Students from Namataku District School in Keiyasi, Navosa were all smiles when they received free bags, stationeries and sandals from the Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Mahendra Reddy.

Mr Reddy was at the school last Friday with the Rock Church of Fiji who had been kind enough to supply bags, shoes and stationery to students in Fiji.

A total of 278 students at the school received their bags, stationery and sandals from the Mr Reddy and Pastor John Blanchard of the Rock Church of Fiji.

In total, 3000 students in the interior of the western and central divisions will receive these items from the Ministry of Education and the Rock Church.

“We are here to assist you and provide you with these basic school items to encourage you to pursue your dreams in school.

“We understand that you live in remote areas where these basic items are not easily accessed and we are reaching out to you today because we care and we want you to excel in school and secure a better future for yourself, your family and your community,” Mr Reddy said.

“Today a vision seen by some people outside Fiji is materialising as evident in the donation made to your school today in the form of bags, shoes and stationery.

“For those of us who live in urban areas and have access to basic amenities, we take these items for granted but for those in the remote and rural areas, it sure does make a big impact.

“We specifically chose these rural and remote schools because we want to equip you and provide better resources so you can be encouraged to work hard in school and be successful in life.

“In a recent survey, we noted that an average of five per cent of students are absent from school in a particular day. The Government has been trying its best by implementing new initiatives in the education sector recently to remove all barriers to education and ensure that all children attend school every day.”

Year One student, Pate Nagata said he was thankful to the Minister and the Rock Church of Fiji for donating books, bags and stationery. He said these items has really boosted their morale and would encourage them to work hard in school.

Pastor John stated they were excited to be part of the delegation today. He added that it was indeed a wonderful experience for them to be a blessing to the students and to the community of Keiyasi.

“We are thankful to the Government of the day for partnering with us in this initiative. We thank the Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts for being such a great leader and for touching the lives of young people,” said Pastor John Blanchard.