Two members of the Parkes Fijians Association, Suliana and Ilaitia Naqau, visited Fiji on 5th April for a funeral and also had a meeting with the Nasautoka District School staff. Plans are to repair the main school block and get the students back to familiar surroundings as at the moment when the rain falls, students must move desks to find a dry place as the building leaks. A composite class is currently using a temporary tent donated by UNICEF.
The school carpenter presented a list a materials needed on the 12th April which were sourced from hardware suppliers. These materials were funded by the donations raised in Parkes. The Parkes Rotary Club also donated 10 laptops which will be installed once the IT room is rebuilt. It has been seven weeks since the cyclone hit Fiji and so far no government assistance has been received. The school staff are so grateful to the people of Parkes. Parkes Christian School previously visited on a mission trip in 2015 so the staff are aware of where the assistance is coming from.
Most of the school building and staff quarters were partly destroyed with three of the school buildings beyond repair. The funds raised in Parkes are being used to rebuild the main school block which once repaired will free up the church and tent that are currently being used as makeshift classrooms.
The Parkes Fijians Association would like to express their sincere thanks to all that have contributed to this worthy cause. “My church pastor always mentioned, ‘we cannot assist the whole of Fiji but we can change someone’s life’ by getting their school building back in operation” said Ilaitia; “We still have used clothes that have been donated to us to send to the village. We will do this in the near future.” If you would like to donate to Nasautoka village please drop off your donations at 176-180 Back Trundle Road or by calling Ilaitia on 0452 125395.