Appeal for donations to rebuild badly damaged Marist School in Santo
The International development agency Australian Marist Solidarity has launched a charitable recovery appeal for St Michel Technical College, in Vanuatu, which has been devastated by Category 5 cyclone Harold raged in Melanesia during these past weeks.
“Supporting a remote community to recover from a cyclone like Harold is challenging at the best of times, but to do so in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic will require complex and sustained efforts”, said Australian Marist Solidarity CEO Rebecca Bromhead. She continued, “we need your support to be able to carry out vital rebuilding at the school as quickly as possible.”
Since General House, Br. Ernesto Sánchez Barba, Superior General said in his letter to the brothers and lay people from Vanuatu and Solomon Islands: “We hope and pray that the resources needed to be rebuild the lives shattered by these events will come quickly and that you can build a future of hope.”
Last week also Br. Jean-Marie, Superior of the District of Melanesia requested for help: “We will really need some support to rebuild the Brothers’ house as soon as we can. Apart from the Brothers house, the school buildings is also badly damaged. It will be months before the school is open again. We don’t know when or how the repairs can be done.”
St Michel’s provides critical skills development for Vanuatu with both mainstream and vocational education pathways and has been supported by the Marist Brothers for 26 years. The school has 320 enrolled students from grades 7 to 12 and a further 80 enrolled in the vocational stream of the school. It has been seen as a beacon of hope on Santo as it was one of the first school established on the island.
The Marist Brothers have been working in Vanuatu since 1991 and Australian Marist Solidarity has played a vital role in recovery and rebuilding in this region, including after Cyclone Pam which hit Vanuatu in March 2015. Australian Marist Solidarity’s work is focused on the education of children and young people, which is vital to securing the best possible future for vulnerable communities.
To support the re-build of St Michel Technical College visit www.australianmaristsolidarity.org.au
See here the Media Release of the Australian marist Solidarity (PDF)