29March2024

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School Construction
School Construction

School Construction

Until the start of our school project in early 2011, the village of Mushapo did not have their own school. To spare the children their daily long walk to neighboring villages and in order that more children can get a good education, ADH made the realization of a school project in Mushapo its goal. The school project is meant to last: Several school buildings with bright spacious classrooms of solid, durable materials should guarantee a permanent school operation no matter what the weather conditions. In addition, important new jobs will be created in the rural area by building schools and the operation thereof.

Apr 2013

More bricks are made

After building the first school building of bricks, we produce more bricks for the second building. Chief Muyeji shows us a new place where we can dig for good clay. Our new clay pit is only two kilometers away from the site. The excavated clay is transported manually to the warehouse, where it is pressed into bricks which are then air dried. Then, the dried bricks are transported to the site and piled into a heap, with a cavity below for the wood fire. At the top an air hole is left open for ventilation. Voilà, the oven is ready. Next the furnace is filled with wood and lighted. Once the wood inside burns, the mouth of the furnace is closed up with bricks and then sealed with clay. Once the fire is completely burned out, the clay can be removed: The bricks are finished.  
More bricks are made
Mar 2013

Change of plans: We re-construct

We decide to rebuild the temporary 20 x 4 meter building with bricks into a permanent school building. By the re-construction work, the roof is not taken down, but initially backed up with support beams. Then the old walls of wood and clay are knocked down one after another. Then, a foundation is laid and the brick walls are raised. For the construction we use materials which were originally planned for the building south of Mushapo. In the course of these works also the adjacent temporary buildings will be repaired at certain points. As a contribution for the school construction the company Denys donates iron rods and diesel for our generator.  
Change of plans: We re-construct
Jan 2013

Plans for the reconstruction of a temporary building into a brick building

SADR allows us to permanently use all farmhouses as school buildings. We’re thinking about stabilizing one of the mud and wood buildings currently being used, with brick walls and transform it into a permanent school building. This is supported by major considerations: First, the construction of a temporary building is, compared with the construction of a new building, considerably cheaper and much faster. Although the temporary buildings are currently still in good condition, they can soon look very different, depending on how severe the storms are in the rainy season. The support beams are slowly eaten away by termites so that they are wasting anyway. In addition, we may continue to use this building in the future as a branch of the school north of Mushapo and thus keep the distance for children from the neighboring village Shamubenze to two kilometers back and forth on a daily basis. We would further finish the building south of Mushapo and build more school buildings there.
Plans for the reconstruction of a temporary building into a brick building
Nov 2012

Tables and chairs are made

Tables and chairs are built for the teachers and simple seats for the students. Robert, a talented craftsman and carpenter from Mushapo, is a great help in the production of furniture for the school. He also knows very much about construction of buildings and was a great help in rebuilding the farm buildings.
Tables and chairs are made
Oct 2012

Starting the school year in temporary buildings

The simple farm buildings of wood and mud are temporarily being used for school operations. For this purpose, two large farm houses, each with a length of 20 meters and a width of 4 meters are re-built into four classrooms. To start teaching quickly, the classrooms are provisionally equipped with simple blackboards and makeshift school desks.
Starting the school year in temporary buildings
Oct 2012

A generator and two "Pousse Pousse"

With SADR is also the power supply gone. A friend in Kinshasa donates a good, new generator with which we have at least some power for a few hours in the evening for light and charging of batteries and telephone. He also donated two "pousse pousse", typical Congolese carts with two wheels. Since the vehicles of SADR are no longer available we now use these carts to bring the bricks and other materials to the construction site. Internet access; we hope to get it soon via the only phone company that operates here, even though their network coverage in the area is very bad.  
A generator and two "Pousse Pousse"
Sep 2012

SADR leaves us building that we can use as temporary classrooms

We need to make other arrangements now that with SADR gone an important pillar of our project has fallen away. Due to the closure of the farm the construction of our school building is delayed because we need to first organize many things. We ask the owner of the farm if we can use the now empty farm buildings in Mushapo for class rooms during the construction. SADR agrees. We will convert and use some of the large farm houses into temporary classrooms, until our own school building is completed. This enables us to start school already beginning next month once we have fabricated makeshift school desks and tables.
SADR leaves us building that we can use as temporary classrooms
Aug 2012

SADR closes - we take their old building

Back in the Congo we hear the news that the SADR farm in Mushapo closed because of many difficulties. As a result the construction of our school building fell behind during our stay in Europe and progress during this time was only moderate. The construction is delayed further because we have to worry about more fundamental things at the moment. So far we were partly provided for by the farm and could use their facilities. Now we need to fully re-organize ourselves and urgently find a way to get electricity, water, bedding, food supplies and other essentials for the ADH team. Jean, the former head of the farm in Mushapo, is willing to work for half his salary for us because he knows that we are working full-time as volunteers and have to get our own support.
SADR closes - we take their old building

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 Only through the gradual acquisition of ownership can the local population develop a positive awareness of the project.

Our objective – sustainability

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