A group of 25 Kiwi volunteers are heading to Vanuatu over King’s Birthday weekend to build a school classroom.
The volunteers will spend six days from June 2-7 building a 96m2 concrete block classroom at the V2 Life School located in the Teouma Valley, about 20 minutes from Port Vila.
The trip is hosted by New Zealand charitable organisation Volunteer Build, founded by Pāpāmoa resident Diana Judge.
Volunteer Build takes volunteers and funds to trusted projects overseas, where teams build infrastructure required by a community to support the relief of poverty for those in need.
Judge said the Vanuatu school V2 Life had seen its roll increase from 40 students to more than 200 since 2019.
“The demand for further classrooms to accommodate children as they age out of primary education is great.”
The demand for a new classroom had heavily increased since the Port Vila earthquake on December 17, 2024, where according to the Vanuatu Government, more than 107 classrooms in at least 45 schools have been either partially or completely damaged or destroyed.
“As education is one of the key factors in breaking the cycle of poverty for communities in need, new classrooms are a priority,” said Judge.
“Thankfully, no students were at the V2 Life school on the day of the earthquake, and none of the three classrooms that Volunteer Build has built at the V2 Life School in July 2023 and August 2024 were damaged.”
Judge said this 2025 classroom build marks a significant milestone for Volunteer Build as it cracks $1 million of donations given directly to the poor in developing countries by building homes and school classrooms for those in need during the past 17 years in nine developing countries.
To date, Volunteer Build has spent $981,604 of donations. Judge said 58 teams comprising 782 volunteers have built 70 new homes, nine school classrooms and 12 toilets.
An additional 580 care packs have been distributed to prisons and 6700 meals served to the hungry.
The cost of building materials for this double classroom being built in June 2025, is NZ$50,000 and once fully funded will flip total donations above the $1 million mark – a milestone that was just a dream when she first started out, she said.
Mount Maunganui resident and director of Structure Properties Ltd, Shannon Moyle, took his family to build a classroom with Volunteer Build at the school last August.
“After such a worthwhile experience he has since recruited a group of 11 local construction professionals as part of the 25 strong team for this year’s build.
“With that level of building skill on the team, it was decided to take on a double classroom build in just six days.”
Volunteers are required to provide a $1000 building donation and the remaining $25,000 is being fundraised.
“We’ve still got $1400 of building materials fund left to raise by the end of May, so anyone that wants to sponsor or donate to this worthwhile project would be most welcome to reach out to us.”
Bayleys Mount Maunganui residential salesman Tony Skegg is joining the Vanuatu build team and had asked his team to donate to help cover the cost of 2000 concrete blocks at $5 each using a GiveaLittle fundraising page.
“The support from the local Tauranga business community has been awesome and is much appreciated,” said Judge.
“Cooney Lees Morgan and Moon Civil and Drainage have both made generous contributions as building sponsors to help us meet our goal.”
To donate towards Volunteer Build’s mission to build another classroom in Vanuatu, visit: www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-us-build-2-classrooms-for-local-kids