Educational Capacity Building in Fiji

Dear Supporter,

Thanks to the overwhelming support this project has received, last year we decided to test a pilot education project in a new school. After the success of the 2013 pilot project, GVI was invited by the school management of Dawasamu Secondary School to begin a full time education project there. The pilot project gave an idea of the needs of the school and the ways in which GVI could assist, but the implementation of the project full time would create several issues that would need to be dealt with to get the project up and running effectively. These were:

• Quickly developing a strong working relationship with the teachers and management
• Efficiently assessing which students needed one-on-one support and setting up a program with achievable goals
• Find ways to enrich the education experiences of the students

With these three core objectives; GVI felt that it could successfully begin a long term project at the school.

Volunteers and staff have gone to considerable lengths to engage with the teachers and committee members to make them aware of what GVI is doing at the school. This has been achieved through informal conversations between staff and volunteers (including GVI having lunch with the teachers on a daily basis) and more formally through update letters written by project staff and given to the principal and school manager.

To get the one on one program up and running, students suspected of needing extra help were given a test based on the required numeracy and literacy abilities of students as they leave primary school. Those that were not able to complete the tests or required additional helpful were shortlisted as needing one on one assistance. Then, in collaboration with the teachers, space was found in the timetable to give them one-on-one support.

Finally, to enrich the educational experience of the students, GVI set about designing posters for their classrooms on a variety of topics, repainting all the school blackboards and delivering engaging art lessons that included topics such as the water cycle, rainwater harvesting and health awareness.

As the school enters the ninth week of the school term, GVI goals for the year are on course to be met. GVI has:

• initiated a one-on-one program
• built a relationship with the school management and teachers
• given lessons on health issues and climate change
• initiated the construction of a second rain water tank

From this short time at school GVI have also created new objectives such as building vegetable gardens for each form and repainting the school library. The first few months of the program have helped to define GVI’s role at the school and set the ground work for a program that will greatly impact upon the lives of children from the Dawasamu district.

This has only been possible with your support. Thank you and we look forward to talking more about Dawasamu in the future!

All the best

GVI Fiji

Links:

• http://www.gvi.org

Dear Supporter, 

Navunisea School is a rural primary school located in the Dawasamu District on the eastern coast of Viti Levu. At the end of the school day the children sweep out the classrooms and the mixed rubbish is either burned or buried in the school compound. 

 The current waste management system was not sustainable and burning rubbish caused the emission of black smoke and the release of harmful toxins on the school grounds. However, the school does compost its organic kitchen waste or feed it to the pigs. This has been encouraged and Navunisea School staff agreed to aim for all organic waste will be disposed of in this way.

The GVI team wanted to build on the previous success it had with the primary school children’s sustainability lessons, presentations and the village clean up. We wanted a long term and sustainable waste management system, which could be managed by the school.

Teachers were introduced to the Clean School Programme during a professional development session led by the GVI Primary Education Project Leader, who discussed the opportunity to start a sustainable waste management programme in school. Staff were keen to establish the Clean School Programme, considered goals for the school to achieve and ways to monitor and sustain the new system in the long term.

To support the delivery of environmental education in school, GVI scholar Jenna delivered a two-part training session to volunteers. Firstly she introduced the volunteers to the Clean School Programme, its aims and outcomes. Then she demonstrated examples of lesson plans for music, art as well as agriculture and diversity lessons, which could be adapted across the school. 

Our aim is establish the Clean School Programme for the long term and work towards a zero burning policy. Thus ensuring Navunisea School is a healthy and beautiful environment for the children of Silana to learn in.” – Eleanor Hanson, GVI Education Project Leader.

Thank you for supporting the children in our communities.

All the best

GVI Fiji