Singapore American School RMMS Water Project

Yasawa Islands, Fiji

GVI FIJI JUNE 2012

Through an amazing fundraising effort by the students of the Singapore American School led by SAS teacher and ex-volunteer, Susan Carter, over $7000 Fijian Dollars were raised in order to support our efforts to improve the sanitation, water, and overall facilities of Ratu Meli Memorial School in the Northern Yasawas. Susans students created various fundraising initiatives, such as running and reading challenges and recorded their progress on personal blogs. This initiative was tied in with a unit on water issues and water borne disease at SAS School. Students fundraised for and studied various water issues and initiatives around the world. Chris Emerson of SAS school wrote the following in an article discussing this approach to integrating service learning with science, What happens when you take the disease and water issues curriculum out of the classroom and into the world? This is the question we set out to answer when the 6th grade science classes recently tied in their disease unit with the schools increasing emphasis on social service. Sixth grade students raised $16,194 for various charities which fight water borne disease, educated thousands of people, both children and adultsinvented water filters, met with business leaders and saw first hand the impact they can have on a global issue. . Once the funds raised for Ratu Meli Memorial School reached the GVI Charitable Trust, our construction team began work on the assessment of a disused toilet block on the school grounds. At the time there was no running water, working toilets or showers at the school. Once the assessment of the material needs was completed, GVI ordered materials that were deployed by barge to Nacula Village. GVI volunteers and staff then set about installing 8 new toilets and two showers for the students and boarders of RMMS school. The funds also covered a new water holding tank to ensure that water pumped from the nearby well could be held in reserve over the toilet block. The rest of the funds have been earmarked for further repairs to the sinks and cubicle doors as well as for paint and other much needed improvements. Today, the 126 students of RMMS school, teachers, and GVI volunteers now have access to toilet facilities and showers all thanks to the creative fundraising efforts and enthusiasm of the students of SAS school . In response to the project, Head Master, Mr Manoa said This toilet block was constructed in 2009 and the original plumbing worked for one month, as a result the school has been without toilets for 3 years. On behalf of the School, Nacula village, and the Paramount Chief, we would like to thank all the teachers, students, and people who made this possible, we are so pleased, the children are delighted and we are so lucky to be supported in this way. . It has been very impressive to see the way these types of fundraising goals can be interlinked between schools and cultures in a way that not only enables the success of the project but also creates a rewarding and insightful experience for the students who can enable this type of project through their own creativity and motivation. GVI staff are keen to further pursue a Students for Students fundraising plan that would both promote an exciting interaction between schools for the students and also interlink CT fundraising with international activities and further awareness into the water challenges that much of the world faces.GVI Fiji For further information on how to help fundraise for RMMS school please visit www.gvi.org

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