This week, our blog features more photos of the exciting building work happening in Malawi. This week’s entry features updates on a new project for the RIPPLE team- a “basic” double classroom block- now completed at Mwaya Primary School and in progress at Chiomba.
Over the years RIPPLE Africa has built many buildings, including classrooms, offices, teacher’s houses, a medical dispensary and more. Our building projects have been done to a really great quality, often using steel and concrete blocks, and have been finished to an excellent standard. Although this method of building is of course preferable in terms of design, it takes us several months and sometimes years to raise the money needed to produce these larger buildings. However the increasing populations at the local primary schools are growing much faster than it is possible to fundraise, and as a result RIPPLE has trialed a new building model which uses less expensive materials including locally made bricks which the communities prepare, in order to save time and money. This has enabled us to construct buildings more quickly, as it only costs around £5,000 to build this new basic classroom block, compared to nearly £20,000 for a more luxurious model!
Have a look below to see our first completed prototype at Mwaya Primary School:
On the back of the success at Mwaya Primary, we are also constructing one at Chiomba Primary:
All of these projects were funded by donors who have worked hard to raise the money for us, and Trusts which have put their faith in RIPPLE Africa’s ability to deliver these projects. Thanks again to all our wonderful supporters for their kind donations which have made these projects possible!