Australian Funding Assists Students at the Fiji School for the Blind

12 Feb 2010


The Fiji School for the Blind in Suva has received ten new Braille machines to increase the learning capacity of the school’s 64 visually impaired students.

The school currently has only 24 machines, placing pressure on the learning process for the 64 students.

With funding assistance under the Australian Direct Aid Program (DAP), ten more machines have been purchased from India.

Braille machines are vital learning tools for visually impaired students.

The new machines will complement the 10 purchased in 2006 with DAP funding.

The Direct Aid Program is a small grants program which supports small-scale projects with a strong development focus.

Presenting the machines to the school today, the Australian High Commission’s Ms Claire Scott said she hoped the donation will assist the Fiji Society for the Blind provide quality education to visually impaired children to ensure they are fully prepared and trained to effectively participate in the community.

The Australian government also funded the construction in 2005 of the school’s training room, library, classrooms and administration complex.



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