Japanese cash brings relief to school in Lautoka

‘The completion of our two new classrooms will enable us to accommodate all our students’

Lautoka Delana Primary School students now have proper classroom facilities, thanks to a timely boost yesterday of $165,890 from the Japanese government.

School head teacher Joeli Derenalagi said that the assistance would meet the needs of the school.

The cash donation helped the school build two new classrooms to accommodate the higher number of students at the school.

Because of the lack of space the school had to convert its library into a classroom to accommodate the year seven students.

The assistance has helped the school revert the library to its real purpose.

Mr Derenalagi said for 2018, the school has enrolled 430 students and had declined students from enrolment due to limited classroom space. “We thank the Government of Japan for the great assistance,” Mr Derenalagi said. “The completion of our two new classrooms will enable us to accommodate all our students.”

Another recipient of the Japanese aid was Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation which recently received $103,221.

Operation manager Ravikash Reddy said this was not the first time Japan had assisted the foundation. Mr Reddy said the assistance would be used for the construction and improvement of water supply to Vuiyakana village and Kavika settlement in the Macuata Province. “We appreciate and are happy for the assistance.”

“Kavika settlement currently does not have a proper water system and its 76 residents rely on a shallow well to meet their daily water needs,” Mr Reddy said. “Through the implementation of this project these communities would benefit by having access to clean and consistent water supply,” he said.

Japanese Ambassador, Masahiro Omura will sign the two grant contracts with the respective recipients today to formalise Japan’s assistance at a signing ceremony at the embassy in Suva.