To provide at each of these schools, a kitchen facility which is energy saving; smoke free, and hygienic, to improve the health of pupils and staff alike in this poverty stricken region of N.E. Kenya. Further to carry out essential repairs to classrooms damaged by violent storms in December 2011.
School buildings must be provided by the community, but the extreme poverty of the area, causes poor construction, and little maintenance. Kitchens (where they exist) have no ventilation; smoke chimney, and with just traditional cooking pots over a three stone hearth. Consequently smoke filled kitchens cause eye and lung problems in staff and pupils.
Also storm damage at Kakoongo School destroyed one classroom and seriously damaged three others, making education of 350 pupils very difficult.
At both schools, we will construct a brick built, iron roofed building with adequate ventilation, sufficiently large for storage of cereal foodstuffs, and a fuel store, and a with separate room to house a purpose designed and engineered cast iron and stainless steel cooker unit complete with steel chimney venting through the side wall. At Kakoongo, we will rebuild the destroyed classroom, and strengthen and repair the damaged walls and roof on the other three classrooms, re-painting all four.
To provide a suitable building at each school, for the clean and efficient method of cooking food.
» Improve managment structures at each school.
» Carry out construction of kitchens using local skilled labour (masons, carpenters etc.) under supervision of our local skilled foreman.
» Arrange supply and installation of S/S cooking unit from specialist suppliers in Nairobi. Commission and hand over to school management committees.
Success will be shown by pupils receiving meals cooked more healthily, and a cleaner working atmosphere in the kitchens. and using less locally harvested timber for fuel.
» Ensure that badly damaged classroom is taken out of use and pupils are protected by fence.
» With the help of local chiefs, encourage the community to bring local materials as before.
» Engage building contractor to prepare the site.
» Re-build the badly damaged classroom. Fix roof using new as necessary. Repair as necessary other classrooms and re-plaster to protect from weather.
Success will be.shown by education continuing as before in safe, secure, buildings, constructed within a relatively short time frame.
The kitchens will bring more hygiene and cleanliness to the production of school meals, and in doing so will use far less locally harvested timber. This will help relieve the kitchen staff of eye and lung problems. Also giving pupils clean, well prepared and cooked food. Dedicated & secure food storage facilities.
The rebuilding and repair of the storm damaged classrooms, will. if left to the community, take many years to complete, thus depriving a generation of pupils a decent education.
The only risk could be our failure to attract sufficient funds. We have dealt with this by making applications to other suitable funding organisations.
By our regular quarterly newsletter and our website.
£2,187 Water Water tanks, guttering and bases etc.
£3,100 Cookers Specialist cooking equipment.
£2,010 Vehicle Hire Trustees travelling and Fuel.
£1,200 Contingency sum Unanticipated works.
The two schools are situated approx 15kms apart in the Kyuso District, some 250 kms. north east of Nairobi.This is an extremely arid region, where 70% of the population live on less than $1 a day, and employment is virtually none. Most families rely on subsistence farming for food.
About 350 pupils plus staff at each school, together with future pupils.
Parents will also greatly benefit from not being forced to find extra funds for the school from their meagre income. Subsequently pupils will not be excluded.
We are the only charity or NGO working in this location, and due to the severe poverty, the people are unable to properly fund this project to the required standard, in a reasonable time frame.
Chairman of Akamba Aid, Worked for many years in the contruction industry, now retired.
Managing Director of plumbing and heating company.
Runs his own small building company in the area, employing local tradesmen. And was trained in Nairobi to modern building techniques.