LearnAsOne

The new 3 classroom block at Simakakata.

We have some great news to share. The first classroom block at Simakakata is now complete! The new buildings are quite a change from the old schoolhouse. There’s no running water yet, but what a start!

It was funded by Care International, with your funds being used to buy the raw materials for the fourth classroom. Work has begun on the foundations of the new classroom and we’re hoping to have some pictures to share later this month.

In the meantime here is a brief update from Simakakata. Words by Volunteer Adam, following a recent phone conversation with Headmaster George.

An update from Simakakata

I’ll be visiting Simakakata again in January, to see what the new classrooms look like up close and find out more about how the community has changed over the last 18 months, but I couldn’t resist giving George a call beforehand to find out about the new building.

George told me that first classroom block has been finished and work is underway on the fourth classroom. He is hoping to get the roof completed on the second, smaller, building by the time the children return from their Christmas holidays. The school will be closed from 3^rd December to 9^th January 2011.

“I want to be able to teach children up to grade 8 by 2012,” says George, “So that they don’t have to travel 7km to Kalomo to finish their primary education. But to do that we’ll need two more classrooms. Six in total.”

When the children graduate George’s school, they currently have to go to the nearby town of Kalamo to finish their primary education, if they can afford it. The community has to rent rooms in the town for the children to live during term time. There are no adults living with them. At the moment, there are 230 children enrolled at Simakakata, and few of them will be able to go to Kalomo.

That’s why George has decided it’s so important to build six classrooms, rather than the five the community initially hoped for. Our goal is to help as many children complete their education as possible and will support George’s vision for Simakakata in every way we can.

And what about Saviour? She’s still regularly coming top of her class.

Check back in December for a progress report on the fourth classroom which was funded thanks to the generosity of our supporters.