Books, Termites and Friendship: How a Network of Marist Schools Brought a Library Back to Life in the Solomon Islands
- maristbrothers
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
A termite-ravaged building, two cubic metres of donated books, and the skill of a local carpenter have come together to give students at a remote Marist school in the Solomon Islands something rare: a library filled with stories.
What began as a simple request for books has grown into something much more significant for St Joseph’s Secondary School, Tenaru. In 2023, the school’s principal reached out to Br Chris Wills, Director of Bridge Builders, asking whether Australian Marist schools might be able to support the development of a school library.
However, this was not a request for textbooks. “Usually schools ask for textbooks, but the vision here was to cultivate a love of reading. The principal specifically requested novels, fiction, and storybooks - books students could genuinely enjoy and that might help them fall in love with reading,” Br Chris says.
Bridge Builders, in collaboration with Marist Youth Ministry, put out a call to students across Australian Marist schools. In response, Australian students generously donated books and also led fundraising efforts to cover the costs of packaging and shipping them to the Solomon Islands.
In total, around two cubic metres of books were collected and sent to Tenaru. But when the books arrived, an unexpected challenge emerged.
“The library itself couldn’t be used,” Br Chris recalls. “We knew the building had issues, but we didn’t anticipate the extent of the deterioration. There were termite problems, and the flooring was in poor condition. Suddenly, the books became a secondary concern - the real challenge was restoring the building that would house them.”
What started as a modest book drive quickly evolved into a full-scale refurbishment project.
The school applied for support from Australian Marist Solidarity, and funding was approved to repair the structure and address the termite damage. Once the building was stabilised, a second challenge arose - furnishing the space so it could function as a library. “More work was required - particularly with the flooring, and most importantly, we needed shelving,” Br Chris says.
Building More Than Shelves
This is where Patrick Merre stepped in - an alumnus and teacher connected to St Dominic’s Rural Training Centre, Vanga Point, a former Marist project in Melanesia. "A skilled carpenter and builder, Patrick was re-introduced to us by Br Simon Serero, the Community Leader of the Brothers in the Solomon Islands. He led a group which worked alongside former Marist students and trainees from St Martin Rural Training Centre to complete the interior," says Br Chris.
Together, they laid new tiled flooring, built shelves, and constructed tables and chairs - transforming the building into a functional and welcoming library space.
Bringing the Library to Life
With the physical space ready, the final stage belonged to the students.
They unpacked and arranged the donated books on the new shelves, bringing the library to life. To ensure the collection would be well maintained, the National Library of the Solomon Islands were invited by Mr Jeoffrey Poea, the current Principal of St Joseph’s to train the students - particularly those in Year 10 - to take on roles as volunteer librarians.
“That was probably the most rewarding part,” Br Chris reflects. “Seeing the students not only enjoying the books but also learning how to organise them and truly make the space their own.”
The refurbishment of the library is a beautiful example of what can happen when young people come together with good intentions - truly a Marist story.
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-With special thanks to Br Chris Wills, Director, Bridge Builders
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