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Book donation headed to three Micronesian islands
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Posted on Oct 02 2011
More than $700 in donated books are on their way to community libraries in the central Pacific, thanks to a U.S.-based charity called “Habele.”
The donation, composed primarily of books dealing with Micronesian and Oceanic topics, is headed to the atolls of Woleai and Lamotrek as well as the island of Satawal. All three are located among the Outer Islands of Yap State, itself one of four states in the Federated States of Micronesia.
The books are just the most recent in a years-long series of Habele donations to schools across Yap and Chuuk States.
Despite millions of dollars in direct government-to-government support from the U.S. to the FSM, many of the public schools on remote Outer and Lagoon Islands of Micronesia still lack basic instructional materials.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, public sector spending of foreign government assistance comprises 65 percent of the entire Micronesian Gross Domestic Product. Despite the massive aid, GAO concludes that “the FSM has limited prospects for achieving budgetary self-reliance and long-term economic advancement.” It also cites limited academic achievement as a major impediment to employment among Micronesians in both the U.S. and the FSM.
The Habele Outer Island Education began directly supporting libraries and schools across Micronesia in 2006. More than 30 boxes of textbooks, reference books and reading materials have been provided to public school educators in Micronesia so far this year. Habele also provides assistance for students attending private schools through a program of K-12 tuition scholarships. Two dozen students were awarded scholarships to attend prestigious private schools in Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei this school year.
“We think education is the key to development in Micronesia and across the Pacific” explained Alex Sidles, a Habele director. “But we can’t rely on the one-size-fits-all approach of big government bureaucracies to meet the specific needs of each and every student and school.” [I](Habele)[/I]
