Phase 1 of the school nears completion in July 2011:

Our Goal

We want to help create an environment which serves the school community, providing a learning experience which is as enjoyable, fruitful, and uplifting as possible.

The typical school building in northern Burkina Faso is made of cement block, with a tin roof. It provides a place to learn, but can get very stifling and uncomfortable in hot season. We are looking into models that would help put architecture at the service of the community.

The school building should be:

• Academically stimulating : encouraging student engagement

• Physically comfortable : reducing climatic impact

• Socially empowering : creating community-building space

• Aesthetically pleasing : displaying beauty

• Environmentally friendly : made with appropriate materials

Design

The final design of the school has drawn on a spectrum of talents as we seek to create a good learning environment that is both practical and environmentally and aesthetically stimulating. The school has benefitted from architectural input from the UK, innovative “woodless construction” by DWF in France, and on-the-ground realism from the church in Burkina Faso.

The design includes:

• Six solid cement classrooms built around a courtyard, with terraces, designed and orientated to reduce the impact of the sahelian heat and wind.
• Outside shaded study area/ meeting place,
• A courtyard with garden
• Housing for 6 teachers, using local materials and skill and innovative design techniques to make attractive buildings with vaulted roofs from mud brick.
• A kitchen and food store
• Boys and girls toilets
• Headmaster's office, caretaker's accommodation, and store-rooms.
• Play areas and soccer field
• Possibilities for water supply and electricity generation.

Programme and Progress

Phase 1
Building started on the school in April 2010. At the top of this page, you can see the school as it is in July 2011, with the first three classrooms, three teachers' houses, a first block of toilets, a kitchen and "breakout space" (outside shetlered meeting area). Here are Pastor Daniel and headmaster Nicodeme in front of the classrooms as they were being finished in 2010.

And here are the teachers's houses:

The kitchen:

Phase 1 is thus complete at a cost of about €89,000, including:

• 3 classes
• 3 teachers' houses
• 1 block of toilets
• 1 kitchen and store
• 1 outside meeting place

Phase 1 of the school was inaugurated in Nov 2010, with local authorities in attendance. You can read about the inauguration here.



Phase 2
Three more classrooms, an office, more toilets, a store-room, and a permanent water supply should be added once funds are available.

The problem with water: Although we drilled for water on the school land, we didn't find any. We are currently looking at options, including an eventual provision from the town water system, or the possibility of rain water harvesting. In the meantime, we are providing water by collection by donkey and cart from pumps in town.

The cost of Phase 2 will be about €109,000, and this will include:

• 3 more classrooms
• 3 more teachers' houses
• 2 more toilet blocks
• 1 headmaster's office and store
• 1 caretaker's room and store
• A water supply to the school
• A vegetable garden
• Protective walls around the teachers' houses

We are currently fundraising for Phase 2 of the building project.

If you would like to support the School Building Project, please Click Here.
For more details, please write to us.