At the end of the Henderson Airport, East Honiara nestled in the middle of a village surrounded by trees, is a school from ECE (Early Childhood Education) to Grade 8.
Brilliant Star started with 17 children seven years ago and the creators of the school, Michael Oritaimae and his wife, Agatha, have grown it to over 190 children.
The amazing thing is that the school went from one small classroom to now eight separate buildings with two toilet blocks and no help was given by MEHRD (Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development).
Now, the school is looking for a permanent site close by. The children have no close school to go to that their parents can afford, so this school is fulfilling the needs of the local communities.
The curriculum each day starts with prayers and a lesson on a virtue that the children will practice throughout the day. The materials they use in their classrooms have been donated by friends from Australia, New Zealand and America.
The teachers are dedicated and spend early morning in special studies regarding child development. These teachers are truly inspired to teach children because they do not get paid—-parents bring crops from their gardens as a payment for the teachers.
The school has been waiting to register with MEHRD for quite some time. There are four other schools (two on Guadalcanal and two in Malaita) that want to be a part of Brilliant Star Grassroots Education Association.
A spokesperson for MEHRD says the Ministry wants to assist the school because it is the educational fulfillment for so many children. The Oritaimaes are the parents of three biological children and have adopted six more.
This is a couple who are truly serving the children of the Solomon Islands.
