Projects
Last week the Bulletin published a brief announcement and photo regarding the Babanga Kindy that our Rotary Club is supporting. Below are excerpts from the welcome speech given to the representative of the rotary Club of Brisbane Planetarium by the Headmistress of the Babanga Island Kindy in the Solomon Islands on 17th july 2004.
A Brief history of this kindy.
This kindy was established by Bishop Chris of the Catholic Parish of Gizo on the 2nd September 2002.
He paid for one teacher $150 a month until 2002. And provided also school materials.
During that same year we also received boxes of kit resources from various Rotary Clubs of Australia. Which really helps us to run the school until mid year of 2003.
2003, the kindy carters for 62 students with four teachers. The school fee of SBD10. per month a child. Also early 2003 we were visited by 2 ladies of Rotaty Club and they also handed out a few school resources to us during that time.
A few months later we received more reading books and some toys etc. Thanks to the Rotary Club for your generous support.
with your kind donation the school survives until now. As the Bishop hands over the responsibility to parents early 2003 to run the school. But with out a cent, the parents are not employed so we can't stand on our own. In 2003 I tried to seek help as we are trying our best to run our kindy without a cent and the children were being taught in this hall.
(leaf roof, no sides, mat floor)
It was not long that Danny/ Kerrie informed me that we have been granted $5,000 Australian for our equipment.
this new classroom is to be the first classroom ever to be built on the island. And the community is very proud, honoured and thankful to you all for your kind donations, school resources etc. Not foretting volunteers like teachers Wendy Shannon and Sandy who were here a few months ago.
During their staying here they really helped us in many ways.
We are very honoured to have the Rotarians of Australia as our friends for life and also our hero, our supporters. It is a privilege for us also to know that somebody out there cared for us and supports us in one any way or the other.
Lastly but not the least, pass our greetings and sincer thanksto your club members and Rotary club members as a whole.
God will always bless Australia.
As the wise saying goes-
"Give the best to the children and they'll be the best and qualified citizens of the nation."