Buakonikai Primary School on Rabi Island now enjoys improved electricity and internet access through a new solar power system and Starlink satellite connection, which Headteacher Katarina Tubekoro believes will create exciting new opportunities for students.
This initiative is made possible by Australia’s Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership, the Fiji Ministry of Education, and Its Time Foundation.
“Our young people deserve to have every opportunity to reach their full potential and I’m excited to see what new opportunities are now available to them as their access to electricity and the internet improves,” Tubekoro said.
A key aspect of the project is the development of a sustainable maintenance regime for the solar energy system, ensuring it remains operational and can be replicated in other schools throughout Fiji.
Australian High Commission’s Counsellor Infrastructure & Climate Resilience Louise Scott said: “The new solar system at Buakonikai Primary School will have a transformational impact on students’ learning outcomes as they now benefit from sustainable, renewable energy that keeps the lights and computers on and the internet connected.”
Its Time Foundation’s Founder Rob Edwards OAM said: “In just six months, we’ve demonstrated what can be achieved by enabling children and young people in remote communities to access the benefits of a modern education that increasingly rely on computers and other electronic resources. We’re excited to build on our record of installing 30 remote school solar systems in Fiji, and to develop a sustainable maintenance and funding model that will keep the lights on, now and into the future.”
The PCIFP is an AUD350 million Australian Government initiative, aimed at enhancing climate infrastructure in the Pacific and Timor-Leste.
