Dozens of Nias children who have been schooled beneath tents since
the devastating March 2005 earthquake off the west coast of
Indonesia’s Sumatra island marked the first day of classes
yesterday by moving into a new school built by IOM.



Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negari (MIN) in Gunung Sitoli was one of many
schools levelled by the earthquake. Over the past six weeks IOM
replaced the demolished structure with a pair of three-room
schoolhouses in time for 110 children between the ages of seven and
15 to begin the new term at MIN. Three additional schoolhouses
opened nearby today.



The project is part of a UNICEF-funded initiative to build 43 new
temporary schools across the island with each school comprising of
up to three schoolhouses.



Thirty-nine schoolhouses are currently under construction at 22
locations around the island.



The Nias school construction project builds upon a successful joint
IOM-UNICEF programme launched in mid-2005 that saw more than 140
elementary schools built in tsunami-affected areas of neighbouring
Aceh province. In addition to funding construction, UNICEF provides
all the necessary classroom materials.



The schools are an adaptation of the modular, earthquake-resistant
units IOM employed in its temporary housing construction program in
post-tsunami Aceh. The Organization’s construction services
are now wholly focused on building permanent homes in more than 30
locations around the province.



For further information, please contact:



Paul Dillon

IOM Indonesia Press and Information Officer

Tel: +62 812 698 8035

E-mail: "mailto:pdillon@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">pdillon@iom.int