Eight primary schools in the Nukuloa Cluster of the Ba Education District recently received a donation of school supplies from Ms. Shukuru Monroe, a Tanzanian national now residing in Otago Peninsula, New Zealand.
Fiji’s Honorary Consul in Dunedin, Mr. Richard Hatherly, represented Ms. Shukuru during the handover of the items to the schools to Permanent Secretary for Civil Service Parmesh Chand in Nukuloa, Ba.
Ms. Shukuru is committed to charitable work, particularly supporting rural children and women. She creates artworks, mainly paintings that depict the challenges faced by rural and impoverished communities. In addition to her artistic pursuits, she dedicates her time to inspiring and assisting children in their learning and development.
During the handover ceremony, Mr. Chand acknowledged the contributions of the officials from Ministry of Education. He also expressed gratitude to Fiji Airways for their generous support in transporting the freight free of charge and facilitating the necessary clearances and storage. “Fiji Airways’ continuous involvement in advancing education in Fiji is highly appreciated,” he said.
Mr. Hatherly explained that Ms. Shukuru initially intended to send the donated items to schools in Tanzania, but high freight costs prompted her to seek alternative recipients. After discussions with Mr. Chand and Ms. Shukuru, they decided to donate the supplies to Fiji.
The 1.3 tonnes of donated items, which include backpacks, water bottles, scarves, ballpoint pens, pencils, and reading and writing books, will be distributed to the eight identified schools in the Nukuloa Cluster under supervision of Senior Education Advisor and his staff.