Serengwandu and Yambi Elementary Schools in the East Sepik Province both opened two new double-classrooms funded by Digicel PNG Foundation.
Jacob Malken, Senior School Inspector and Acting District Education Manager was overjoyed for the infrastructure development in his area stating that it was one of the strongest classrooms he has ever come across.
He said the classroom gives children access to a conducive learning environment and through the transformation, parents would be motivated to push their children to pursue education.
“I really compliment Digicel Foundation for the donation of these two infrastructure for our people. I was very happy when I found out that it was not just classrooms but the project also includes a Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) component and our children really need these,” Mr. Malken said.
Both infrastructure projects consist of a double classroom with office space in between, teacher’s desks and chairs, solar lighting, 80 desks, blackboards, 5000L Water tank and 2 ventilation improved pit (VIP) latrines. The total cost of each project is K165,000.
Digicel Foundation CEO Beatrice Mahuru, said providing young children with access to basic education is one of 5 key focus areas of the Foundation and this done primarily through the provision of new infrastructure.
“In rural setting such as the villages of Sepik, it’s important to include the WASH component in this package especially with the country facing unpredictable weather patterns which affects water supply and general personal hygiene,” Ms. Mahuru said.
The new classrooms also reduce the issue of overcrowding the school is currently facing.
Established in October 2008, Digicel PNG Foundation has directly invested K77 million in PNG’s rural, remote and socially marginalized communities across all 22 provinces directly impacting over 700,000 people.