ReliefWeb

26th November 2020 Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, His Excellency Adrian Morrison was the Guest of Honour at the commissioning of the new Industrial Arts (IA) Building for Beulah Adventist College today.

The new school building replaces the IA building, which was damaged by Tropical Cyclone Gita in 2018. There are three classrooms and a store room, at a value of TOP$627,467.37

This construction is under the Pacific Resilience Program (PREP) project led by the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) and co-funded by the World Bank and the Australian Government.

It aims to contribute to the resilient and sustainable economic and social development of Tonga through strengthening: early warning; resilient investment; and financial protection.

The PREP project includes the retrofitting/repairing and reconstructing of school buildings which were damaged by Tropical Cyclone Gita that hit Tonga and ‘Eua in February 2018. There are 25 schools in the project, building 33 new buildings and repairing 10. It is a total of more than 110 classrooms in Tongatapu, ‘Eua and Vava’u and cost approximately TOP$28 million.

The Principal, Mrs Lolinitā Manuofetoa warmly welcomed the guests and conveyed her gratitute for their presence and said, “I am humbled to see before us the result of the financial support of the government and donor partners.”

The SDA Mission President, Saia Vaea stated that, “After Gita, our IA building was in a rubble, we were in the dark feeling cold. Our journey was not pleasant. Today marks the completion of our new IA building, what seemed to be a mountain, is today being levelled. It is not by might, not by power but by the spirit of the Almighty. We cannot thank God enough for this help through the World Bank, Government of Australia and the Government of Tonga.”

Mr. Paula Ma’u, the CEO for MEIDECC reported that, “PREP is a Pacific regional program, which aims at strengthening early warning and preparedness; resilient investments or build back better; and financial protection against disasters.” He described that, “This construction includes; a new building with 3 classrooms, which can accommodate 75 – 90 students. Two classrooms are separated by a sliding wall, which can be drawn to form one big classroom.”

Dr. Tangikina Moimoi Steen, the CEO for the Ministry of Education, shed light on the importance of IA by saying, “As an important component of TVET, the (IA) covers a wide range of skills and thereby provide instrument for continuing change and for capacity building of individual student. This IA building will certainly see current and future students of Beulah College trying out many innovative designs to develop their skills in the ever-growing range of arts in the discipline of IA. Creating, inventing and constructing; they are all crucial skills of IA and these skills will no doubt contribute to an economically sustainable lifestyle for the IA students here in Tonga as well as abroad.

The Guest of Honour, His Excellency Adrian Morrison acknowledged the collaborative efforts by saying, “May I acknowledge the role of Natalia Palu Latu and her team at the World Bank for getting us to this day. May I also congratulate all those who involve in building the new classrooms, the builder, Puloka Constructions and Cardno, the Managing Contractors and of course the hardwork of the Project Management Unit based at MEIDECC and the staff of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Finance and National Planning and other government Ministries.”

The Vote of Thanks was delivered by the SDA Education Director, Mr. Fatongia Hopoate: “We have witnessed the answer to so many prayers we uplifted since Cyclone Gita. We had to postpone our TVET this academic year because we do not have the facility, but today, your Excellency and the representative from the World Bank, Beulah College is over the moon.”

A representative from Cardno,Mr. Paula Kava; Mr. Matani Puloka from the Puloka Construction Limited; Deputy CEO Ministry of Education, Mr. Ponepate Taunisila and representatives; Project Management Unit representatives; members of the clergy; SDA members; teachers and parents were also present to celebrate this milestone.

Cardno, the Managing Contractor, designed and supervised the construction. The builder was the Puloka Construction Limited.

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For further information contact:
‘Elina Kaufusi Bloomfield, t: (676) 23-160, e: elinakb1466@yahoo.com.au
PREP Project Management Unit (PMU)
Level 4, OG Sanft Building, MEIDECC