Copyright thechurchnews
What began as a handful of mothers teaching children beneath palm-leaf roofs in Papua New Guinea’s jungle villages has grown into a nationwide network of more than 100 preschools, all inspired by the words of a prophet of God. A prophet’s voice reaches the jungle In October 2015, then-President Thomas S. Monson invited members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to “shine” wherever they were. “You have come from His presence to live on this earth for a season, to reflect the Savior’s love and teachings, and to bravely let your light shine for all to see,” he said. Over seven thousand miles away, in the small coastal village of Madang, a group of Latter-day Saint women huddled around their community’s only television to watch general conference, reported the Church’s Papua New Guinea Newsroom. Inspired by President Monson’s counsel, they decided to act — to “shine” in their own way by helping children gain an education that many in their rural villages had never known. Among them was Lulu Hota, who helped form the first Mum’s Preschool. With no funding, electricity or modern conveniences, she and her friends built makeshift classrooms from poles, woven leaves and dirt floors. Lessons were written on scraps of paper rescued from village trash bins. Yet faith filled what resources lacked. Humble beginnings, inspired effort Within a few months, the women’s efforts caught the attention of the Church’s Pacific Area Presidency, which provided organizational guidance. Within months, eight Mum’s preschools opened around Madang. Children learned letters, numbers, colors — and how to learn together in kindness and cooperation. Though the founders felt their prayers were already answered, the Lord had more in store. Their small effort to follow prophetic counsel soon became a movement. Ten years later, the initiative has grown to more than 100 Mum’s preschools across Papua New Guinea, serving thousands of children in both rural villages and crowded urban neighborhoods. The schools’ mission is rooted in scripture: “Seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118). Teachers emphasize respect, honesty, fairness and unity. In 2019, the Pacific Area Presidency helped produce a guidebook to help train instructors. “Mum’s Preschool groups are organized and taught by mothers or other family members,” the document reads. “Each family takes turns holding the preschool at their house. Families can provide a preschool for their own children, and do not need to pay for their child to go to an outside preschool. Parents and family are the child’s most important teachers.” Provincial governments, educators and parents have all taken note of the preschools’ success — especially the way their graduates enter public schools already reading, counting and ready to learn. Leading with love and faith In the capital city of Port Moresby, Nina Frank directs 48 Mum’s preschools that serve nearly 1,800 students. “Mum’s schools are good for our country,” she said. “It’s growing, and it will grow faster in the future. Mum’s Preschools are all about God’s children, and I love this work that God has given me. He has given me strength to do the job and to help the children come back to Him. The world is not good right now, and we need our schools to teach and guide our children.” Another teacher, Ranu Hebore, who leads the Mum’s River Preschool in Gerehu, said she has seen the Lord’s hand in her daily work. “I thank Heavenly Father for this opportunity He has given me to run a school. I know that the Lord is on my side. He watches me. He teaches me. It is not easy for me, but I keep going,” she said. A rising generation of learners Today, Mum’s Preschools operate through a national foundation, supported by the Church and in collaboration with AcaPNG. The schools continue to face challenges — limited electricity, scarce supplies and costly government licensing — but faith remains their foundation. The movement that began in one village now spans the nation, creating a rising generation of literate, confident learners whose lives are forever changed by mothers who believed a prophet’s voice. For these women, teaching has blessed them just as much as it’s blessed the children. Hebore said: “Sometimes I struggle, but I know the Lord is with me when I see him blessing the little children. When I was teaching the small children I was learning myself. They were learning from me, and I was learning from them. I learned to read as they learned to read. I know that the Lord knows what I am doing. He is always in our sight.” As President Monson taught: “Our opportunities to shine surround us each day, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. As we follow the example of the Savior, ours will be the opportunity to be a light in the lives of others.”
