Malake Island Primary School

My friends and family, I want to ask for your help..

Living in Fiji you can see everyday the damage and destruction that still exists months after Tropical Cyclone Winston. A lot of villages are still without power and water and 220 schools are in dire need of reconstruction.

I had the honour of visiting a friend's village on Malake Island a couple of days ago. This friend has had to move her whole family to the main island so they can live under a roof and so her daughter and nephew can continue going to school. Many families are in a similar boat, sending children to stay with extended family for school while they stay on the Island to rebuild.

I asked to see the school, and that is what I wanted to share with you today.


Originally 10 buildings catering to nearly 150 primary school aged children, the Malake School now holds classes in one building (it just received a new donated roof), Unicef tents and the unsafe church building.

(the single refurbished classroom building, two UNICEF tents and building ruins on the hill behind)

I asked the headmaster what their immediate needs were, if he had money tomorrow what he would do. This is what he said:

"The day before the cyclone we received a donation of laptops for our library, they were all destroyed. Our school ran completely off solar power, the panels were destroyed. Our library had around 2000 books in it, now look at them scattered across the island hills, they were all damaged. We now only have textbooks provided to us by the government and a donated generator...
But the problem right now is that we have no printer and no computer. We had to set exams last week and our staff had to get the boat to the main island and then the bus to town and they then had to pay to write and print test papers in an internet Cafe. If I had money tomorrow I would go to the city to buy a printer, and any laptop will do..."

(The damaged solar panels and the water-damaged books are everywhere)

The big problem here is not the inconvenience of travelling for a day to print, but the costs involved. People earn $3 per hour here, if they are lucky. Transport to and from the town (boat and bus) would cost a full days pay, and thats not including the internet Cafe charges.

The reality is that for this school the government has stated that immediate rebuilding relief required is above $60,000 and long term relief is closer to one million! And yet classes will continue because of the community's perseverance and resilience, in despite of their needs.

I would love to be able to call up Pasikali, the Malake Primary School headmaster, and say "I'll meet you in lautoka, I have found money for your printer!"

(This is Pasikali the Headmaster, showing a couple of the destroyed classrooms)

(They have already gone through two large UNICEF tents, the weather on this island is too strong for even the aid tents)

(Thankfully the schools water source has not been damaged and they have just received a donated generator for power)

I do not want to put a limit on how  much money we should raise. Let's start with enough for a printer, then a computer, then some solar panels and then maybe even a library.

Do you think you can help my neighbours on Malake Island? 

Vinaka