A small stationary firm has sponsored awards for schools in Madang Province for almost six years now and pledge to continue in the coming years. Zunizephs Office and IT Supplies owner and director Kiring Zephaniah said this year, his firm sponsored academic awards worth K35,000 for 11 schools in the province. Mr Zephaniah said these schools include two tertiary institutions which is Madang Teachers College and Madang Technical College, two secondary schools of Good Shepard Lutheran Secondary and Tusbab Secondary, two high schools which are Dangsai and Bugati and three primary schools which are Uletapun, Tabele and Nimsi. He said this is not the first time for his firm to sponsor academic awards and Zunizephs Office and IT Supplies has been doing it since 2018 for schools that do business with them. “My small to medium entrepreneur provides services of stationeries supply, IT gadgets, uniforms, secretary services, tailoring and other school needs to help our schools maintain the teaching and learning of our children.” “For the past seven years in Madang Province, I have seen the need and struggle our schools encountered daily to ensure teaching and learning of our students are not disrupted and affected due to unavailability of teaching and learning materials.” Mr Zephaniah said government tuition fee subsidy (GTFS) funding to schools remains an issue every academic year and many schools faced financial difficulty to maintain school operations including teaching and learning so his firm establishment was to address this need. Thus, he said his firm focused on delivering school supplies to schools apart from other little income opportunities tapped into so most of his client are schools. “We have an understanding with schools that order school supplies from us and once they make their payment and submit orders, we procure materials listed, make payment and deliver their materials at their schools.” “When they don’t have money, we use our own money to buy materials according to their order and deliver it to them to use and once they received their GTFS, they settle their debts.” Mr Zephaniah said schools in Madang owed him more than K500,000 but this did not stop him from helping schools in need when they approach him for either financial assistance or school supplies. He said he has assisted more than 15 schools so far and many still have debts, but he understands that schools rely heavily on government funding for its operation, and they don’t give additional charges to schools for the prolonged delay in settling their debts.,   “I have the heart to help our schools in need because it is through education that grooms the future human resource of this country. “Also, my firm motto states that learn to help others and with this main purpose, we give to change the mindset of our students so they can value their education and change their attitude in their community.”