Build Pleasant Hope a school hall! We are fundraising to build Pleasant Hope Academy a school hall. The amazing little school is in Kamangu, Kenya where Katie, Andy, Mel and Vic are volunteering. It was set up in 2006 by Gerald (the Principal). The school began with Gerald walking two hours (oftentimes through a swamp Katie, Andy, and Mel had the joy of walking through last week) to a field where he would sit all day in case any students would show up. For several weeks it would be just him waiting for students to arrive. He showed up every day because he didn’t want to take the opportunity away from a student who wanted to learn. Eventually, the first student arrived – Mercy. She is now in 6th grade and is a very bright student who loves to learn and is such a joy to teach. As time passed, word spread and more students arrived to create the school it is now. There is one classroom for each class Kindergarten through 7th grade. There are 50 students, 6 teachers, and Gerald as the principle. The small student fees fund the teacher’s salaries and limited resources, with the school receiving no other funding except through donations. The staff is incredible though with a dedicated focus on quality learning, leaving no child behind, and working with the families to ensure students are receiving support at home as well. Currently, the school is not an officially registered school. Once a school is officially registered in Kenya, it means it is allowed to administer the national exam every student takes once they reach 8th grade. This test is important since a high score means that student is more likely to be accepted to a prestigious high school, which increases their chances of furthering their education at a university. Since Pleasant Hope is not officially registered, the students attend a different school for their 8th grade year and if they do well on the national exam the school they are then attending receive the credit for the high score even though all their previous education was through Pleasant Hope. To be a registered school it requires: -A school hall (15ft x 21ft min) - Water supply - Toilets (at the moment the students have 2 pit latrines but they are currently building 6 more - yay!) -An office for staff (you should see the tiny staffroom!) The hall we plan to build is 33ft x 17ft, with a concrete base, timber frame and a corrugated iron shell. We plan to put shelves in one end for a small library too! We got an estimated quote for the entire hall and labour costs for a builder to help us of $280,000 shillings, which equates to about $4200NZD or $3250USD. We are each contributing but would really love your help too! TO DONATE visit: gofundme/3dq7i8 We will account for all expenditures and keep the costs as low as possible. It would be great to have any contributions done as early as possible – by the 5th of July 2013 would be fantastic. Everyone who contributes (no matter how big or small) will have their name on a wall plaque to be placed inside the hall: Built with love: …………. This will make a huge difference for this school. There have already been tears of joy just talking about it! We are so excited about this and will update progress as we go! Thank you so much, Andy, Katie, Mel, Vic and all the Pleasant Hope Community. gofundme/3dq7i8
Posted on: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 23:01:49 +0000
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