Close to 100 school desks once used by Nelson students are being repurposed to support classrooms across the Pacific as part of a Rotary-led aid effort.
Rotary in New Zealand operates an international programme called Repurposing Equipment, which collects surplus and unused equipment and sends it to Pacific Island nations to meet unmet needs and support disaster recovery.
The programme is described as a lifeline for the Pacific, responding to regions where cyclones and flooding frequently damage school buildings and destroy furniture, leaving students without basic classroom resources.
The desks and chairs, sourced from Nelson Central School, will form the core of the latest shipment. Additional contributions have come from Victory School and the wider community, including crayons, pencils and exercise books, as well as three cartons of used moonboots.
Rotarians were at Nelson Central School last week, dismantling the desks in preparation for transport.
Rotary Nelson member Barry Blommaart, the group’s director for internal affairs, says the goods were scheduled to be taken down to Christchurch this week by Conroy Removals, where they will be packed into containers for shipping.
Barry says the desks and other supplies will make an immense difference to schools, although he does not yet know their final destination. He says it is likely the shipment will go to Samoa, Tonga or Fiji.
“They haven’t got a lot of resources, or the means to repair things, and funding is a major concern,” Barry says.
Alongside school equipment, there is also strong demand for a wide range of other items, including mobility aids for people with disabilities, household goods and tools.
Rotary says, all items are sent only in response to specific requests from recipient organisations.
Barry says that donations are still being sought as part of the programme, with the need ongoing.
“We’ll keep on doing it – we’re always looking for donations.”
If you have a donation, please email Barry at b.blommaart@gmail.com
