The countryside upbringing from Vunivau, Labasa, and social activity in that rural setting has allowed Nabasovi District School head teacher Avilash Krishna to come out of his own and drive the school on the island of Koro.

Moreover, Mr Krishna’s 12-year experience of teaching in iTaukei schools has improved his outlook on the village and communal set­ting, giving him a clear vision on how to set his goals to achieve them.

“I knew I had to involve them, the villag­ers, to progress; right from the beginning I sought their help,” Mr Krishna said.

The Vunivau native has been teaching for 18 years and 12 of those were in iTaukei village schools including Nasolo in Bua; Nadogo, Vunivau in Bua; Nadroga and five years in Labasa.

He said the three villages of Nabasovi, Tavua and Navaga send their children to attend the primary school were behind the success of the visit of the 91-member medi­cal team that served in 12 sections of medical treatment for 956 patients from Koro.

“It was the combined effort of the staff, stu­dents and three villages which prepared the school for the visit of the team,” he said.

He said the effort of the three villages was not only confined to the visit but the running and the upkeep of the school.

The $1million refurbishment of the school,after the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016, was com­pleted in October last year. Mr Krishna was then appointed to head the school located on the western side of the island in the Lomaiviti group.

“I immediately sought the help of the school after it was reopened in October and I went to each village and sought their help in keeping the school clean and maintained,” he said.

“If we will look after the premises well now, we will prepare it to last another 20 years.”

The village of Navaga has 51 students, Tavua with 37 students and host Nabasovi provides 31 children for the school.

Majority of the visiting medical team were impressed with the cleanliness and prepar­edness for the visit which allowed them to maximize their time treating the 956 patients from the 14 villages in the island.

Tavua village headman and school treas­urer Nemani Buliruarua said the appoint­ment of Mr Krishna as the Head Teacher of Nabasovi District School made a huge impact in the running of the school.

He said Mr Krishna visited and worked with all three villages to settle their differences and work together for the good of the school and especially the students who would be their future.

“He has pushed for a policy to work with the school committee in approving anything we wanted to do that we agree in making deci­sions together,” Mr Buliruarua said.

He said one big change in the running of the school by Mr Krishna was the Government funding revenue being utilized for all the school expenses and the halting of fundrais­ing by the three villages.

“It is a big relief for the parents and the three villages which used a lot of their time and re­sources raising funds for the school,” he said.

Navaga Village chief, the Takala Navaga Ratu Rusiate Tui said Mr Krishna was im­proving the running of the school and the vil­lagers wanted to help with the preparation of the medical team’s visit.

The head of the Sathya Sai medical team that visited Koro last week, Dr Dinesh Lal was impressed with the spaciousness and preparedness of the school for the doctors and nurses to start their work.

“We are blown away by the school’s prepa­ration for the team,” said Dr Lal, the gas­troenterologist at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland.

“The first impressive campsite that I have seen in visits we have had,” he said.

Dr Lal has been working all the over the country with Sathya Sai medical team visits for over a decade.