OSHANA JUNIOR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Location: Ohangwena, Namibia
Date: July 12 - September 7, 2007
Cost of Materials Funded by imagine1day: US$16,500
Partner: Raleigh International (UK)

the project:

The aim of this project was to construct a two-class room and single storeroom school building. The building houses sixty five students, grades 1-3 and two teachers. This imagine1day project was completed in partnership with Raleigh International and under the guidance of the Namibia Ministry of Education and the Namibia Ministry of Works.

implementation:

The first team of Raleigh volunteers unloaded 355 bags of cement, 2,300 breeze blocks, two tonnes of aggregate and 10 dug trailer loads of sand, before digging the foundations and filling them with mortar. They then levelled the school floor and laid cement over it before making a start on the brickwork, which they succeeded in getting to six levels in height.

The second group of volunteers also made tremendous progress. They finished 14 layers of brickwork and installed all of the windows. The doors were also put in place and secured on the front of the building and a security gate was fitted on the store room. Finally, the roof and the ceiling were put in place.

Of course, the highlight for the volunteers was the time spent with the children and the local community. They organized a sports day, which included a three legged race, a wheelbarrow race and an obstacle course. Each volunteer also taught two lessons in the school, including Maths, English, Physical Education and Natural Science, which enabled them to exchange knowledge and experience with the children.

The last team of Raleigh volunteers arrived to add the finishing touches to the two room school which opened its doors on September 7. During the final phase, the participants completed the brickwork just below the roofing and the plaster work both inside and outside the building. The ceiling in the storeroom and was then installed and the concrete flooring was laid.

The group was then given the opportunity to be creative in designing the artwork for the school. In one classroom they painted murals of the solar system, a map of Africa and multiplication grids. In the other, they painted a map of the world's oceans and continents and they used the english alphabet to depict 26 different sea creatures, each beginning with the letters A through Z. Namibia's national anthem was also painted on the classroom walls. These paintings will serve as teaching tools for the children and teachers.

The project culminated with an opening ceremony which was planned in participation with the local people. With dance and song, the community celebrated their new school. Acting Principal Mrs. Amushila said, "It was like a dream when we learned that our application to have a school built was accepted. From July 12th we have seen our dream coming true and we are proud and happy to see this beautiful, lovely building which will benefit our community."

project background:

The former education provision was poor with no permanent classrooms. Although the community had been provided with a government-funded teacher, the financial resources were not available to provide a school building. To address this issue, local community initiatives constructed temporary structures from local materials (sticks and tin sheets) while other classes were held under trees. These conditions; however, offered little or no protection from the environment, especially during the wet season when they became flooded and unusable. Domestic animals and wildlife often interfered or prevented classes from taking place. Additionally the inadequate space, teaching resources and lack of seats and desks did not provide an environment conducive to learning.

experienced partner:

Raleigh International has worked closely with the Ministry of Education in Namibia for the last nine years to identify regions in specific need and to construct schools in often logistically difficult environments. Since 1997, Raleigh International has successfully constructed over 23 schools in five regions of Namibia.

Registered in the UK, the charity has been successfully running programs at home and overseas for over 21 years. Over 180 expeditions have been completed, in more than 36 countries, involving over 26,000 people, from more than 80 nations.