Bundi has a new school

The National Weekender
EDUCATION
Education Minister Jimmy Uguro being carried by the Bundi people upon his arrival at the remote location.

By JAMES G KILA
REMOTE Bundi Catholic mission station came alive on Thursday, March 10, 2022 with excitement, colour and splendor as soon as the roaring sound of the distant arriving helicopter was audible.
As the flying machine came into view the people began swarming onto the grounds of St Francis of Asisi parish to welcome the guests in true Bundi style.
Dignitaries to the occasion were the local Member for Usino-Bundi district and Education, Jimmy Uguro and the Education Secretary, Dr Uke Kombra. Both had travelled by helicopter to this remote location up in the cool misty mountains that border Madang and Chimbu provinces. to present the registration of a new high school which is the first for this remote community.
Since the Bundi people share the common borders with the Chimbu people the colorful reception they accorded for the local MP and the Education Secretary was out of the ordinary and was by their own standard so amazing.
Minister Uguro was carried by the Bundi community on a makeshift chair all the way from the St Francis of Assisi all the way to the mission hall where the programme would be staged.
Education Secretary, Dr Uke Kombra explained that the new Fr Mike Morrison Memorial High School had followed the due process and requirements to be now recognised as a junior high school, a first remote in Bundi LLG. It was indeed a milestone achievement and a tangible development in terms of developing human resource for this remote people of Madang.
The Bundi people who are predominantly Catholic faithful named the school in recognition of a pioneer Catholic missionary the late Fr Mike Morrison who had served the people of Bundi in the early 1960s and 1970s.
Kombra thanked the Bundi community and the Catholic Archdiocese of Madang for preparing facilities to make it possible for the establishment of new school.
“The actual registration of the new junior high school is a result of your decision; had you not prepared classrooms, teachers’ houses this new junior high school would not have been possible.
“I want to thank you the people of Bundi for taking the ownership for the decision to establish the school,” he said.

Minister Uguro encouraging the pioneer Grade 7 students.

The new school is one of several being established in Bundi district since MP Uguro became the Education Minister. Others include Keinants in Gama LLG, Saussi and Ramu Valley High Schools in Usino LLG. Furthermore, Minister Uguro had paved way for the establishment of the new Usino Technical High School and improving on that the creation of new Max David Agriculture Technical College at Brahman.
Heaps of accolades were poured out at Bundi during the ceremony by community leaders who spoke highly and appreciated the great work done by MP Uguro.
Bundi station ward 15 community leader, Alois Kuane described MP Uguro as a visionary leader who has done a lot of tangible projects which were not seen before in the district. Notable of some of these projects include new roofing iron factory at Usino, rural electrification from Walium to Usino station, a modern sports stadium at Walium, new Usino health centre and a modern districts administration complex at Walium.
Minister Uguro took time to thank the Bundi people for their warm welcome.
During the occasion he also presented a cheque of K20,000 to the construction of a new water supply project for a nearby Bonini community.
Uguro in literally wearing the cap as the Education minister made a commitment of K500,000 for the new Fr. Mike Morrison Memorial High School which he explained would go towards establishing a new double-classroom and a science laboratory.
Later as the MP for Usino-Bundi district, Uguro presented a cheque of K200,000 to the school’s BOM chairman and the principal Clement Mari.
Principal of Fr. Mike Morrison Memorial High School, Clement Mari thanked the Minister Uguro and the Education secretary for taking time off from their very busy schedule to travel all the way to Bundi to deliver the registration of the new high school.
“I am so thankful to the minister and the secretary for coming this far,
“I assure you all that we will make sure that Fr. Mike Morrison Memorial High School become a model school in Usino-Bundi district and Madang province,” Mari said.

  • James Kila is a freelance journalist based in Madang