BY BEN BILUA
IN GIZO
BURI Community High School in Ranongga Island, Western Province is calling on kind hearted individuals or organisations to help address their water supply project.
Principal of the School, Gregory Patovaki made the call when Chief Education Officer of Western Province and Save the Children paid a visit to the school yesterday.
“We managed to build two tanks, one of which has not been functioning due to lack of resource. Currently we use only one tank to supply water to the school. However, water distribution has been quite poor as pressure is too low which is unable to supply water to most of the school’s stand pipes. Stand pipes situated along the valley are able to supply waters for our students and staffs.
“Further assistance would bring effective and sufficient water supply to the school as well as staff houses,” he said.
Patovaki said the school is looking at utilising the other water tank but fell short with funding as school funds along with funds raised by surrounding communities have been exhausted.
“Our need of proper water supply can be addressed only if we have seven poly-pipe roll with 150 metres in length to connect to the other unused tank to our main supply line.
“We believe this is the only hope we are waiting for and we are seeking assistance from our partners to help us with this project,” he said.
Potavaki says that the main supply tank at the school needs further improvement in term of its capacity to serve the school 24/7.
He said the school is rationing its water supply so that enough water is reserved to serve the school on a daily basis.
“We are very caution in terms of using our water. We have decided specific hours student and staffs can access water.
“For example, we switch off our supply line during school hours after students have their wash early in the morning. Later in the afternoon we open the supply line till late,” Potavaki said.
He said the school has already constructed stand pipes within the school boundary along with proper toilets while waiting for the water supply to be fully functional.
Chief Education officer of Western Province, Freedom Tozaka said his office will look at possibilities to assist Buri School with its water supply issue.
He acknowledged Potavaki and Chairperson of the school, Roby Paul for their efforts in trying to improve the school’s water supply.
“Our task at the moment is to seek further assistance. More focus will be on poly-pipe lines and improvement of the school’s reserve tank.
“My office will work closely with the school board and management to make sure the issue of water supply is fixed,” Tozaka said.
