Friday April 30, 2010 – Port Moresby: Digicel PNG Foundation continues the rollout of new primary classrooms nationwide. During this week another three new primary double classrooms were officially launched across three provinces in Papua New Guinea. 

The first new steel structure double classroom was officially launched on Thursday, April 29^th, at St Peters Primary School in Murukanam Village in Sumkar District in Madang Province. Hundreds of people, including parents and children, from Murukanam and surrounding villages were present to witness this very special occasion. St Peters Primary School was established more than 15 years ago. Most of the school infrastructure is made out of bush material while some classrooms are semi permanent with iron sheets as roofing. The school has more than 250 children enrolled but with numbers rapidly increasing the school was in desperate need of a new infrastructure. The new double classroom will accommodate the Grade 7 and 8 students.

The second and third new steel structure double classrooms were launched on Friday, April 30^th, at Komoli Primary school, close to Mt. Hagen in the  Southern Highlands and Daumagini Primary School at Kwikila in Rigo District, Central Province. Komoli Primary School was stared by the community in 2006. The community themselves built the four existing bush material classrooms. This is their first permanent double classroom building so the Komoli community had every reason to celebrate with thousands of people witnessing the official launch ceremony. With the opening of the new steel frame double classroom the Komoli community will have access to a higher quality learning environment for their children for the first time. During the launch ceremony, the School Board Chairman, Mr. Joe Korowi, said: “This is our first permanent double classroom and is a very special occassion for us. The community has contributed alot towards the development of this school for their children. We have now been rewarded for our continous efforts. Our children now have a solid roof above their heads to keep them dry, promoting a productive learning environment and a higher quality of education. This is a building that we are proud of and that will be used by many generations to come.” 

Daumagini Primary School was established in 1958 and has seen little infrastructure improvement since then. One of the double classrooms is collapsing due to a landslide making it unsafe for students to use. With the new double classroom the students will be able to benefit from having a safe learning environment. Marina van der Vlies, CEO of the Digicel Foundation, who was witnessing the launch at Daumagini Primary School said: “We are proud to be launching our tenth primary school project here at Daumagini today. The infrastructure of schools around the country needs urgent attention. To be able to give a child a better quality basic education is something very precious that will last for a lifetime”. 

In addition the Digicel Foundation funds a two-day hygiene training programme through partner NGO, ATProjects, for school teachers, students and community members for all their primary school building projects. During the training the participants learn how to construct their own toilets and bucket shower for the female students and learn how to use them in a hygenic way.  

This brings the total to ten school building projects that  the Digicel Foundation has launched to date. This includes six new concept, steel structure, double classroom buildings. The Digicel Foundation plans on continuing the roll out of steel structure double classrooms in areas that are in need of improved school infratsructure.

The Digicel Foundation is working closely with Government, non-government organizations, churches and the private sector to get the Digicel Foundation’s many projects off the ground with the emphasis on the critical areas of Basic Education infrastructure and Family Support related infrastructural projects. To date the Digicel Foundation has funded 40 Community Learning Centres, ten primary school and 18 elementary school infrastructure projects, two Mobile Health Clinics and three Meri Seif Haus projects. The first Family Support Centre was launched last month and a further three Family Support Centres, in partnership with Government run hospitals and co-funded by UNICEF, are under construction. By improving infrastructure in the areas of basic education and family support the Digicel Foundation strives to empower communities which in turn will endow them with a positive outlook for their future.