Telecom Contributes $200,000 to Rebuild Schools
Telecom Fiji has contributed $200,000 to aid the Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts in the rebuilding of schools in the Northern Division that were damaged during the recent cyclones.
To further assist impacted students in the region, Telecom is also giving free internet for one year to 20 severely affected schools in the Northern Division.
“Over the past few months, the devastating power of the cyclones that have hit our beautiful country are frightening examples of the impact of climate change and the disproportionately unfair effects on island nations such as ours that are the least responsible for it,” said Minister for Education, Honourable Rosy Akbar.
“It reminds us that our fight against climate change is ongoing and reinforces the importance of this fight which our Prime Minister is leading on the global stage.”
“At times like these, it is important to show solidarity and compassion for our fellow Fijians and lift each other up. We would like to thank Telecom who have stepped up again during this trying time.”
“Telecom’s contributions will go a long way to help rebuild schools- it is critical that we minimise disruptions to our children’s education. Not only that, they are providing a whole year of internet for free to severely affected schools so they are not caught in the digital disparity that is often caused after cyclones because of the damage to telecommunications infrastructure.”
Telecom CEO, Charles Goundar said that as Fijians it was our duty to help.
“These cyclones have affected the lives of thousands and, as a local company, we believe it is our responsibility to help our fellow Fijians in times of crisis, especially when it comes to vulnerable groups like children,” said Mr Goundar.
“Telecom commends the Ministry’s work of rebuilding schools that were severely damaged by the cyclones to ensure that the education of Fijian children in affected areas can continue without interruption, and this contribution is our way of supporting those efforts.”
Mr Goundar said that the increasing frequency of cyclones shows the need to build back schools to be resilient enough to withstand the toughest of cyclones.
Due to TC Yasa, Telecom also sustained damage to its infrastructure in the North and worked around the clock to restore services in the area as quickly as possible so essential service providers could resume operations in the aftermath.
In addition, Telecom distributed relief packs consisting of essential household items to assist 126 families affected by the cyclone.
“After completing restoration works to our infrastructure, our teams were out in the field distributing relief supplies to help families rebuild and recover in the aftermath,” said Mr Goundar.
During the recent cyclone, Telecom suffered damage to its underground fibre optic infrastructure at various locations around the country due to landslides, flooding, and other adverse conditions. While services have not been disrupted due to the resiliency of the network, Telecom engineers are working hard round the clock to fix the damaged sections of the fibre optic cables.