Lack of early education in Mulomulo, a small yet vibrant sugar cane community in the interior of Nadi, has been a concern for parents in the area.
Located approximately 12 kilometers from Nadi Back Road, Mulomulo is serviced by carriers which is the fastest mode of transport costing $15 one way while bus fare costs $1.50 even for school children, we were told.

After many years of knocking on doors for funding, the Mulomulo Muslim Primary School committee’s dream of setting up a kindergarten finally became a reality.

School manager Saiyad Begg said the development which started two years ago wouldn’t have been possible without the timely support of Fiji Water.

The company gave the school committee $15,500 which not only started the project but also motivated parents in the area to see that the plan was attainable.

After years of sacrifice and waiting, they managed to raise more money to fund a $25,000 school building for the tiny tots.

“We want to thank the FIJI Water Foundation for their assistance,” Mr Begg said.

“We want to let them know that the project has started, thanks to them”.

The school, situated among the canefields in Mulomulo, has a total school roll of 19 students from Class one to eight.

They have 10 teachers who share the school’s four quarters.

For a rural-based school such as Mulomulo, setbacks at times are boundless.

These range from water cuts to delayed school arrears, lack of school materials and students lack of interest in learning because of financial constraints.

According to Mr Begg, their students are from the nearby cane farming communities such as Tovatova, Yavuna Village located in the foothills of the Nausori Highland and Mulomulo.

They are located more than a mile apart so distance itself is a problem their students have to live with everyday.

The school was established in 1965 and a run by a committee made up of farmers from the surrounding communities.

Despite being a Muslim school, the majority of students are Fijians.

School statistics show that more than 80 per cent are Fijians.

“We are grateful for the assistance by the FIJI Water Foundation. Parents at least can send their students here from next year,” added Mr Begg.