Several months in and the construction at Fas Toucouleur Primary School is nearing completion! Because of your support (and a matching grant from One Days Wages) three new classrooms are being built. This will double the capacity of the school. Students will no longer be studying in temporary thatch buildings. Latrines are also under construction, which will improve sanitation conditions and decrease absences due to illness.
We are excited to share with you the progress of the construction so far. Click here to see previous posts about this project.
Pre-Construction - Students inside one of the existing classrooms (left). Exterior of one of the existing classrooms with the temporary thatch classroom attached (right).
February 2019
We met with the community leaders and school administrators to finalize the terms of who was responsible for which aspects of the project and established a timeline for the work.
We then surveyed the ground to determine the best location for the rooms, keeping in mind elements such as wind, hot afternoon sun, as well as proximity to water and latrines.
Once the location for the classrooms was established, excavation and construction could begin. In the photo above, the green lines indicate where the new block of classrooms will be constructed. You can see an abandoned hut in the middle of the proposed site. This will be removed.
The abandoned hut, which will be removed to make way for new classrooms (left).
Materials were delivered on-site in mid-February. Local contractors along with residents set to making the bricks needed for construction.
March 2019 - The footing and walls start to take shape and the roof to the hut has been removed.
May 2019 - Workers seal the concrete walls.
The new block of classrooms (left) and new latrine (right) will be ready for classes this fall.
Amath Diop School Director
The community has continually emphasized what this project will mean for them.
"It will boost enrollment, increase attendance, bolster test scores, and set this community on the path towards a brighter future."
As the classrooms are nearing completion, they will be ready to be filled with eager students when classes resume this fall. Thank you for making this possible