AFTER 28 years, a new day has dawned on Tumurora Primary School in North Guadalcanal yesterday when it took delivery of its first ever proper toilets.
The project was funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KIOCA) through its volunteer program.
“This is a new dawn for the school to have these proper toilets after 28 years,” Head Master Derick Manu said.
He said since the establishment of this school in 1990, our students have no access to such a proper toilet system like what we have now.
“Our students have to run into the grasses like grasshoppers as soon as nature calls,” he joked.
Mr Manu said this is a major challenge but due to lack of finance, they didn’t address it.
“The history of this school changed this year when a volunteer from Korea who was assigned to work as a health worker came here and had a heart to address this,” Mr Manu revealed.
Suji Yoon worked as a health worker with the Guadalcanal provincial health division.
“She came here to do her own assessment and found out that our students needed to have proper toilets and water supply and she decided to make this project,” Mr Manu said.
He said that this is a heart-touching project, which he described as a new dawn for the school and the community.
Meanwhile, Ms Yoon told the Solomon Star in an interview that such facility is very important for school children.
“Health is very important therefore this project will improve sanitation and provide avenue for the students to have access to proper toilets, unlike in the past, where they use the nearby bushes when nature calls,” says Ms Yoon.
She stated they will continue to work together with the school to educate children on how to care and look after the toilet facility.
By LESLEY SANGA
