The Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) has announced that the Waro Junior High School, an education investment in Kutubu, Southern Highlands Province (SHP), is nearing completion. The facility is an initiative under MRDC’s Community Investments Trust Fund (CITF) and funded by its subsidiary Petroleum Resource Kutubu (PRK). Managing Director of MRDC Augustine Mano emphasized the company’s commitment, saying MRDC is committed to their project areas, and Waro Junior High School demonstrates this dedication. “The facility is being built by Petroleum Resource Kutubu, a company that belongs to impacted villages. Our focus remains on delivering impactful infrastructure in the health, education, and economic sectors.” With a budget of approximately K13 million, the project, situated on two hectares of land, aims to enhance the learning environment. Already, nearly 90 enrolled students are using a completed double classroom block,” he said. Reginald Ope, MRDC’s General Manager for Assets and Infrastructure who outlined the scope of the project, said that they are building 10 staff houses and four double classroom buildings giving a total of eight classrooms, a dedicated science building, and an E-Library as well. He added that there will be an administration building, three student dormitories – two male and one female – with ablution blocks, and a mess to cater for boarding students from the surrounding communities of Fogomaiyu, Tamatiki, Kantobo Sisibia and Moro. Planny Moro, the Headmaster of Waro Junior High School said the transformation from basic bush huts to a modern campus is substantial. “We had only five or six houses built from bush materials. The conditions were bad,” Mr. Moro said. He noted the high turnover of teachers unwilling to endure the rudimentary living situations. The move to a boarding school model is also a practical response to the geographical challenges faced by students, some of whom travel for two to three days from areas as distant as Bosavi. “We try to make it a boarding school because students come as far as Bosavi and other areas. They have to travel between two to three days, so we accommodate them in the teachers’ houses," he explained. Currently, the project is approximately 70 percent complete, according to MRDC Project Engineer Luke Kawale. “Most of the buildings are already completed. There are a couple more buildings to complete, including civil works. All buildings [are] to have solar system installed water tanks,” Mr. Kawale added, also mentioning plans for solar streetlights along a ring road and perimeter fencing. He said the project has provided local employment and skills development and of the 46 workers currently on site, 28 are local engagements and 15 employed as casual works, on a need's basis. “Skilled labor was brought in from larger urban centers like Port Moresby, Lae, and Hagen. These are specially trained laborers. At the same time, we are training the local employees, so, by the time the work is complete, they will have a local knowledge that would enable them to carry out maintenance on the facilities, after construction,” Mr. Kawale said. The anticipation within the community is palpable. Rex Otto, a parent and the deputy chairman for the school, spoke of the hardships previously faced. “We parents have struggled because we take our children out to other schools to learn. We try our best to find money for school fees, accommodation, transportation and other expenses for our children. Some of our children go to school but don’t make it through the year; they leave school and return home. We, the community, are now very happy with the development. We are privileged that we now have this school,” he said. Mr. Kawale acknowledged the inherent difficulties of such an undertaking in a remote area. “There are challenges, but after all, credit must be given to the community. To build a school like Waro Junior High School is a challenge, but we will deliver. The target for completion is set for August of this year,” he said. For Headmaster Moro, the new facilities represent more than just buildings. “The current development will boost student learning. These will attract a lot of students and teachers as one of the best places to come and learn,” he said.