Solar-powered learning for primary school students on Fiji’s remote Rabi Island
Buakonikai Primary School on Fiji’s remote Rabi Island is undergoing a transformation that is reshaping the future of all its 115 students.
For the first time in its history, the school is powered by clean, reliable solar energy and connected to the internet, opening up new learning opportunities for its students.
It’s made possible through one of our Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships between Its Time Foundation and the Australian Government, which officially launched last year.
Six months on from its launch, the new solar system is delivering considerable impact, including:
- Clean, reliable electricity to keep the lights on and computers running, improving classroom conditions and student engagement.
- Sustainable and cost-effective power, saving the school over AUD 6,000 annually in fuel costs – money that can now be reinvested in education.
- Internet connectivity, giving students access to a world of knowledge beyond their island.
The school now serves as a blueprint for other off-grid communities in the Pacific, showing how clean energy can improve education outcomes, reduce emissions and enable greater community resilience.
Watch a short film about the partnership:
🔗 Learn more about the partnership here.
The partnership is part of the Australian Government’s Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP) initiative to expand the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific’s (AIFFP) climate investments. It does this by partnering with businesses to deliver reliable and sustainable renewable energy to remote and rural communities in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, implemented by the BPP.
REnew Pacific is a new, long-term AUD $75 million investment by AIFFP to deliver off-grid and community-scale renewable energy projects, like this one, in rural and remote parts of the region.
🔗 Find out more about REnew Pacific here: https://renewpacific.com.au/
