The GVI Trust, a global non-profit organisation, have been working in partnership with Navunisea District School (NDS) and Dawasamu District School (DDS) since 2013 providing literacy support, creative development and classroom assistance for all students.

One year ago, in February 2016, Dawasamu District, Fiji, where both schools are situated was hit by a Category 5 Tropical Cyclone (Cyclone Winston).  Unfortunately, NDS and DDS both sustained significant damage to infrastructure with teachers’ houses, classrooms and NDS’s library being most affected.  Resources were lost or badly damaged including teaching aids, classroom furniture as well as all reading and text books.  Following the cyclone local
organisations have helped the staff and children at both schools get back on
their feet by donating desks, chairs, stationary and teaching tents to be used
in place of the classrooms that were extensively damaged. 

Twelve months later, renovations are ongoing at both schools however the challenge is now replacing the books and learning tools that NDS, DDS and GVI had accumulated over the past years.  Due to limited annual budgets it would take decades for the schools to purchase the quantity of books that were lost during the cyclone.  GVI’s mandate to promote literacy and a love of learning is centred on children having access to a range of quality literature and it is our aim to assist the schools in replacing these vital resources.

GVI would like to take this opportunity to reach out to schools, organisations and individuals to help support our aim of resupplying NDS and DDS with a variety of books.  GVI’s programme is geared towards supplementing the students’ literacy lessons with tailored comprehension classes based around a shared story.  The books donated would be integral to these lessons and would also benefit the class teachers, as they sorely miss giving their pupils the opportunity to visit the library and enjoy books.

Renovations and repairs at both schools are now underway, and GVI’s Charitable Trust has been able to fund the building of a new library at NDS with money that volunteers donated immediately after the cyclone.  This should be completed shortly, enabling the school to safely and securely store any new books and resources.  This is where we need your help. 

We're hoping to receive as many books as possible for the students of NDS and DDS.  /wa//watch?

Thank you for your support.

The staff and volunteers, GVI Dawasamu, Fiji.