JOIN THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE REACH 4 YOUR FUTURE www.reach4yourfuturefoundation.org "SCHOOLS REBUILDING SCHOOLS IN FIJI" PROGRAM AND HIGH TEA AT THE HOTEL WINDSOR MELBOURNE ON THE 1ST OF MAY FROM 3PM.
YOU CAN BOOK YOUR TABLE OF TEN OR RESERVE A SEAT FOR THE HIGH TEA EVENT TO ASSIST THE CHIDREN OF FIJI - http://charitydos.com.au/do/event/details/13787-cyclone-winston-appeal-schools-rebuilding-schools-in-fiji-high-tea-melbourne
Tickets: $99 per person
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On 20th February, 2016 the most powerful cyclone to make landfall in the Southern Hemisphere, ravaged the Fiji Islands, with wind gusts close to the eye of the cyclone reaching 330km/hr. speed. In its path Cyclone Winston smashed schools, churches, houses, roads, bridges and crops. The death toll quickly climbed to 46 people, with catastrophic effects of the cyclone in the millions of dollars.
To date, from the statistics received from the government agencies, records a total of 265 schools severely damaged, of which 63 has been totally destroyed. Most of the schools will need to be relocated from their current locations and rebuilt. The extent of damage on the ground is extremely hard to comprehend with, nearly 350,000 homes damaged, of which 200,000 homes will need to be reconstructed.
The Australian Defence force’s recovery team currently deployed in the Island of Koro, best describes the Koro Island worse than a “War Zone”. The entire population of 4,500 people in Koro has been displaced, the island resembling a scene of a destructive fire having swept through the Island. Schools in the Island have been totally devastated and currently students are being relocated to other urban schools, which remains operational but overcrowded.
Reach 4 Your Future Foundation (R4YFF), an Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission registered charity is Fiji’s Ministry of Education digital literacy partner, with a focus of advancing Fiji’s education agenda using adaptive technology programs for teaching and learning.
Since the catastrophic events of Cyclone Winston, R4YFF has gathered a team in Melbourne to evaluate how best assistance can be afforded to Fiji to rebuild its schools and education infrastructure.
More than 100,000 children have been left without homes or a school to return to, traumatized by the devastation of Cyclone Winston. The children of Fiji have been one of the worst affected by the cyclone, with numerous schools totally flattened. Most of the affected children are now beginning to return to schools in temporary shelters.
“The Schools rebuilding Schools” Initiative has been set up to utilize a network of Schools and University’s in Australia and possibly link with the Global schools and education network to collaborate and help Fiji rebuild six schools. These schools will be selected strategically after a review process with guidance from Ministry of Education Fiji.
Once the six schools have been selected for our program, our engineering volunteers will design cyclonic proof schools, with a detailed cost analysis to rebuild and resource the schools. The cost of rebuilding each school will be spilt into two tiers, i.e. construction cost (tier one) and resourcing cost (tier two):
Tier One – Construction (Approximate Cost)
1. Construction cost per square metre (sq.m) - approximately $700.00
2. half a sq.m – $350.00
3. one quarter of a sq.m – $175.00
Tier Two - Resourcing
1. Donate a Desk - $35.00
2. Donate a Chair – $20.00
3. Donate a Library Book – $5.00
The concept will bring schools and universities to form a “buddy relationship” with the six schools that we select to rebuild in Fiji. A group of Schools and Universities from Australia will be nominated to “buddy up” with a schools rebuilding project in Fiji, creating a competitive environment amongst schools working within a school project. A reward program incentive will be put together within the schools group network to create competitive and innovative platform to drive the fundraising program.
The project would encourage inclusive participation from, Students, Teachers, Administrators, Parents, and the Entire School community, including the business sectors aligned to the schools.
We are seeking your school’s support and assistance in endorsing this program and bringing your school’s community network to “Schools Rebuilding Schools In Fiji” project.
We have also lobbied for support from Microsoft, Intel and HP to complement this program and I encourage you to engage with other schools to take up a project to rebuild a school, with ecah Australian State allocated a school to rebuild in Fiji.
R4YFF is happy to visit your school to present this program to provide guidance and support for your efforts in raising funds to scaffold our program.
R4YFF looks forward to our Australian schools participation in this program initiative to assist thousands of Fijian Children left without a classroom where they can feel safe and comfortable to excel in their academic journey.
