15 Sep 2015

Lions Clubs International seeks more funds for Vanuatu rebuild

2:32 pm on 15 September 2015

Lions Clubs International is seeking additional funding to rebuild schools in Vanuatu that were destroyed by Cyclone Pam in March.

A Lions vice president Bob Corlew, who is from Chicago, was in Port Vila last week surveying damage to schools on Efate and in Tanna, where they are still struggling to rebuild six months after the devastation.

Kids are back at school and playing happily, while their school building is waiting for a new roof.

Kids play as their school waits to be repaired Photo: RNZ / Veronika Meduna

He says Lions International had raised 100 thousand US dollars to go towards rebuilding the schools but he has found it will not be enough.

"After this visit we are going back to look at raising more funds, raising more dollars, because it appears that the damage is so great that there are greater needs than the $100 thousand US will repair."

Mr Corlew says he has asked school boards to examine class rooms and identify priority areas for reconstruction.