Hiri Primary receives K2.8m help from Aust

 Post Courier

Excited Hiri primary school students listen attentively to visitors that went to make the Aus Aid donation at their school on Tuesday in the Hela province.

BY ANDREW ALPHONSE

THE remote Hiri Primary School in Komo Margarima district of Hela Province this week received a timely donation from Australia.

The donation came in the form of a new permanent double classroom building with an in-built staff room, children’s desks, blackboards, a fully furnished teacher’s house with furniture and water sanitation system, four Bushman water tanks and a K30,000 cash for the maintenance of existing infrastructures in the school.

Locals estimated the total package of the donation to be over K2.8 million.

The donation was organised by the Hela education authority through Ms Joanne Puname, director of education services in Hela.

During the presentation at the Hiri school grounds on Tuesday this week, Ms Puname and Australian aid representatives urged the staff, students and the people at Hiri and the surrounding villages in the Lower Wage LLG to take great care of the facilities purchased for their benefit by Australian tax- payers.

Lower Wage LLG president Guluwa Wakinda thanked Ms Puname and Australia for the enormous support the school has received adding that the donation would go in a long way to improve the facilities of the school and contribute to improved academic output by the students.

Mr Wakinda said Hiri Primary School is located strategically at the border of Southern Highlands and Hela provinces.

He said as Hiri is the “gateway” to Hela, the community would strive to make Hiri one of the best schools in the province.

Mr Wakinda said as far as they are concerned, Australia is probably the first ever international donor to come to the aide of their school.

Mr Wakinda said the Hiri and Lower Wage community embrace this kind gesture and would do their utmost best to look after the donation so that the future generations can also benefit.

Mr Wakinda’s son Daniel, who represented the local community, said the school was established in 1973 but growth has being stagnant as the powers that be over the years continued to turn a blind eye to the school’s establishment thus denying its prosperity.

He said the level four school with over 500 student population and 12 staff has solely operated on parents’ and government support.