Waterhouse Memorial Primary School at the Gelegele resettlement in the Rabaul district, East New Britain Province, commissioned its 6-in-1 classroom last Friday.
The commissioning was witnessed by East New Britain Governor Michael Marum, Kokopo MP Ereman Tobaning Jr, ENB acting provincial administrator Levi Mano and members of the provincial education division.
More than K420,000 was spent on the 6-in-1 classroom’s building, which took four years to complete.
Waterhouse Primary School head teacher Mesulam Gamaliel said the project was a school self-reliant project that involved local expertise and efforts for its successful completion.
We spent a lot of money on the project. The money that we’ve spent belongs to the people and the government.
Mr Gamaliel
According to the head teacher, the 6-in-1 classroom was designed by a local architecture from the community and built by local tradesmen.
It started in 2018 where the school raised K15,000 during an Independence Day fundraising drive.
The school engaged local youths organized by a contractor to commenced building bricks for the classroom the following year.
The first step is always the hardest, but we had to start somewhere, and today we are opening a new classroom.
Gamaliel
Mr Gamaliel has spent 11 years as the school head of both the high school and the primary school.
In his stint, he has spearheaded successful school projects as the Waterhouse High School hall and the 6-in-1 building at the primary school. Meantime, the Kokopo MP Ereman Tobaining Jr committed K50,000 to the school.
Mr Tobaining said the Waterhouse Primary School also provides the basic education service for the people of Kokopo.
The Gelegele resettlement area is in the Kokopo district vicinity so we had to work together to provide basic services also.
Ereman Tobaining Jnr, Kokopo MP
He said the Kokopo district authority will collaborate with the Rabaul district and provincial government to build infrastructures in the area.