three volunteers going,” Sophie says.

She connected with charity founder Sam O’Connell on Instagram during the lockdown and they were surprised by how much they had in common.

“Both Sam and I had lived in PNG as kids. Our team has bonded over the passion we have for giving back to a country that gave so much to us.”

They will be building two school libraries in the town of Kinantu in the Highlands Region.The closest major town  is Goroka.

They have already sent over a shipping container filled with books and other educational resources from more than 50 donor schools around the country.

They have already started collecting resources and sponsors for another container to go up in early 2024.

PNG has the lowest literacy rate in the Asia and Pacific region and is in desperate need of educational resources.

From Me has already built three school libraries across the Eastern Highlands of PNG. They are all fully equipped, using old school resources from New Zealand.

The libraries have been created in unused rooms which have been cleaned and repurposed. The From Me team has painted them, installed electricity, built shelves and filled them with children’s books. Bean bags and toys and putting posters up on the walls add a cheerful touch.

The charity held its first corporate fundraiser with DUAL New Zealand last month which raised $17,000.

Sophie plans on talking to Gisborne schools and the library about gathering extra books and donations once she returns from PNG.