USAID joins the community of Strumica in renovation of the Vidoe Podgorec primary school

On October 18, 2007, the students of the Vidoe Podgorec primary school in the municipality of Strumica will mark the newest addition to their school building – new energy efficient windows. The renovation was part of the Primary Education Project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/PEP). USAID is part of the U.S. Mission in Macedonia.

USAID/PEP contributed $45,000 to replace 83 old wooden frames with new energy efficient aluminum windows. With the old windows, the school was losing a quarter of its heat during the winter, thus placing additional burden on the municipal budget. Energy savings from the renovation will now be spent on improving education.   
 
“Safety of the students and efficiency of the learning environment is priority number one for the municipality. Renovation of this school is one of the first steps towards improving the overall education in the region,” said Zoran Zaev, the Mayor of Strumica, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Having the school employees and parents join together with USAID enabled the project to be implemented smoothly. On behalf of my municipality and our students, I express sincere gratitude to USAID and the American people for their support.”

USAID/PEP will renovate up to 100 primary schools during its four years of implementation. Applications for the second round of renovations in 32 schools are currently being accepted online at (USAID/PEP).  The project’s renovation component supports the creation of better learning environments and decentralization of school facilities to municipal governments.

Note to the Editors: The American people, through USAID, have invested nearly $500 million in Macedonia since 1993. More than 20 projects worth $25 million a year are currently being implemented. They include initiatives to accelerate economic growth, develop democratic institutions, and educate citizens for a modern economy. USAID provides economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries.