Let’s help generations of children have a school to learn

Some pictures of this incredible project in Sumba-est

the This Rebuilding is made for generations of children in East Sumba

And now let’s give space to hope!

Hope? It is all of us who are in Sumba, on the site of the school that will live tomorrow. The hope is also that 75% of orders for reconstruction are placed with our suppliers. The hope is to know that by the end of October 2020 the new school will be built, more beautiful, and more solid than before and that the 65 children of the region will then be able to get there without having to walk for miles and miles. … Find out more here!

Dear friends, dear Kawan, dear families, how are you? Hope you are doing well and are happy!

As you now know since December 2019, the foundation has committed to rebuilding the school in Mbinu Dita which fell apart after a storm. Here we are a few months later, the project is progressing well but it has also changed a lot since the first estimate.

Actually, the initial plan was to “simply” reconstruct the two classrooms, a very simple structure with local materials. However, after several hours of discussion with local communities and the education department, we came to the conclusion that the needs were greater than that.

So we came back with a second project; a beautiful school, resistant, practical, and functional.  Above all, we have added a 3rd classroom, which will allow 25 more children to attend school, as well as a so-called “multi-purpose” room. This space will serve as a homework room; given that they have no electricity in their villages and that night falls at 6 p.m., it is impossible for them to study after school. This space will also serve as an artistic centre and will be open to all the population of the surrounding villages to give courses, conferences, or even develop new economic projects.

However, after many discussions with local communities and the education department, we came to the conclusion that the needs were greater. Before the storm, this school consisted of two classrooms (1st and 2nd year), perched on the top of a hill. This school also has no water, no electricity. These children don’t have enough to eat and now, no more school!

This new project also, like the previous one, provides clean toilets with a septic tank, a workroom for teachers, photovoltaic panels which will supply the school with electricity as well as access to drinking water which will be harvested thanks to on the roofs of the school and which will accessible to all.

About the 3rd classroom, which will allow 25 more children to attend school, as well as a so-called multi-purpose room. This space will serve as a homework room; given that they have no electricity in their villages and that night falls at 6 p.m., it is impossible for them to study after school. This space will also serve as an art centre and will be open to the entire population of the villages to give courses, conferences, and develop new projects.

Like the 1st project, it includes clean toilets, a workroom for teachers, photovoltaic panels to supply the school with electricity, access to drinking water which will be harvested thanks to the roof of the school. The water will be accessible to the whole population who do not have access to it. The order and on-site delivery phase have already started as you can see on this photo gallery. The building materials, the structure, the roof, and photovoltaic panels will arrive in Sumba around the 15th of September.

Donation already made form Fair Future Foundation to Kawan Baik Indonesia

1. The first payment of CHF. 15’000.- was carried out on February 28th, 2020;
2. The second one of Chf.15’000.- was carried out on August 30th, 2020;
3. The third one of CHF. 6’000.- was carried out on October 10th, 2020;
4. The fourth step of CHF. 6’000.- was carried out on October 27th, 2020.
5. The last step of CHF. 7’695.- was carried out on February 3rd, 2021;
6. … And more will be done for the continuation of this project;-)

The people have absolutely no money to rebuild it. This small school structure was built because these kids live far too far from the nearest primary school, located more than 8 kilometres away on foot. The school before was very simple with split bamboo walls, black sand floors with a tin roof and reeds.

The site of Mbinu Dita on Google Map here if you want to look where it’s located.

FULL AHEAD!

The plans are completed, the construction of the chassis and the framework are completed. A company from Surabaya is in charge and operates its network of friends to help the foundation. Note that the owner of this civil engineering company is an extraordinary person, invested in the cause that we lead. It is a huge challenge for all of us to coordinate all this from our Base Camp in Denpasar and we no longer count the return trips, the meeting hours, the tens of thousands of WhatsApp messages exchanged via our dedicated group, which we named #RebuildMbinudita (#ReconstruireMbinudita). We have received lots of support form him to rebuild Mbinu Dita.

The first trucks will arrive at the Mbinu Dita site middle of September after a journey of nearly 2,000 kilometres by road and boat. It’s a hell of a trip and the transportation costs for us are significant. We could have done without it, but sadly we couldn’t find what we need to rebuild a school that will stand up to the familiar weather and weather of Sumba Island. It is also always astonishing to think that it is in the poorest regions that materials are the most expensive! Part of the reason is that Sumba is far from it all, I’ll let you go google map here and surely you’ll understand.

Thank you very much for your concrete help and your love, to offer to these kids and their teachers a new school.