GOROM-GOROM PRIMARY SCHOOL
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The Burkinabe church in Gorom-Gorom has the vision for a Christian elementary primary school in the town. The Acacia Partnership Trust, together with Glenwood Church in Cardiff, is committed to support the church in Burkina Faso in building and resourcing this school, and is looking for partners and donors in this project.
See the links to the right for more information on the vision for the school, background to education in Burkina Faso, a short video about the school project etc.
YEAR 1: THE SCHOOL OPENS
The school opened in a rented yard in October 2008, and is called "Wakkil Alla" ("Trust in God" in the Fulani language).
The teacher and headmaster, Nicodeme Minoungou (see below), lives in a house in the yard, and we have built a temporary classroom also in the yard. There is also a kitchen for preparing food for the children. There is a school committee, composed of Nicodeme, Pastor Daniel, and some of the local Christians. And a parents association has also started.
We have just taken in one class so far, and there are 24 children coming regularly. They are poor and most of their parents have not been able to give the £3 yearly subscription that has been asked for. They love Nicodeme, and he evidently loves them. The children are now receiving a meal every lunchtime, thanks to support from Glenwood Church in Cardiff, and the World Food Programme. Two cooks are employed part-time.
The Head Teacher - Nicodeme Minoungou
Nicodeme, 26, is from the Mossi people of Tenkoudougou, in the very south of Burkina Faso, so he is a long way from home. He is from a Christian family, but says he got serious about his faith in 2001. He came into teaching because of his love for children and for teaching – he was already a Sunday school teacher in his local church. He says:
- "First I was daunted being asked to come here to start the school, but then I was encouraged that people believe in me, and that people are praying for our school. I already have a house to live in, which is better than a lot of teachers. In class also, things seem to be going very well, and I believe this is because of people's prayers. "
The School Building
We now hope to start building after the rainy season (around Sep). Things have taken longer than foreseen. Architect Richard Woods and about 10 of his colleagues from Capita, are designing the school, and have come up with an innovative and attractive design that will create a good learning environment for the children in classes that will be cooler than the standard model. Richard has been to visit Gorom-Gorom, and has spoken with the local teachers, pastors, builders, and architects, and everyone is very enthusiastic. The design includes:
- Using local materials and innovative design techniques to make an attractive building with a vaulted roof.
- Outside shaded study areas and meeting places,
- A courtyard with garden
- Housing for 6 teachers,
- A kitchen and toilets for the chldren
- Play areas and soccer field
- Possibilities for water harvesting (see below), solar water heating and electricity generation, composting toilets
We didn't find water on the school land, and now are looking at rain water harvesting. We hope to set up a system of collecting water during the rainy season (eg from the school roofs) and collect it in an underground cistern. This could then be pumped up to a small water tower for filtering and feeding to a standpipe.
Class Sponsorship: €190/month to educate 40 children.
Building the school is in some ways the easy bit. Because we are aiming to help the poorest of the poor, their parents will not be able to make enough of a contribution to cover the salaries of the teachers and the running costs of the school. This is the challenge to make the school sustainable viable.
Sponsor a Class
For the first few years, we would like to find some support for the school, until it can get established. Rather than child sponsorship, we are looking at class sponsorship. We would like to find 6 churches who would each be willing to sponsor a class of children through its 6 years of school. This would give the school time to get established and potentially develop other means of support.
We plan to take in one class of up to 40 children each year for the first 6 years, until we have a full school of 6 classes with up to 240 children. The first class is already being sponsored by Glenwood Church in Cardiff, and so we need 5 more churches over the next 5 years - starting this October (2009).
Cost
We are looking for a contribution of €2,300 (currently $3,200 or £2,000) per year towards the cost of supporting a class of 40 children (teacher salary, food, administration). That works out at €190 per month per class, or under €5 per child per month.
Do you think your church or group could commit to €190 per month for 6 years to help put a class of 40 children through a Christian elementary school? Maybe you and eighteen friends could each afford €10/month?
Could you help?
We need support for the second class by this October, and then support for each of the next four classes for the following four years. If you think you or your church or group could help us, do please get in touch with us at admin@acaciapartnershiptrust.org.uk.
