Onesua could close for 2 months

Authorities of the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (PCV) expect the Onesua Presbyterian College in North Efate to close for up to two months as a result of the devastation caused to school infrastructure by tropical cyclone Pam last week.

The college suffered damage to 3 boys’ dormitories, 4 classrooms, 1 science laboratory, the main administration block, and 4 staff houses including the Principal’s residence, that have all had their roofs blown off. In addition, the college suffered total damage to garden crops that have been used to supplement students’ meals.

A staff of the PCV main office in Port Vila, Elder Johnny Albert, says the priorities now are to save much of the school resources, including stationery and library books, that have been wet from the rain and the wind of the cyclone, to restore all damaged staff houses and then the students’ dormitories and other facilities.

Elder Albert says that due to the severity of the damage to the school buildings, it is expected Onesua Presbyterian College could close for up to two months and reopen only after all re-roofing of buildings have been completed. He added that any relocation of students to other schools in the meantime would depend entirely on the Ministry of Education.

Members of the PCV Disaster Relief Committee, chaired by Jonathan Tarip have visited and surveyed the damage and have pledged that their priority is for the students to return to school.

“The church Disaster Relief Committee is working with the Government’s National Disaster Management Committee (NDMO) looking at the priority needs of the PCV for Onesua. And it is talking with PCV’s partner churches to see if they can assist, and this will depend on a needs assessment that will be carried out at the school,” Elder Albert said.

In the meantime, the church has expressed its gratitude to members of the nearby communities such as Takara that have taken time to assist the principal, Graham Kalmar, and the staff with work done so far clearing the school off debris from the cyclone.

PCV is also appreciative of those staff members and students who chose to remain at the college during the cyclone, for the cleaning up work done already including the total re-roofing of the Administration Block completed Thursday.

Onesua Presbyterian College accommodates 400 students from Years 9 to 13.