Monday, May 28, 2007

Potomac Classroom Project : Day Five

Spray painting the first undercoat layer of the walls of the new classroom.

All work, of course, must meet with the curious inspection and approval of the children.

My School Red Rose, by Vinand Joachim

To see/read an enlarged version of any of the scanned work by Red Rose children, simply click on the image on this page, and a bigger printable image will open up in your browser.

Click here to read more poems and songs written by the children at Red Rose.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Kibera Slum Schools Educational Day

On Friday May 25th, the children from Red Rose joined their counterparts from more than 20 other independent schools in Kibera for a slum schools performance and educational showcase. These schools educate children not accommodated in the five government primary schools around Kibera, and are the sole avenue for any future upward social mobility and the path out of extreme poverty. In song, dance, public speaking, English and Mathematics tests, the children of Red Rose were ranked at the top of their peer schools. Congratulations to the children for their hard work and the excellence and commitment of their teachers.

Getting ready to board the hired bus for the trip to the venue of the Kibera independent slum schools education day.
Everyone enjoys the ride in the bus with friends and a good field trip!
Red Rose children arrive in style, arousing the curiosity of children from other schools at the educational day.
Parade to check in that everyone is there, followed by recitations of verses and songs. Posing for photos is fun too!
Getting ready for the next activity, group dancing!


Hello? Shake it, shake it, shake it!
Ok, let's sit and watch the other schools perform their songs and dances.

Ah, snack time! Soda and scones.
Fanta, Coke, Sprite, Stoney Tangawizi -- yummy soda, what a treat!
Back to school for a late lunch -- rice, potatoes, cabbage, and chick peas.
This lunch gets a thumbs up!
And our amazing teachers at the Kibera slum schools educational day.

Potomac Classroom Project : Day Four

On day four of the construction, there was a power-rationing for this area of Kibera, so the painting of the classroom which was to be done with a power-sprayer had to be postponed to Monday. The workers spent the day putting some finishing touches on the floor instead. Once the metal walls have received one coat of paint in and out, the interior walls will get a panel of plywood from floor to ceiling, and this inside plywood panelling will be painted too. The plywood panelling will keep the room cool on hot days and warm on cold days.

These links should take you to earlier stages in the project: Day One, Day Two, Day Three, and inside of some classrooms in summer 2006. The Potomac School team visiting for community service will repair and improve the conditions of these classrooms such as the one in this video with the children singing and dancing.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Potomac Classroom Project : Day Three

The curious children come to observe the progress on their new classroom under construction. On day three of the project, the work focused on putting up the roof of the classroom and creating a concrete floor using ballast mixed by hand. Click here for progress on day one (site clearance and walls) or day two (fence repair, door, windows)