Siota receives new school generator

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

Left, Siota PSS Principal Fr Patterson Tako receiving the school’s new Genset from Officers of the Climate Change Division under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology. PHOTOS BY MANEBONA BARNABAS

SIOTA Provincial Secondary School (PSS) at Central Islands Province (CIP) has received a new 24KVA Genset that can be operated using Diesel and Coconut oil.

Handing over the Genset on Monday was the Climate Change Division under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology.

Following a preliminary Vulnerability and hazard study conducted on the school, the Climate Change division conducted an in-depth coastal vulnerability and risk assessments, and educational awareness and found that the school is at risk of coastal erosion and inundation posing significant threats to the essential infrastructures and facilities.

It was also noted then that the Premier School of CIP was operating without electricity for almost six years. Hence, seeing the plight of these students and the need for electricity, the Climate Change Division under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology decided to handover a Genset to Siota School.

The Genset handed over was initially used by the Division to conduct a biofuel (coconut oil) research under its development project ‘the low carbon emission’.

Upon the completion of the research early this year 2018, the Division decided to handover the Genset to the school to help the students.

The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology hope and believe that the Genset would solve the issue of lighting and other appliance needs and the accessibility to water which has been a major issue in Siota PSS for the last seven years.

To add, the Ministry’s plan in handing over the Genset is to pair it with solar PVs in the near future to have a hybrid system powering the school.

Siota PSS Principal Fr Patterson Tako when receiving the new generator thanked the Climate Change Division, their PS and the staff of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology expressing it as a blessing indeed for the school and CIP to receive such valuable facility out from generosity.

“From seeing and helping the need of the school, we thank the National Government, the Ministry and our Provincial Authority for approving this generator for the school and hope more assistance will come given the location of the school which is prone to coastal erosion and inundation.

“Despite all challenges, the school is slowly moving to recovery in terms of its infrastructure developments, facilities and education standard of teaching, learning and taking on responsibility which is a good sign,” said Fr Tako.

The past generator used before the 24KVA new Genset handed over this week serving Siota PSS was also during the period under the leadership of Fr Patterson Tako. Now this year 2018 coming into leadership again for Siota, a new school generator has again been received over which he said that it is up to the school now to look after the new Genset properly.

A team of electrical engineers are travelling with the school generator on board ship to install it at Siota PSS this week.

Siota PSS is located in North Small-Ngella at the eastern end of Mboli Passage offering Forms 1 (year 7) to 6 (Year 12) levels of secondary education.

It enrols more than two hundred students from different provinces of the country, having 20 teaching and auxiliary staff.

Siota is one of the first missionary schools in Solomon Islands having a very old but rich history.

Discover more from Theislandsun

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading