Pawa given tents to house its students

Thursday, 27 May 2010 11:39


THE National Disaster Management Office Logistics Officer Paul Hauato two weeks ago delivered five large tents donated by UNICEF to Pawa School on Ugi Island in the Makira-Ulawa Province.

Pawa School lost one boys’ dormitory early this year during the 7.1 earthquake that struck between the weather coast of Makira and Renbel Province.

Makira-Ulawa’s Principal Education Officer Henry Rata gratefully accepted the UNICEF donation through NDMO and thanked both organisations for the “big support”.

“This comes at a time when the Education Authority of the Province and the Province as a whole are having difficulties in supporting the students, given the current economic hardships,” Mr Rata said.

“As a result of the damaged dormitory, the school has had to add more boys into already very crowded dormitories.

“Please convey our thanks to UNICEF for the kind donations which will help to lighten the burden not only for Pawa School but also for the Provincial Education Authorities,” Mr Rata said.

NDMO’s Logistics Officer Paul Hauato who travelled with the donations to deliver them to the Makira-Ulawa Education Minister Fred Wasui at Pawa School said the trip was satisfactory.

Mr Hauato also used the occasion to raise awareness about the procedures through which NDMO goes to organise for such support and also raised awareness about earthquakes and tsunamis as well as other hazards that often cause havoc in Solomon Islands.

“I saw the problems the school had after one of its old dormitories collapsed during the earthquake,” Mr Hauato said.

“It was very difficult for the boys who had to be pushed into an already crowded dorm. But I also saw the great relief the staff and students had when we erected the first tent to demonstrate how they should put up the rest,” he said.

Mr Hauato also said the Education Minister Wasui also praised UNICEF and NDMO for their joint effort in ensuring the donations get to Pawa School albeit two months later.

NDMO acting Director Janet Prakash also acknowledged the support of UNICEF as well as the Makira-Ulawa Province’s Education authority, the Provincial executive and the management of the MV Charisma in ensuring the donations got to their rightful destination.

She said the support given is a “short term” fix to the problem.

“The challenge is now for the Ministry of Education and the Makira Provincial authority to make sure that a new dormitory is built as soon as possible so that the students can go back to living in proper accommodation,” Ms Prakash said.

“The lessons learnt from the destroyed Pawa secondary school dormitory is that responsible authorities must make sure school buildings are built to stand the negative impacts of hazards and therefore appropriate standards are applied to important school infrastructure.

“The Ministry of Education, Ministry of works and donors funding school buildings are asked not to compromise students lives and well being with the dollar sign.”

She added such close working relationships always make sure that impacted communities in the country are quickly relieved of their problems.

[source: http://www.solomonstarnews.com/]