FRIENDS OF PADANG BAI

Bob Jarvis, Bill Mountford of Deep 6 Diving Jervis Bay and Geoffrey Mellefont of the Sydney Maratime Museum, have established a charity focused on the education of the children of Padang-Bai. The charity, registered as an official charity in Australia, is called 'Friends of Padang-Bai' and started in January 2006. It is a non-profit organisation and there are no payments to any members, friends or helpers. All donations go directly to the fund.

 

The main objectives of the charity are:

  • To provide computer hardware, learning equipment and materials to the schools of Padang-Bai to enable the schools to carry out computer training to children aged 8 and above.
  • To provide school fees and uniforms to the children of the village from families that cannot afford to provide the same.
  • To renovate the classrooms within the schools to an acceptable standard.

The initial focus is on the children of Padangbai but the aim is to extend this opportunity to other villages as funds permit.

 

We have had enormous support from Steve Wolters, Sue Jarvis and Juergen Kies. We have also received support from friends in Australia. Such support from friends and customers is very encouraging.

 

We have dissected the broader objectives of the charity into stages; the ones currently in focus are:

 

STAGE 1 - The renovation of 3 classrooms in the Junior School.
These classrooms were so run down they were no longer in use. The scope of work included:
-Replacing the roof
-Repair to walls
-Supply and lay tiles
-Cut and fit new windows
-Install 3 wash hand basins
-Erect room dividers
-Renovate/paint throughout.

 

STAGE 2 - The purchase and installation of 8 computers
The computers were purchased at the outset of the fund and are currently awaiting the completion of Stage 2 which covers upgrading the electrics in the school which will allow the transfer of the computers to the school.

 

STAGE 3 - Build new toilet block, demolish old and build new playground.

 

There is currently 1 toilet for 193 children and 10 teachers. Our aim is to build a new toilet block containing 6 toilets.

The school's preferred site for the
new block is currently a rubbish tip at the side of the school and they foresee the current site converted into a playground.

 

STAGE 4 - Renovate the remaining 3 classrooms, teachers' room and library.
These rooms are in very poor condition; leaking roofs, plaster-less walls, bad lighting. Our 4th Stage will focus on these rooms bringing them to an acceptable standard for a teaching environment.


 

 

We would like to thank all those that have supported the fund this past year. We have come a long way but we still have a long way to go. You can help us progress the above plan by buying a T-Shirt, or making a donation. It all helps.