KOROR (Palau Horizon) – A group from Japan, the Tokufu-kai Party made its 16th annual donation to schools in Palau last month.
According to an e-mail from representatives of the party to Director Emery Wenty of the Ministry of Education, the members of the group would not be able to visit Palau to present the gifts to the schools.Further, members of the party may not come to Palau for the next two years; however, the party will continue to adhere to its promise made 16 years ago – to provide school supplies for all of Palau’s 1st graders for 50 years.
The Tokufu-kai Party made its annual donation of school supplies earlier this year to all first graders in Palau – both in public and private elementary schools.
According to officials from the Palau Ministry of Education (MOE), members of the Tokufu-kai Party had, for the past 15 years, visited Palau to present its annual donations of school supplies to students.It is speculated that due to the world wide economic situation, the group may have opted to space their visits from a year to every two years.
At the beginning of each year since 1995, according to MOE officials, a representative of the Tokufu-kai Party would inquire – through e-mail or other means – about the number of current first grade enrollment of all the elementary schools in Palau.Based on the enrollment number given, the party proceeds to purchase schools supplies for all the students; and representatives of the group would then travel to Palau to present the gifts to officials of MOE, who in turn distribute the gifts to all first graders enrolled in the respective elementary schools in Palau.
During the members of the party last visit last January, Mr. Masanobu Kida – then Tokufu-kau Chief Manager – had said (through an interpreter) that the making of the annual doantions is part of a promise that the group made in 1995 during the commemoration and unveiling of the Palau-Tokufu-kai Irei Toh Memorial Tower in Ngatpang – located on the opposite side of the junction to Ibobang, Ngatpang.
“The donations,” according to Wenty, “is the Tokufu-kai Party’s support to student learning in Palau as well as means to foster mutual friendships between people of the two countries.”
The Tokufu-kai party had made arrangements with Surangel and Sons Company to supply packages of school supplies to be given as gifts to every 1st grader in Palau this school year.Surangel and Sons Company packed and delivered the school supplies to the Ministry of Education last month.
The school supplies consist of crayons, erasers, notebooks, rulers, scissors, pencils, and sharpeners.The Ministry of Education will distribute the gifts to all schools in Palau.
