Executive Summary

Project Bula! Fiji Foundation®

August, 2014   Revised

   Preface
The Plan for Project Bula! has been prepared for the Government of Fiji, the Provincial Council of Nadroga Navosa, and philanthropic partners and participants worldwide. It covers the following: the history and work done on the project to date; the scope, schedule and costs to build a school for rural Fijian children; fundraising plans; and school curriculum.
Project Bula! has advanced to the confirmed 100-acre site in prime location, and master planning for all building phases. Also under development is the Master Plan for the teaching program. This program is in direct accordance with the standards and goals of Fiji’s Ministry of Education, and it is designed to meet the needs and objectives described in the Fiji Rural Education Report 2003 and the Republic of Fiji Ministry of Education’s Annual Corporate Plans of 2006 and 2007, and the Suva Declaration 2005-2012. And while the teaching program is still under discussion, the plan provides a clear frame of reference for requirements, priorities and programs needed and sought for “Educating the Child Holistically for a Peaceful and Prosperous Fiji.” Objectives include providing scholarships and exchange student programs for Fijian children in all countries, particularly the US, as from here, Fiji can seem a long way away.
Construction drawings have been developed for Phase I of the campus that supports up to 600 students; all buildings have been designed with considerable flexibility for cash flow, syllabus growth, and program development. Project Bula! has reached the stage where the goals, objectives and initial environment elements are well defined. We now seek substantial funding to commence with construction of Phase I of the building program.  

Concept Team –- Board & Consultants
President Pro Tem & Co-Founder, Philip Wachniak
Vice President of Projects & Budgets, Craig Holmes
Vice President of Education & Culture, Apenisa Kurisaqila
Secretary, Janet Holmes
Executive Director Dr. Janiece Jackson 
Acting Treasurer, Anca Mora  
Co-Founder, Carol Wachniak
Project Architect, Jocelyn Mackay
Jaimi Wachniak Kunz, Student Ambassador & Advisor
Board Advisory Positions:
       Strategic Strategist Robert Johnson
       Marketing & Fundraising Advisor, Patsy Anderson
       Fijian Ministry of Education Advisor TBD
       Director Missions, Ho Yun
       Director of Education, Dr Ulwyn Pierre
       Acting Chief Operating Officer,  Jay Wallace
       Legal Counsel, Anderson Business Advisors Clint Coons, Bob Wilkinson, Dean Conway, Kent, WA
       Registered Accountants, Boss Services, Las Vegas, NV
       Web Development,  Joshua Alexander and Anders Jacobsson

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents    iv
Project History    1
Board Members    2
Assets    2
Program    4
Phase I    4
Phase II through VI    5
Cost and Schedule    5
Project Initiation and Startup    5
Project Initiation    5
Completion of Pre-Project Preparation    6
Project Initiation and Marketing    7
Ministry of Education    8
Sustainability, Products, and LLC Operations    8
Mission Statement and Goals    8
Site    9
Project Objectives    10
Our Project Bula! Objectives are:    11
Conclusion    11
Contact Information    12

 

Executive Summary
Project History
Jaimi Wachniak, our Founder’s daughter, and Founder of Project Bula! returned home to Chicago from Fiji, where she had been a People to People Student Ambassador exchange student. The Fijian students of Nadroga Navosa had captured her heart, and she convinced her mother to help fill the Fijian children’s need for and dreams of a better school facility.
Shortly thereafter, California architect Jocelyn Mackay expressed an interest in the project and flew to Fiji to meet with Provincial Fijian leader Chief Ratu Sakiusa Makutu and the Nadroga Navosa School principal, Apenisa Kurisaqila, for a tour of the existing facilities. It was determined that the current school could not be modified to meet the needs of the expanded educational programs and the plan for open enrollment for all the children. Also, the Chief understood that a new site for a school that would serve most of the students of Western Fiji and host international guests had to be clear of all religious, ethnic, and political ties in an independent land trust; he generously donated 100 acres of Jocelyn’s choosing. Architects rarely have such an opportunity, and Jocelyn delighted in selecting a rural site of lush tropical forest vegetation with magnificent views of the Pacific, access to services for water and power, and extensive expansion possibilities for future generations.  
As the team began to study Fiji, it became apparent that there was tremendous need for a school that could service the rural area of Western Fiji.  Many of the local schools had no electricity, or reliable water supplies, or sufficient accommodation or facilities to provide an acceptable level of education. For students to realize their dreams the whole area needed to be upgraded and a significant educational center made available.
Board Members
Meanwhile, back in the US, Carol turned her attention towards fundraising and attracting talented people who could donate their time to the Board of her newly created Educational Foundation for the Children of Fiji, a 501(c )(3) Not-for-Profit Corporation. Many generous friends and colleagues have committed personal time and valuable input to realize this project.
The following are on the Board of Directors:
       Our President, Philip Wachniak, works closely with his wife, Carol, on the day-to-day details of the project. He is the father of eight, has been with the airline industry (mostly in technical maintenance) for 30 years, and has a keen eye for detail.
       On a visit to Boston, Carol met Craig Holmes, an expat Australian with fond memories of vacationing in Fiji and over thirty years’ experience in construction, finance, and international IT consulting. He caught Carol’s passion for this project and agreed to become VP of Projects and Budgets. His wife, Janet, is also an international business consultant with a marketing background and acts as Board Secretary.
       Veryan Cunningham serves as Board Treasurer.
       As consultant to the Board, Anders Jacobsson from Sweden has provided in-depth web marketing support based on his 30 years’ experience in creating and sustaining an international web presence for over 230 corporations.
Assets
Our assets thus far include:
       An all-volunteer Board of Directors of the Educational Foundation for the Children of Fiji 501c3—a not-for-profit foundation with US IRS tax–exempt status.
       A generous selection of 100 acres by our local Visionary Ratu Sakiusa Makutu, Ka Levu and Chief, who inherited the title from his father, Ratu Tevita Makutu II, complete with a developed and approved Master Plan.
       The support of Mr. Winston Thompson, Ambassador of Fiji in Washington, DC. He and his staff have given us valuable advice and contacts.
       Architectural drawings for state-of-the-art school buildings that will be all green, self-sustaining, handicap accessible, structurally sound, and meeting all seismic and storm enduring building codes to stand for 100+ years, originally outlined by the Ministry of Education (MoE) entrusted to the children’s future by the Ka Levu.
       A program for a full-service school campus designed for all the children of Fiji, with continued educational programs for the adults. The MoE and the Suva Declaration have provided the educational program, structure and vision.
       Copyrighted marketing materials and companion videos and documentaries.
       A Nevada Limited Liability Company to hold and protect the intellectual property rights of the Logo designed by Mr. Alfred Ralifo, a teacher from the Nadroga Navosa Provincial High School, and trademarks, copyrights, and the international class filing numbers for such things as “Project Bula!™,” “Project Bula! Fiji Foundation™” and “Bula Board™”.(Project Bula means- a designed plan for life)
       A for-profit company has been created to support the not-for-profit foundation and provide sustainability for the school as well as the students and teachers. Fijian students both in and outside of Fiji will have the opportunity to have hands-on educational business experience in an intern program. In this way they will quickly become the designers and creators of a unique line of branded products and services for the sole purpose of raising funds to support their long-term educational goals. This is our primary sustainability program for the Educational Foundation for the Children of Fiji 501c3. The following are proposed programs in the for-profit company:  
   o    An Endowment Fund that will be supported in part from the “Project Bula!” copyrighted, trademarked and branded label products line; from services and manufacturing opportunities for Fiji in the international market place, and individual and corporate donations.
   o    The Jaimi Wachniak “Project Bula!” Scholarship Program
   o    Water, Wind Energy, Conservation and Preservation, Micro-loan, Health and Wellness programs
Perhaps our biggest asset is the Fiji Foundation Volunteer Team, for it is their hearts and minds that are setting the standards for maintaining the highest level of integrity and transparency in this project. Below-Jaimi Lynn Wachniak- Founder of Project Bula! 
Program
“Our architectural program is an expression of the Suva Declaration from the Ministry of Education.” This encompasses the Ministry’s vision of “Educating the child holistically for a peaceful and prosperous Fiji.”
Phase I
Accommodation is planned initially for the current level of high school students, 8 to 15 years old, numbering about 150. In addition there will be young adults (16 to 21 years old) who are no longer at high school but are not sufficiently trained, numbering about 100. Phase I will result in a school and grounds that will support at least 250 students, along with faculty and administrative staff. Phase I buildings are designed to be flexible so that they can accommodate up to approximately up to 600 students, mostly residential.
The school is also designed and planned to implement a significant Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program. It will have facilities as a training tool for apprentices in selected industries. The structures are strongly self-sustaining, so that as each phase is completed and handed over to the School Board, students at different training levels will be sent to practice on the ongoing construction. Other formal technical and vocational training will be provided for young Fijians.
The first parts of Phase I campus buildings will support up to 600 students with the following structures:
       1 café, 6,300 SF which can also be used for classrooms
       2 dorms each, 23,000 SF (1 male, 1 female) supports up to 200 students each
       1 library, 9,500 SF which can also be used partly for classrooms
       1 community center 6,100 SF which will be used partly for classrooms, administration, and possible the Principal’s housing at this phase.
       Inspiration Point is a meditative garden with landscaping; approximately 3,250 SF. From this, the whole campus is laid out before you. It includes an arboretum to the open area, then a cliff view down onto the campus.
In addition Phase I will require site and services preparatory work:
       Site work and grading, and infrastructure of services sufficient for Phase I but sized to be expandable for the whole community
       A workshop structure to house joinery equipment for the first TVET program and produce the windows and joinery for the project.
       Initial TVET agricultural areas designed as “Edible Landscaping,” including a self-sustaining interim farm: 2 cows, a flock of chickens, etc.

Phase II through VI
Each of the following phases incorporates expansion plans to accommodate the needs of sixteen through twenty-one year old students, primary age students, high school students, and the families of students from remote areas.
Phase II adds 66,000 SF and Phase III adds 38,000 SF of educational space. At Phase IV 23,000 SF of additional housing is added. Phase V adds sports facilities and power generation.
The last planned Phase at this time, Phase VI, has provision for traditional and alternative energy power generation. It also has plans to extend the light railway following the sugar plantation regions through the lower parts of the island, to provide transport and access to the school and community over a much wider area.
Cost and Schedule
Project Bula! needs about $8M USD in direct building construction costs to achieve a viable school environment with five of the Phase I buildings completed, within eighteen months of commencement. The project plans and construction documentation are ready and awaiting final approvals.
We estimate that a further $4M USD is needed, for indirect construction costs (including site costs, professional fees and other costs and fees related to construction), and marketing, fundraising and administration costs for the Foundation to create and manage the project for up to two years during the construction of Phase I and initiation of Phase II. The total $12M construction costs for this part of the project are for the benefit of our mission for the children of Fiji.
Additional funding is required for the completion of Phase II through Phase VI.  Currently these funding requirements are estimated to be approximately $48M USD.
Project Initiation and Startup
Project Initiation
Project Bula has reached the stage of having all the necessary parts to make a working project commence, but needing funding and full-time attention to complete preliminaries and approvals, and start a normal building construction program.
We have progressed with the project to the status as outlined below:
a.    The land for the school, 100 acres, has been donated in principal by Chief Ratu and now awaits final payment for leases to the Native Land Trust Board (NLTB), in accordance with Fijian law;
b.    The Master Plan for the entire site has been developed, in six phases for development, with Phase I being in accordance with the school program plan to relocate to the new school.
c.    Various Fijian authorities have been consulted and work done collaboratively so that approval of final building plans is expected following the NLTB approval of the land lease. These authorities include the Ministry of Education (MoE), and the Provincial Council of Nadroga Navosa Province. The project has the support of these entities and the Fijian authorities in general, as expressed by the Ambassador to the United States, the Honorable Winston Thompson.
d.    The project program and objectives are aligned with the Suva Declaration and the MoE’s reporting and planning documents.
The next steps are detailed and require the support of an ‘angel’ investor who can provide both marketing position and visibility, as well as seed funding to complete the above preparations to enable the program to become a functional development project. This work is needed to establish and confirm the exact scope, budget and cost requirements for a minimum viable level of Phase I development.
It is projected that the preparatory work will require up to six months to complete, and includes:
Completion of Pre-Project Preparation
Visit to Fiji by the appropriate Fiji Foundation team to complete:
a.    Signing and payment of the NLTB permit and granting of the lease for the school site.
b.    Introduction to local professionals, including the final selection and proposed agreement with a local Architect representing the Foundation.
c.    Visit to Public Works Department (PWD) at Sigatoka to establish that the project has the support of the PWD Superintendent, the local authorities and City and Regional Council. Verify and commence any procedures, costs, or additional requirements needed to obtain the final active Building Permit.
d.    Introduction to local Estimators, or a Quantity Surveyor, and local Contractors to provide a basis for costing Phase I in considerable detail, including likely construction schedules, validation of materials available.
e.    Meeting with the School Principal and the Regional Council to review the best and most suitable groups of students or apprentices to commence at the school. Determination of the first initial level of facilities required, including accommodation.
f.    Visit(s) and formal introductions to the Ministry of Education (MoE) in Suva and establishment of a formal relationship with contact points, preferably with an assigned representative from MoE. Meetings to ensure the Foundation is fully in accord with the MoE objectives and agendas, and the MoE approve of the schedule and objectives for the Foundation.
g.    Visits to the appropriate authorities in Fiji to establish the criteria and process for setting up a Not-For-Profit entity in Fiji to be locally responsible for construction and related contracts.
h.    Visit to Fiji Electric Authority to confirm provision of electric supply to the school, and any upgrade requirements that may be necessary as the school progresses.
i.    Meetings with the Chief and Regional Council
j.    Meetings at the Shangri-La with the Management and Owners if practical.
Additional Objectives for this visit include:
k.    Arrange for and initiate the offered video production for the project.
l.    Initiate discussions with Fiji Electric Authority for a separate project, for a wind turbine pilot scheme using the existing infrastructure at the experimental station above Sigatoka.
Project Initiation and Marketing
After this visit, a detailed estimate, schedule and building program can be established. The scope, size, and requirements for the site services and the first buildings would be detailed and drawn. This would be suitable for the following purposes:
a.    Provision of an exact first stage project definition and description for potential donors, which is not currently practical beyond the detail levels we currently have available.
b.    A complete definition of the project to the satisfaction and approval of all relevant Fijian authorities.
c.    A complete understanding of the scope of the project from the perspective of the MoE, the Regional Council, and the School staff and authorities.
With this work complete, we would be ready to prepare bid documents, using the certified Plans and Specifications. These bids could be one or more parcels of work, optimized for the availability of contractors in Fiji available to work on the School, utilization of local resources, and the procurement processes expected in the region.
For the formal management of the project, commence setting up an appropriate Not-For-Profit entity in Fiji to be locally responsible for the project construction, local professional services, insurances, fees and permits, etc. Link this to the US Foundation bank services.
Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education (MoE) provides very few direct capital grants. Nearly all schools are built by Regional Provinces.  The MoE has standard practices for education provision, but generally does not have specifications for the physical buildings. Principal Apenisa has been working with our Architect and with the MoE to define our standard sizes, and therefore, the building overall size and minimum configurations. The requirements will help finalize the cost estimate for Phase I and thus the minimum viable construction and donation needed to start the project.
After the NTLB lease is finalized, the Board will prepare, through the Regional Council, to submit a formal educational program to the MoE. This includes working with the MoE to submit a final report and presentation about the time  when construction would be ready to start. The initial building shells are projected to be ready within 12 months.  Once building fit outs are completed the transfer of student classes as recommended by the Principal can commence.
Sustainability, Products, and LLC Operations
At the same time as construction commences, the sustainability aspects of the School can be commenced in earnest. The school will start to exist in Fiji, so we can run more competitions, establish forums/Facebook worlds between students in US schools and Fiji, and start to gain traction and publicity in a wide range of forums.  
Mission Statement and Goals
Our Mission: To build a school campus that reflects the words of our Architect: “The soil of the site is intertwined with the culture, and with proper nurturing the school will flourish and produce children who are able to sustain the Fijian dream.”
Our Goals: Our architectural program is an expression of the Suva Declaration from the Ministry of Education (MoE). The Ministry’s Annual Corporate Plan of 2014 states their organizational vision as “Educating the Child holistically for a peaceful and prosperous Fiji.” That mission is “To provide a challenging teaching and learning environment, in partnership with stakeholders that will nurture and empower the Child to become a competent member of society.”
We are honored to partner with the MoE in supporting the Ministry’s goal of providing “a relevant and responsive education system that allows all students to reach their full potential.”

Site
The school site is approximately 100 acres of land near Sigatoka, It is located on the south west coast of the main island of Fiji, Vitu Levu, between Nadi and the capital, Suva.
Chief Ratu’s generosity and commitment to the project brought this grant of Native Lands for the purpose the School, to be approved for a lease up to 99 years through the Native Land Trust Board (NLTB). Our project initiative is supported by the Fijian Government’s NLTB, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, and the MoE.
The actual site was selected by our Architect, Jocelyn Mackay, working with Chief Ratu to meet his criteria for an educational campus for the children of Fiji. It has its roots in the mountains and valleys that are characteristic of Fiji, as well as a commanding aspect of the ocean which encompasses a vision of the Fiji disposition.
It is a neutral site, which cannot be impeded by religion or ethnic disposition, and it provides ample room for future expansion. It also has access to all necessary services and an established road to Sigatoka.
The freedom of not being encumbered by an urban environment is inherent in this site, allowing children to have a deeper connection and interaction with their natural environment. 

Project Objectives
Fiji's education system is unique in that Education is a partnership between the Government and the communities. The Government pays for the salaries of the teachers and provides educational grants, and the school committees manage the financial operations of the school, including physical facilities and infrastructure.
The Minister of Education (MoE) is responsible for the administration and management of education policy and the delivery of educational services. It provides the curriculum framework, policy guidelines and directions and qualified teaching personnel that support schools in the delivery of quality education for students.
The core business of the MoE is the delivery of education and training services.
As stated by the MoE in the Ministry’s 2007 Plan, “One of the Millennium Development Goals ratified by many countries, including Fiji, is to eradicate all forms of discrimination in terms of gender, race, color, religion, disabilities, culture, political affiliation and language, among others.
“We believe we have a social contract with the people of Fiji to create a dynamic and discrimination-free education environment that will provide the platform for all the children of Fiji to succeed. This is vital to our progress as a nation. In this regard, I intend to consult with education stakeholders and partners in the community in order to progress developments which will make our schools representative of this goal and ensure that all children are protected from all forms of discrimination.”
Our Project addresses the educational infrastructure needs of rural Fijian children in the Nadroga province, with a total rural population of 300,000. We anticipate other adjoining provinces will have access in later phases of this project to send their students to this School.
Our Project Bula! Objectives are:
       Provide residence halls, classrooms and community facilities as a Centre of Excellence for educating eight through fifteen year old rural Fijian children, in accordance with the syllabuses and guidelines of the Ministry of Education (MoE).
       Provide an environmentally neutral, green-energy, self-sustaining, educational campus where the Fijian people can send their children to achieve the MoE’s vision of “Educating the child holistically for a peaceful and prosperous Fiji”. The project is classified as a native Fijian project.
       Provide a training environment and programs for the needs of sixteen through twenty-one year old students, including the training of Fijian tradesmen through apprentice through journeymen; building operation staff; maintenance staff; education and business administrators.
       Provide a training environment and partnerships with young adult Fijians to qualify and prepare for careers in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs supported by the Ministry for Education.
       Provide exchange programs for Fijian and other students from overseas, in accordance with the guidelines of the MoE.
An extensive background report and feasibility study underlying the Project Objectives may be found in the 2003 report and proposal “Fijian Rural Education Project”. This Study, done under the auspices of the 9th European Development Fund, was commissioned by the Fiji Ministry of Finance and National Planning. A Proposal was presented from this report which documented many aspects of rural education in Fiji, and proposed various specific projects and expenditures for improvements.
Our eventual objective is to provide schooling for up to 10,000 native Fijian children, from a population of about 300,000. The campus is expected to exist for the Fijian children for 100+ years. It will enhance Fijian islanders’ self-sufficiency and will be able to be completely supported by the staff, students, family support, and apprenticeship programs at the Center.
Conclusion
Everyone involved in the project shares a deep commitment to helping the Fijian children of Navovo Cuvu realize their dreams, and it our mission our Architect Jocelyn Mackay put so well:
“The culture is intertwined with the soil of the site, and with proper nurturing will flourish and produce children who are able to sustain the Fijian dream.”  

Contact Information

Websites:http://fijifoundation.org

Founders
Mr. & Mrs. Philip Wachniak
Ph/Fax# 630-748-0198
1-888-233-0518

E-mail address:
Philip@fijifoundation.org
Carol@fijifoundation.org 
info@fijifoundation.org