Six schools benefit from infrastructure aid

SIX schools in the Sinasina-Yongumugl district, Chimbu, received more than half a million kina  in basic education development project (BEDP), an AusAID-sponsored programme.
Each school received K86,000 worth of a double classrooms and a teacher’s house valued at K546,000 for the six primary schools.
BEDP highlands regional project adviser Sam Awaisa confirmed the completion of the projects during a grand opening of all the projects at Ku Primary school last week.
He said they completed 12 buildings at these schools – six double classrooms and six new three-bed roomed teachers houses.
He said apart from the buildings, they also trained head teachers on how to manage school finances and also trained district women facilitators (DWFs), saying they had spent more than K20 million in the programme.
“BEDP is winding up in the country, but the parent sponsor AusAID will remain on to help the people,” Avaisa said.
On hand to receive the new infrastructural items was Chimbu education adviser Essy Walkaima, who thanked AusAID for providing this unique support through BEDP.
Walkaima appealed to the teachers, parents and the students in these schools to look after the new infrastructure as such assistance only came once in a while.
He said they (schools) were very lucky to get the assistance.
Walkaima called on of Sinasina-Yongumugl district administrator James Taia to help speed up the draw down of the rehabilitation education school infrastructure (Resi) fund to help complete infrastructure at the new Ku High School.
Taia vowed to ensure they facilitated the draw down of Resi fund to help uild science laboratory, library and other necessary infrastructure to give now Ku Primary School the high school status.
The grand opening of the buildings at the primary school, Nebare, Koge, Dumun, Konoma and Giu Primary schools were also witnessed by Dara Okuk, a building engineer engaged by the project.
Ku head teacher Joe Kelly thanked the project on behalf of the beneficiary schools saying each schools received K30,000 each for the labour and hire of equipment they provided and K56,000 for building material suppliers.