The sale of cassava is helping Betikama Adventist College (BAC) to generate some income at a particularly challenging time.
Schools in Solomon Islands have been closed for more than two months due to COVID-19 restrictions and this has had a significant impact on Betikama.
“The impact of COVID-19 and the continuing delay of school [reopening] has greatly affected Betikama’s cash flow,” said principal Partinson Bekala.
“Being a boarding school, a large portion of the school budget comes from school fee payment. No school means no money for the ongoing operation of the school. This has forced the college to temporally lay off half of its ancillary staff.”
However, Mr Bekala said God is still blessing the school during the pandemic. The Betikama Cassava Project and the college farm have helped to provide some financial support to the school.
“The income from the gardens has enable the college to maintain the campus and also meet wages of the remaining workers,” he said.
“We praise God especially for the right timing of the BAC Casava Project. Every day during the week we sell cassava on the street of Honiara and Betikama cassava is now popular in town.”
