School receives desks and chairs to ease classroom overcrowding

A school in the National Capital District struggling with classroom overcrowding has received much-needed relief after a donation of 20 desks and 20 chairs from The Nest Program.

The Nest Program, led by former national representative athlete Nelson Stone, in partnership with youth volunteers from Tokarara, donated the desks and chairs to Ororo Secondary School in June Valley this week.

Stone said the initiative is aimed to address the critical shortage of classroom infrastructure in the Moresby North-West electorate, which he claimed directly contributed to school dropouts and anti-social behavior.

"We know that desks and chairs are a big need in many schools in Port Moresby," he told NBC News.

"Many kids are on the streets because there are not enough desks or chairs to sit on. It makes them feel out of place and they lose interest in coming to school because they have to squeeze up on one desk.

"Most times, we see young people getting involved in bad activities in the community because of such reasons."

The donation was made possible through the support of donor organizations following a request by the program.

Stone emphasized that investing in education was vital to providing a conducive learning environment for students.

"Papua New Guinea has thousands of scattered communities across the islands and highlands with limited infrastructure," he said.

"Education, including radio, distance, and community-based learning, helps connect people to information, skills, and opportunities they cannot easily access otherwise.

"With a large youth population and a heavy reliance on subsistence agriculture and resource extraction, education helps people move into skilled work, start small businesses, and reduce dependence on a narrow set of industries like mining and logging."

Stone added that The Nest Program, under his leadership, would continue to look at assisting other schools in the National Capital District facing similar shortages.