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Location: Yanuya Island, Fiji.
Google Maps search: Yanuya Island (the school is the red roofed buildings)
Seven teachers provide classes for 141 students from Year 1 to 8. The school draws students from the village and nearby islands. 25 students board at the school’s two dormitories during the week. Seven teachers quarters are located in the school compound.
The school generator delivers a couple of hours power during the day on a needs basis — like most schools that means turning the generator for carefully monitored period so as to keep cost to a minimum. The generator run for an average of four hours each evening to supply power to the teachers quarters and boarding houses. Otherwise the teachers and boarders use kerosene lamps for lighting.
There were all sorts of ways we raised money for projects, usually a major event or a sponsor is the primary contributor. Not in this case and it is very special because the contributions are so diverse. They include donation boxes at Denarau Marina Fiji, Lulus Cafe Fiji, Eastie Beach Cafe Corrimal and Budget Pharmacy Fiji, the crazy principal at Mt Austin school who raffles herself each month to cover another teacher’s class, Tokoriki Resort guests, the group of people making regular donations, Michael’s winnings from a poker game, the walk-a-thon mob, TGA happy hour, Claremont College kids, Greens Rugby Club grand final bash, instead of flowers at Marie’s funeral and all the others who have contributed — you know who you are.
A special thank you to Tokoriki Island Resort (http://www.tokoriki.com/). On the day of opening this project, the owner of Tokoriki pledged to add dollar for dollar to the school’s fuel savings
System components: 4600W solar panel array, SB5000 and SI6.0H SMA Inverters, 4 x SB1800 600Ah PowerStack battery banks, Clenergy Solar Terrace II ground mountings, VIRIBRIGHT LEDs.
Installation took place July 2014.