European Union Pledges Over F$2m

Suva, Fiji
26 January, 2009

For Immediate Release

European Union Pledges Over F$2m
To Support Flood Affected Schools

Suva, Fiji (January 26, 2009) ─ The European Union (EU) today gave over F$2 million in development assistance to the country in support of Fiji’s rehabilitation efforts following the recent floods. The Head of the European Commission (EC) Delegation for the Pacific, Ambassador Wiepke van der Goot, this afternoon presented a cheque for $F2,036,500 to the Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mr. Filipe Jitoko. The development funding will assist 41 schools and over 15,000 primary and secondary school students in the country’s worst affected flood areas. The funds will be channelled to schools via the EU-financed Fiji Education Sector Programme (FESP).

The Ministry of Education, following an extensive 10-day impact assessment of all schools in the flood affected areas, has identified 41 schools in need of immediate support. These schools have suffered extensive damage to buildings, equipment, teaching and learning resources, textbooks and school crops. Funds will be used to rehabilitate the schools and to restore them into working order as soon as possible.

This financial support will be made available to the individual schools with immediate effect in order to ensure a smooth as possible start to the new school year.

Apart from supporting the school rehabilitation and start-up process, the funds will also be used to reduce the financial burden on pupils and their families with the FESP programme taking care of the payment of the student levy that normally is the responsibility of the parents.

ENDS

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