BY GEORGE MANFORD
AUKI
A 10-year water problem has reached unprecedented critical levels in the Airahu rural vocational training centre in Malaita province.
Staff and students of the Anglican Church-owned school are calling for their authority to step in and address the problem immediately.
According to Airahu RTC School Principal Fr Eddie Ato, the issue of water shortage in the school has been ongoing for 10 years.
“It is a great need for the school and especially for our staffs and students of Airahu.
“At the moment we only survive on water tanks for drinking and cooking but it only lasts a few days.
“And only in use during the rainy season.
“We sometimes are faced with water shortages during dry seasons where we will fetch water outside of the school boundary. It has affected our students and staff where classes will also delayed and sometimes some students were not able to attend classes because of water problem.
“We call on the national government to see this issue and to address it especially for the welfare of our students.”
He said RTCs are one of the avenues that create opportunities especially for school dropouts in the rural communities.
“I believe that our government should consider and address the needs of RTC’s throughout the country for our unemployed youths and school drop outs that have no chance to further their education.”
Airahu RTC is owned by the Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACOM) and is one of the biggest RTCs in Malaita province.
