Primary Schools
An estimated 35 % of Vanuatu children in the remote rural area where Project MARC works do not attend primary school.
Especially on the outer islands, many parents can not afford the school fees, which vary from school to school and average between $ 10 to $ 40 per year.
Moreover, many schools on the outer islands have not received any supplies since the country's independence in 1980.
Therefore, we started a school adoption program in 2001 under which US schools, churches , youth organizations or individuals can adopt and sponsor a school in Vanuatu.
Project MARC
School Sponsorship
The program has been a success. Working closely with the school principals and their teaching staff, which we found to be reliable and competent, the percantage of students attending classes in the adopted schools has dramatically increased.
Nonetheless, many rural schools still need sponsors.
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The primary school adoption program entails the following:
1) An amount of money to be collected by the US children for school fees and other urgent needs. Any amount is welcome, schools generally collect between $250 and $500. This amount goes mainly towards school fees. Any money left over has typically been used to build a waterwell, a library , an office or even a whole new school foundation2) School supplies, clothing and simple medical items such as toothbrushes, soap, bandages and bandaids (see complete list).
3) An annual letter exchange (since the islands have no mail delivery all letters have to be hand-delivered by Project MARC)
In addition it is possible to collect and donate reading books (English or French), school uniforms or new T-shirts, and flipflops (open sandals).========================================================================
Secondary schools
35 % of the primary school children do pass the (demanding) final exam.
Of this 35 % only 5 % attends secondary school.
Secondary schools are boarding schools and the school fees are high.
The cost of one year's worth (2 semesters) of secondary school fees for a single student is ~$ 350. It is possible to donate an individual sponsorship to a deserving student through Project MARC.
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Checks and/or in-kind goods and supplies should be addressed to:
GLOBUS RELIEF/ PROJECT MARC
130 Matterhorn Drive Park City UT 84098 Ph 435-513-5533
Email:
nellekew@comcast.net (December through May)/ meuzelaar@juno.com (June through November).
Project MARC pays for the shipping of donated goods and suppies to Vanuatu.