Saia Community School Project

Dear friends and supporters,

My name is Annie Kwai and I’m running this fundraiser to contribute towards the Saia Community School Project.

The community of Saia is a remote rural cluster of hamlets in the east Kwara’ae region of Malaita Province in Solomon Islands. The community needs a building to house its elementary classrooms (Kindergarten through Grade 2). Saia community has a growing population of children between the ages of 1 and 10 years old (I’ve counted at least 60 children in this age group alone). The nearest school for these small children is Namoia Primary School, and it is at least 2 hours by foot at an average adult pace. Because of the distance, many kids do not go to school. If they do, they start school at an older age when they can make the journey to and from school on foot, alone or with their peers.

These kids are my cousins, nieces, and nephews. Saia is where my grandmother lives, where my mother is from and where I spent many years as a child with my maternal grandparents. I have recently been making the journey back to the village to spend time with my elderly grandmother and our families. In September last year, I learned of the ambition of the parents of the Saia community to construct a building that can be divided into four classrooms for kindergarten to 2nd grade. The idea is that by 3rd grade the kids are old enough to make the 2 hours journey to Namoia Primary School on foot.

This fundraiser is to contribute towards the construction of the school building and to bring education to the children of Saia community. It is an appeal to supporters who value education and would like to see the smaller children of Saia community have access to basic schooling. We appreciate your kind support and will keep you informed on the progress of the project.

Tagio liu huan ahia lan ngeal kail ki (thank you so much for helping our children).