Vast amounts of water separate the 29 coral atolls and 5 islands of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the only way to get to and from them is by air or sea. The demand for maritime services is therefore high compered to the small fleet of vessels operated by the Marshall Islands Shipping Corporation (MISC). The College of the Marshall Islands (CMI) provides an accredited course for sailors at the Maritime Training Facility, which increases local capacity and maritime skills and allows the national maritime sector to introduce more competent and qualified maritime personnel.
The Republic of the Marshall Islands’ (RMI) first maritime training centre has been officially named “Jela Meto”, a Marshallese term that roughly translates to “knowing the ocean”. The ceremony brought together partners in the Low Carbon Sea Transport project – including the organisers, the CMI, MISC and GIZ, high-level participants including keynote speaker Minister of Transport Hilton Kendall and his colleagues from the Nitijela, key maritime stakeholders and the diplomatic corps to celebrate this milestone.
The event emphasised the centre’s crucial role in maritime training and its commitment to the local community, determining its position as a cornerstone of maritime education and training in the Marshall Islands. The centre’s first semester saw a full class of young Marshallese men and women enrolled and eager to undergo maritime training.
Today, as we celebrate the naming of the Jela Meto Maritime Training Center and the renaming of the SV Kwai, we honor our past, embrace our present, and look forward to a sustainable future. This center will serve as a hub of innovation, driving us towards our goals of reducing emissions and fostering sustainable development.
Hilton Kendall, Minister of Transport of the Marshall Islands
During the ceremony, the cargo ship SV Kwai was also renamed to SV Tarmelu, meaning the first traditional Marshallese Woman Navigator in the Marshall Islands, marking another step forward in the nation’s maritime advancement.
Find out more about this project in the Marshall Islands:
The Low Carbon Sea Transport (LCST) Project in the RMI is implemented by GIZ and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV)
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CMI President Elizabeth Switaj, German Delegation Representative Marina Pfaffernoschke, and MISC Vice Chairman July Note-Jordan pose in front of the new Jela Meto sign. Credits: Chewy Lin Photo&Film
Geovannie Johnson
geovannie.johnson@giz.de
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