Location: Kalkfeld is an agricultural settlement in the Otjozondjupa region of northern Namibia
Project: Extension of an elementary school with 3 classrooms and a storage room
Funding volume: The total costs amount to 64,000 Euros. 44,000 Euro will be covered by EduCare while 20,000 Euro will be provided by the project partner Primary School Garden non-profit UG as own contribution. The local builder will contract 5-7 workers from the township to integrate local people into the school construction.
Project period: approx. four months starting January 2022
Partner: FLY & HELP and on site for the implementation Primary School Garden non-profit UG
Name: EduCare School
The location
Kalkfeld is a small, agricultural village with about 4,000-5,000 inhabitants. Mostly women and children live in the village, which is located about 240 kilometers north of Windhoek between Otjiwarongo and Omaruru.
Since Namibia consists largely of farmland and nature parks, it is not easy to provide enough schools throughout the country. The walking distances to the few schools are often far too long, so that most of the children have to sleep near the school.
The people
Many of the children are on their own. The school is also a shelter for these students. There they get a hot meal, care and education and therefore it is especially important to have enough classrooms so that even the youngest can go to preschool and elementary school.
The school
In January 2021, the new Schoolhall was completed and inaugurated, where currently classes are also held under covid-19 restrictions and assemblies can take place.
The school site currently has 15 classrooms, a storage facility, dilapidated wooden containers, and will be expanded to include the three new classrooms and the new storage facility.
To date, 559 students ages 5-16 have been taught by 19 teachers in 15 usable classrooms. That was about 40 children per classroom before the covid-19 requirements. The classrooms are small and usually designed for only 20 children. It is hot, noisy and crowded inside. On particularly hot days, classes have been held under the tree.
Now, with the covid requirements, only a third of the children are in the classroom, but classes must always rotate so that everyone can get to school every day. Classes also have to be held in the materials store and in the two dilapidated wooden containers due to lack of space. This is very exhausting for both children and teachers.
In addition, the number of students has increased by 10% in the last year alone and the increase is predicted to continue. Thus, the school is already lacking three additional classrooms in normal operation.
The two classrooms in the dilapidated wooden containers are not only dilapidated but also in danger of collapsing; they are no longer firmly on the ground. If the rooms are entered - even by just one person, the whole building shakes. The floor is so dilapidated that it could collapse at any moment. Even its use as a warehouse poses a danger.
These wooden containers are to be demolished and disposed of, which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. However, the Ministry will not build a replacement because it has no budget for it.
Sustainability Strategy
The local builder is contracting 5-7 workers from the township to involve local people in the project.
A school garden has already been established in the school, where agriculture has been taught theoretically and practically for 13 years. Adjacent there is a school garden kitchen with water and electricity, which is used for home economics lessons.
To improve hygiene, a washing station was built, a rainwater tank was installed and a small infirmary was set up for the basic medical care of the students.
Laying of the foundation stone
With the expansion of the educational facility, EduCare e.V. aims to improve the quality of learning and life for the children of the Kalkfeld community. The foundation stone will be laid at the beginning of the year 2022.
Inauguration
The new elementary school in Kalkfeld will strengthen the right of children to a good education and is an important pillar against poverty. Poverty prevents education, education prevents poverty.
The inauguration is planned for April/May 2022.
The school will be named “EduCare School«.