Many VICS people served as volunteers at St. Joseph’s College, Abaiang, Kiribati.  Though there have been many changes, some things are the same.  Here are some views of the campus.

Remember the cross marking the entrance to the school?  It’s still there, but has been shored up to prevent more erosion.  As you walk toward the school (third picture), there’s a new, bright SJC Tabwiroa sign.

Keep walking and you will again see the St. Joseph statue.

The admin block and ‘U’ haven’t changed much, either.

The main mwaneaba is new – or at least was a few years ago.  The other one burned down.  The new one is even larger than before!  Between St. Joseph’s mwaneaba and the U are a number of small kia kias.  When I was there students used them to study or visit.  Remember the assembly?  The day I was there, students were dressed in the same uniform, but girls were on one side and boys on the other – a change from when I was there and everyone sat by Forms.

The volunteer house has now been converted into a guest house – with another building between the house and the ocean side, and a few ‘hut’ kia kias guests use to sleep or rest.

The clinic is exactly where it was before.  Fifteen years ago few water tanks could be found.  Now they are everywhere!

There are two other new guest houses.  One is a designated volunteer house, though they get few volunteers from Canada or Australia now.

The soccer field is still there, but now the edges have solar panels!

The church is still there, but the ceiling needs some fixing.  Nothing like a little rain during mass!

For those of you who worked in the library, here it is…still functioning.

And last, but not least – students still cook on Saturday, and the boys bake bread.