Ysabel (Garanga) Secondary School receives a new Dining Hall and Kitchen from ESSP

Isabel Province, 8 March 2024 – On 8 March 2024, Ysabel (Garanga) Senior Secondary School received a new dining hall and kitchen in Ghoveo Community, Isabel Province.

The infrastructure project was funded by the Australian and New Zealand Governments in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) through the Education Sector Support Program.

Solomon Sheet Steel Company Limited built the infrastructure project for SBD6.3 million. The new dining hall and kitchen provide a dedicated cooking space for school staff and an area for students to enjoy meals, fostering a positive learning environment.

“The school staff and students are overwhelmed with gratitude to be the recipients of this magnificent and beautiful building,” shared Mrs. Canon Christina Vunagi, Principal of Ysabel

(Garanga) Secondary School. “The dining hall will greatly benefit the school and the community. The kitchen area is well designed for cleanliness, safe and hygienic, important for food preparation and food safety rules for students.”

The new dining hall and kitchen will benefit Ysabel (Garanga) Senior Secondary School’s 66 students (32 girls, 34 boys) and eight teachers (three females and five males).

A special handover ceremony celebrated the successful completion of the project. Attendees included the Caretaker Minister of Education, Honourable Lanelle Tanangada MP; Australian High Commission’s Counsellor for Human Development, Tristan Armstrong; New Zealand High Commission’s Second Secretary, Daniel Thompson; and the school community.

With the new dining hall and kitchen, Ysabel (Garanga) Senior Secondary School is now better equipped to meet the educational needs of its students. The partnership between the Solomon Islands, Australian, and New Zealand governments continue to improve access to quality education for all Solomon Islands children through the upgrading of school infrastructure.

The Solomon Islands Education Sector Support Program (ESSP) provides the strategic direction andimplementation arrangements for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) combined investment to support the Solomon Islands Government to implement its Education Strategic Framework (ESF) 2016-2030 and the National Education Action Plan.