De Boismenu Primary School in Papua New Guinea completes phase 1 of vital school renovations.
De Boismenu Primary School is located in the central province of Bereina, Papua New Guinea (PNG). The school is the only primary school in the area and is home to over 500 students. Most families in this area are very poor and their main source of income is from selling garden produce, fishing, hunting, tapping rubber, or working in a sawmill. There are high rates of illiteracy in the area due to many youths and adults not receiving a full education.
In 2012 the PNG government implemented a Tuition Fee Free Policy (similar to Fiji) where students don’t pay fees and schools can’t charge fees. The standard amount that the government pays each school per student does not allow enough for maintenance or major capital purchase and thus the school struggles to maintain the deteriorating facilities.
In 2015 and with not water capturing capabilities a severe water shortage province wide forced the closure of the school (School Closes Early Due to Dry Weather).
Now thanks to the Marist Mission Centre as well as local supporters, the school has been able to complete the first of 2 phases to refurbish and build the schools infrastructure. Specifically, class rooms have been renovated with new flooring, roofing and walls. Moreover, the water system has been upgraded including changing old pipes, reorganising the pipeline and installing a new 9000 litre water tank. The work was completed largely thanks to volunteers who provided most of the labor.
The second phase will involve the purchasing of a generator (the school is not connected to the electricity), installing lights in classrooms and wiring the school.