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Heritage Expeditions helps isolated schools in the South Pacific

Heritage Expeditions helps isolated schools in the South Pacific
New Zealand family-owned Heritage Expeditions has partnered with Learning Resources for Villages that collects unwanted teaching materials from schools in New Zealand for children in remote villages in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

After visiting these regions in April this year, Helen Ahern, the cruise director aboard Spirit of Enderby saw that some schools lacked books and simple items like pens and paper.

Ahern, who has 20 years’ experience in teaching and education, said local teachers told her that English is taught in schools as it opens opportunities for the children. They said they would be grateful for books in English.

‘There is a perfect opportunity here to make a difference to lives beyond our own,’ she said.

Heritage Expeditions will make its first delivery from New Zealand in April next year when Spirit of Enderby sets sail on two voyages to Melanesia.

Passengers aboard Spirit of Enderby will witness the handing over of gifts to teachers and children in several isolated villages.

Heritage Expeditions ‘South West Pacific Odyssey’ to Papua New Guinea via the Solomon Islands   departs Tauranga, New Zealand, on April 1, 2017 and ‘Papua New Guinea Explorer’ departs Rabaul on April 17.