Vunikavikaloa Arya School is located on the main island of Viti Levu in Nalawa, Ra province, in the Western Division. The school is 30 kilometres from the nearest town of Rakiraki and approximately 100 kilometres from Suva.
Most of the students are from Banisoqosoqo and Vunikavikaloa settlement.
Tropical Cyclone Winston destroyed the school’s roof and four teachers’ quarters, forcing the students to attend classes in tents for a year.
Through the Government of Fiji’s “Adopt a School” program the New Zealand Red Cross with Fiji Red Cross worked together to rebuild the severely damaged school. The school has a total of 230 students from Year 1 to Year 8 and eight teachers. The rebuilding of eight classrooms and 4 teachers’ quarters commenced in early January, 2017 and will be ready at the end of this month.
Project co-ordinator from New Zealand Red Cross Holly Griffin said the community engagement and support was really incredible.
“The rebuilding process engaged the whole community with parents helping whenever they are free. Since the initial stage until the completion of the construction 15 community volunteers from the Fiji Red Cross- (Nalawa Branch) and the Fiji Red Cross-(Suva Branch) volunteers have worked in conjunction with qualified carpenters from the local governments Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport” said Ms Griffin
Ms Griffin said the team from New Zealand were using some new technology, using a framcad to make the steel frames for the roof.
“The steel framing for all structures was created and installed using new lightweight, robust and very resilient ‘Framcad’ technology imported from New Zealand,” she added.
She said the Safe School Project aimed to support the physical and psychosocial recovery of the Vunikavikaloa Arya School.
“The Fiji Red Cross Society has conducted the following training in these communities: pre-cyclone briefing, integrated vulnerability capacity assessment and first aid training,” she said.
