Allardyce Provincial High School Renovation Project

Insert Photo: Annette Ofu (Faith in Service - SI), Daniel (School Principal), and myself.

Allardyce Provincial High School

Isabel Province - Solomon Islands

21st August Update:

Introduction:

The author surveyed the condition of the Allardyce Provincial High School, Isabel Provence, Solomon Islands during a site visit on 13th March - 24th March 2018. (The survey can be seen in the attached page in the menu.)

The intention was to compile a list of the the required materials and equipment and ship them to Allardyce, and arrange for tradesmen (both indigenous and Australians) and to begin renovations during August 2018.

Allardyce History:

Perched on top of beautiful green hills adjacent to the equator, the Allardyce school was built after WW2 as a logging camp. The site was severely damaged by a cyclone in the late 1970s and abandoned by the Malaysian loggers thereafter.

Ownership of the land was transferred from the local indigenous families by the Isabel Provence government during the 80's and the site buildings repaired in 1981. The boarding school opened in 1982.

Today, the years 7-11 school has 298 high school students (141 females and 157 males) and approx 60 primary school students. A large number of students come from Kia, a village 1.5hrs travel by 'banana' boat away, with others coming from the surrounding island regions.

The school is staffed by 17 teachers (only three female) with several ancillary staff, which are employed by the provincial government education department.

A nurse provides limited medical service to students and surrounding population at the school dispensary. The closest medical centre is at Kia staffed by two nurses. The closest hospital is at Honiara (three hours by boat plus 1 hour and 10 minutes by plane - weather permitting).

The site is very isolated and remote, situated on the West Coast of Isabel Provence island (North East of the Solomon Islands' capital Honiara).

The school is not serviced by phone, internet or radio.

Materials and Equipment:

During April, May and June, logistics experts Wayne and Jill Foale (Faith in Service - QLD) gathered a myriad of items including roofing materials, toilets, paint, tiles, tools and equipment, school tables and chairs for the project, and arranged a 40' sea container to take them to Allardyce.

Annette and Lesley Ofu (Faith in Service - SI) and other team members traveled to Brisbane to help pack the sea container.

The sea container arrived by barge near the school on or about 12th July. The items were emptied from the sea container onto a small island (the closest that the barge could get to the school) near the mouth of the river leading to the school. The materials and equipment were then loaded onto Banana boats and conveyed up river to the school jetty. From there they were transported by hand and tractor trailer to the school site.

Second Site Visit:

With the materials and equipment at Allardyce, it was time for the author to return to oversee the renovations. Electricians were visiting the village of Kia to install solar panels on the library there (part of a previous Faith In Service project), and it had been arranged for them to go to Allardyce to hard wire the manual arts building and assess the satellite internet infrastructure which needs replacing.

When I arrived I was amazed at the difference in the school. The local logging company had loaned a bulldozer to widen the roads and to clear locations for new staff housing.

Some local carpenters had been employed to add a classroom onto the red building (see survey), as well as a small 20'x12' building to house agricultural equipment.

A local tiler had also been employed to tile the girls dormitory ablution block.

In the first few days, the staff and students cleared out the bulk of the tools and equipment from an on site sea container and moved them to the manual arts building.

The 6.5kva generator was made operational and all the power tools were checked and cataloged.

Girls Ablution Block:

Since before March, one of the girls ablution blocks had been sealed up as it was considered unusable.

One of the female staff members and some students took it upon themselves to clean the toilets and shower area in the ablution block. Two of the toilets were found to be operational with only one cistern not filling with water. A plumber was employed to repair the pipe to the cistern. Three shower roses were installed in the shower area. It was decided not to use the ablution block until the tiling had been completed.

Tiles were chosen and delivered to the Ablution block ready for the tiler.

Boys Ablution Block

The author visited the boys dormitories and ablution facilities and it was recommended to the school Principal that a new ablution block be constructed (the existing one deemed to be beyond repair. A site visit with the Principal and carpenters determined the size and shape of the building and the required septic system design.

Water Supply:

The water supply to the school originates from a creak that has been dammed approximately 4 km from the school, and is gravity fed down a 50mm PVC pipe to a 18' dia x 1500mm high cement water tank 500 mtrs from the boys dormitory.

From there it is distributed via separate lines of 50mm PVC pipe to the Girl's and Boys ablution blocks and the staff houses.

The system is problematic. The volume of the water from the dam to the water tank is not sufficient to maintain water levels in the water tank, and subsequently the water does not always flow to the students or staff buildings.

During the week the author was in Allardyce, running water was available for only a couple of hours a day, in the girls dorms in the mornings, the staff houses in the afternoons.

An inspection of the site identified a need to defoliate the area around the water tank, and the pipes from the dam to the tank. It is possible that there is either a blockage or a break in the pipe causing the restricted water flows to the tank. There may also need to be a solar pump inserted to increase the water volume.

The author has recommended that the site around the tank and the pipeline to the dam be cleared of all jungle growth and a detailed assessment be made to fix the problem. Likely requirement is to replace the PVC pipe with industrial poly pipe 75mm dia or a second line of 50mm and solar pump fitted.

Drinking Water:

The majority of drinking water comes from the river via the dam and tank. This is not ideal. Many of the staff have requested rain water tanks be installed on the housing and the dormitories for safe drinking water.

A few of the houses have operational rain water tanks but the majority have not. Most of rain water is collected in buckets from gutters on the houses and used for washing and drinking.

A plan needs to be put in place and funding identified to install rain water tanks to remedy this vital health need.

Satellite Internet:

There is a desperate and urgent need to connect the school to the outside world. The school is situated in an isolated and remote region on the North West coast of Isabel Provence. There is no phone, no radio, no internet coverage. For both the safety of the community and the educational needs of the students, satellite internet is a must. It was connected several years ago but has fallen into disrepair.

Repair, Refurbishment and Rebuild:

The survey identified the repairs, refurbishments and rebuilds required for the school to be elevated to a standard necessary for the children to receive an adequate education. This work has begun, but has a long way to go. The school has limited funding and cannot be expected to do the work alone. Funding needs to be obtained for the ongoing capital works, and in addition provide for the educational resources needed by the teaching staff.

Plans are in place to send another sea container to Allardyce in October. There are another 200 tables and chairs waiting to go. Much of the school teacher's requests have not been supplied and further building materials and equipment is required.

Meals:

There is an urgent need to supplement the predominantly rice, tuna, noodles menu with more fruit and vegetables. Training in horticulture is needed with plants and seedlings needed. Chickens and other animals that can supplement the menu should also be examined.

Nigel Irvine

MissionBuild (Australia) Pty Ltd