Community aims to raise VT 10 million; over VT 8 million already collected to support three schools

North Ambrym has introduced a free-will donation campaign, with a goal of raising 10 million vatu to support school rebuilding projects after damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Harold in 2020.

One of the badly affected schools is Olal Primary, where kindy students are still learning in a damaged classroom and often get wet during rain.

Area Administrator Jackson Willie told VBTC News that the condition of the Olal kindy classroom is still poor more than five years after the cyclone.
“When I visited Olal, it was raining and the kids were getting wet in class. It’s clear that we need to focus our efforts here so children can learn in a better space,” he said.

The fundraising will also support Tobol Kindy and Ranon Junior Secondary School. The Area Council has already spent VT 700,000 to build new classroom blocks for Tobol Kindy.

“For Ranon School, especially the girl’s dormitory and dining hall, we are still repairing damage from Cyclone Harold. We’ve done some renovation, but the impact is still very big,” Mr. Willie explained.

The government has allocated VT 6 million to North Ambrym Area Council under the development fund, but more help is needed to complete the work.

To speed up the recovery, the Council introduced a free-will donation where households, chiefs, and even ministers contribute.

“So far, we’ve collected over VT 8 million, and already VT 1.2 million has gone to classroom repairs,” said Mr. Willie.

The fundraising drive is ongoing, and the community remains hopeful they will reach the full VT 10 million target soon.

PHOTO CREDITS: Jean-Baptise Jeangene Vilmer