Schools allocated funds to resume classes in Gumine

By ENNIO KUBLE
STUDENTS from three secondary schools along with a junior high school in Gumine, Chimbu, will resume classes for the second term after the development authority (DDA) allocated K100,000 to the schools to buy relief supplies such as food and fuel to continue the academic year.
Gumine chief executive officer and administrator Diang Kil told the school administration to collect their supplies at Kundiawa’s main shops.
Kil said the schools and students were affected following landslides and flash floods cutting off the main road to the schools.
The schools included Boromil Technical Secondary School in the Kumai-Bomai local level government (LLG) area, Mary
Immaculate Girls Technical Secondary, Gumine Secondary School in the Gumine LLG area, and Digine Junior High School in the Digine LLG.
“The road being the only link to schools in the district were greatly affected by landslips blocking off for almost two months,” Kil said.
He said under the leadership of Gumine MP and Education Minister Lucas Dekena, the development authority took the initiative to provide relief assistance to government institutions in the district.
“We have already assisted our health facilities by airlifting medical supplies a month ago when the road was still blocked, and now we are providing food rations and fuel to our four big schools,” he said.
Kil said the district was in its recovery and restoration period, and the DDA would continue to assist them during this term of schooling.
Meanwhile, the first relief supplies were provided to schools and health facilities in Chimbu by the provincial government and airlifted to the respective sites through a joint operation from the PNG and Australia Defence Corporation.
Gumine education adviser Paias Moaina thanked the DDA for its foresight in restorative approach to the disaster.
Moaina said the district bought a couple of earthmoving machines and equipment that would be deployed to the affected sections of the road.