TARAMA Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) primary school in East Choiseul Constituency (ECC) will soon have a new permanent two-story classroom building thanks to the government through ECC for funding the project in partnership with Tarama and its surrounding communities.
The new two-story complex will replace the existing rundown building that already decayed/spoiled by termite thus unfit for use.
“This project is funded by government through our constituency office in collaboration with our community support,” head teacher Thomas Kolalu said.
He said education is the key to success and seeing that our constituency under the honest leadership of our Member of Parliament Hon. Manasseh Sogavare continue to render support and invest in such education project is reassuring.
“Development of our human resource is important and making sure our children (student) have a conducive classroom and space to learn is not only important but such help to the school demonstrates government through our MP’s firm commitment towards human resource development in the constituency.
“We have an existing classroom but now unfit for use due to the damage caused by termite and its rundown state. This new complex once completed and usable will be a facelift for the school and the community here as a whole,” he said.
“Often times we thought we were overlooked due to our remoteness, but thanks to government through ECC for helping us out in this new classroom project.”
Government through ECC also funded construction of a new staff house including sanitation and water tank for the school in partnership with Tarama and its surrounding communities in 2019.
Government through the constituency office provided all-necessary hardware materials delivered in mid-2021 at a cost of $17,280.00 and again in 2022 hardware materials at a cost of $120,000.00 while community contribution includes; timber (s), sand, gravel and labour.
ECC is one of the constituencies in the country that is well organize with communities supportive to their Member of Parliament who is also the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Hon. Manasseh Sogavare and the constituency office towards implementation of their community projects.
It’s obvious that infrastructure projects get most of the constituency’s CDF allocation with huge portion of it invested into major community infrastructure projects like construction of new permanent classrooms, school staff houses, clinic staff houses, church buildings, community halls, guest houses, housing projects and other individual project assistance.
Development partnership is evident in ECC. The constituency office work in partnership with communities and individuals to help advance rural development that impacts their livelihoods.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kolalu encourages the government through the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) to continue with the CDF programme as it is the only fund that really touches rural lives and steadily transforming living standard in the rural East Choiseul Constituency. “Also, it is the only fund that touches people of all walks of life and levels in our society.”
According to Mr. Kolalu, the school operated grade 1-6 classes. Total of five staff serve at Tarama primary school with 85 registered students.
Constituency Development Officer (CDO) Collin Bemama Qalokisa said it is the commitment of the constituency office under the leadership of their MP Hon. Manasseh Sogavare to support and fund establishment of community projects that can benefit everyone adding this new classroom complex is a classic example because it will benefit the whole community.
“ECC put more emphasis or support into these communal projects to promote unity and community participation in our communities.
“Education is one of the priority sector’s that we put more support into like construction of new classrooms, staff houses and school fee subsidy to make sure our children continue to access better and quality education,” CDO Qalokisa said.
Mr. Qalokisa, in turn, acknowledged Tarama school board and surrounding communities for their continuous support and firm collaboration with the constituency office towards the implementation of their school/community project, which will contribute significantly to human resource development in the constituency, the province (Choiseul) and the country (Solomon Islands) as a whole.
He said ECC office always believe in partnership and community participation thus will continue to work closely with all communities and schools in the constituency to progress development initiatives that will benefit everyone.
Most of ECC projects were implemented through community partnership or participation where constituency assist with all required hardware materials and the communities implement the projects with support of timber (s), sand, gravel and labour/manpower.
The project is anticipated to complete by next year as hardware materials for construction already delivered onsite with construction work on the foundation started on 31 September 2022.
Construction work currently underway.
