Stage 2 Completed
20 May 2016
During April and early May 2016, nineteen volunteers from Rotary Clubs all around New Zealand, two from Australia, one from California and dozens of local helpers worked on further buildings at Mbossung Centre School in Ulei village, Ambrym Island, Vanuatu.
The achievements of these workers is impressive:
- Boys' Dormitory – rebuilt.
- Girls' Dormitory – rebuilt.
- Office and Library - rebuilt as the Headmaster's office and adjoining computer room.
- Teachers' Accommodation - rebuilt as a second Boys' Dormitory.
- Headmaster's House - repaired, strengthened and re-clad.
The two original dormitory buildings kept their original concrete walls, but have been re-roofed plus new joinery, windows and doors have been fitted.
The framework of the office/library building was retained, but the building was re-roofed, strengthened and reclad. Computers donated through Rotary Australia have been installed there as well.
For the former Teachers’ Accommodation building, only the original concrete foundation slab was retained, everything else was replaced.
The Headmaster's House had a fairly good roof, but a badly sagging veranda with rotten wood. The ceilings had collapsed in Cyclone Pam, and the walls were in a very poor state as well. The roof was realigned and the ridge was replaced, as were the veranda supports. The whole building was strengthened, and the iron sheets attached more securely. External walls were reclad and new windows and framing fitted. The ceilings were replaced and some rotten pieces of framing replaced as well.
Most existing communal taps in the village were replaced and additional taps were located, connected and made operational.
Equally important as the building work undertaken was the social, educational and cultural interchange which took place between the volunteers and local folk. As work progressed over five weeks the level of local input increased significantly, with new skills learnt on one building applied to the next.
There is still more work that can and hopefully will be done in Ulei. There are additional school buildings which have been assessed but not yet worked on, and various infrastructural improvements have been identified to allow the school’s newly-donated IT equipment to be fully used. Discussions are ongoing regarding sanitation and water supply improvements.
This Give-A-Little page will remain open for late donations towards the material costs incurred so far and to contribute towards future aid work undertaken there.
Thank you for your support.
