David’s trek to school

As students in Solomon Islands mark the resumption of the school year, David in East Malaita is making his daily trek to get to school on time.

His walk to school, will take him up to two hours, a trek on a muddy, wet track. Come rain or shine, David is determined to get to school.

“Sometimes I feel tired and I don’t want to go to school when it’s raining and the road is muddy. At times it rains along  the way, there is  no umbrella so  I use bush leaves to cover  my books and school basket to make sure it  isn’t wet,” said David. 

A few times he’s had to turn back because of a flooded river.

As the eldest in a family of five, David has placed a high value to get to school.

“Even though I faced many challenges with school I’ll never give up, because my education is my future. My Dad told me that challenges are part of life; there is no easy ride in life. What I need to do is to face that struggle to archive my goals.”

David is a graduate of Adeliua Early Childhood Centre, a World Vision supported community project, that provides education for pre-schoolers.

Adeliua Early Childhood Education Centre, in the foreground, where David graduated before starting primary school. Adeluia community in the background.

This year David is in grade three. He hopes to become a teacher in the future and he is determined to work towards this goal.

World Vision’s Early Child Education project in East Malaita is funded by the New Zealand Government and World Vision New Zealand.