2. Since 2013, the African Conservation Schools program
has been promoting conservation in Africa by providing
a sustainable network of quality primary schools and
teachers to communities living in key wildlife areas.
Contents
School Design Underway for Adisge
School Profile
Phase II of Lupani to Begin
Manyara Makes Headway
On the Horizon
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3. I
n recognition of our appreciation for the generous supporters of the African Conservation School (ACS) program, the ACS team will be putting together a
monthly newsletter as a way to provide relevant and up-to-date information on the schools. As we continue to grow and expand the ACS program, this
newsletter will be an important platform for communicating updates on the different stages of school construction, program implementation and impact.
Though we recognize that there have been a few challenges at this stage, we are learning from them and moving ahead to ensure a streamlined process in
reaching our program goals. On behalf of the students, teachers and community members who are the ultimate beneficiaries of your support, thank you!
Welcome
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4. Adisge Primary School has an enrollment of approximately
220 students in kindergarten through grade 6, with six
teachers living on site and another four in the village. The
environment is cold and windy given the locality and altitude.
To retain the little heat that exists in the classroom, teachers
often close the window openings, which creates a warmer,
but very dark, learning environment. Ensuring heat retention
will be a major consideration in designing the new school
while simultaneously providing a well-illuminated classroom
environment in which to learn. Similar tactics will be used
in the development of the teachers’ housing units, greatly
improving the ability of the Adisge School to attract and
retain quality teachers.
Absenteeism is a persistent
challenge. Children sell crafts
to tourists or assist families on
the farms. Though the school is
working with the community to
help maintain steady attendance
records, a new school is expected
to help improve both enrollment
and attendance levels and reinforce
the importance of education
Finally, the newly developed school
will provide for the full primary
education curriculum of Ethiopian children, through grade 8.
At the moment, Adisge provides schooling through grade 6,
and the closest school providing the final two primary grades
is 12 km away—prohibitively far for students to continue
their education. Adding the final two primary grades to the
new school will ensure students finish primary education and
allow them an improved chance of continuing their education
on to secondary school.
As Kefyalew Lizaw, a grade 5 student at Adisge, puts it:
“If I can continue school, I want to become a doctor.”
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reparations are being made for the next ACS in the Simien Mountains of
Ethiopia. A recent visit to the school in January concluded by contracting
a local architect to design and oversee the construction and development
of a new school for the Adisge community. Tenot Consulting, the architect
that is building the AWF-supported Limalimo Lodge in the Simien Mountains,
has agreed to a project that includes new classrooms for kindergarten and
grades 1–8, associated offices, ablution blocks, teacher housing and full site
landscaping. Following an onsite visit by the Tenot project leader to meet with
AWF, teachers and local community leaders and conduct an initial site survey,
the team is prepared to undertake the concept and design phase of the school.
The timeframe for completion is 10 months, finishing construction December 31
with ongoing landscaping work thereafter.
School Design Underway for Adisge
School Profile
ABOVE: Adisge’s current classrooms are dilapidated and dark. New designs will improve lighting
and heat retention in classrooms.
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5. F
ollowers of the Ilima Conservation Primary School in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will be excited to hear that
the official opening is scheduled for the week of March 16. While
this is nothing new for its 300+ students who have been attending
classes in the new Ilima School since September 2014, the official
opening will ceremonially hand the school over to the government
and celebrate the hard work put into the school by the community,
project architect MASS Design Group and AWF. High-level
delegates from the government and community will be invited to
attend alongside representatives from AWF and MASS Design
Group, and donors such as the World Bank and U.S. Agency for
International Development (or USAID).
This past year has seen a school built from the ground in one of
the more rural landscapes in which AWF operates. With the school
now complete, construction is focusing on finishing the teachers’
housing by April. Two of three buildings are nearly complete, with
walls erected and roofing in process. Construction is only part of the
process, however.
While the physical infrastructure is crucial for ensuring a suitable
learning environment, quality teachers and a robust educational
experience are also critical components of a child’s education.
Teacher training and conservation curriculum are core parts of
the ACS program that enhance the quality of education students
receive. In October 2014, Ilima’s teachers attended an on-site
five-day training to strengthen their skills in basic pedagogical
methods, classroom management, operation of educational units
and analysis of the national primary school program. Next on the
agenda is implementing a conservation education program at Ilima,
which is likely to include partnerships with local organizations who
are on the ground and have complementary programs and activities
already in place.
Enrollment at Ilima has already increased from 230 students to
323 students, indicating that the parents and community are
excited about the opportunities the school has to offer. To track the
performance of the school, data will be collected on at least a term-
by-term basis to measure enrollment, dropout/survival rates, grades
and any other measures deemed necessary to help demonstrate
the impact the school is having on educational standards as well as
knowledge and understanding of conservation.
TOP: AWF and MASS Design Group carefully planned for a sustainable school that is
appropriate to both the area geography and regional climate. MIDDLE: Opportunities to teach
in outdoor learning spaces further reinforce the connection between school and conservation.
BOTTOM: Ilima is sited in a location that bridges both untouched forest and agricultural areas,
reinforcing the importance of the land and natural resources.
Ilima’s Official Opening Scheduled
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6. Phase II of Lupani to Begin
Classrooms constructed in 2011 need to be supported by improved landscaping to control erosion and water runoff. Phase II addresses campuswide landscaping, including
plantings of indigenous species, and outdoor learning areas.
A new building in Phase II will incorporate an additional classroom for grade 7, staff offices, a library and additional toilet facilities.
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WF’s support to Lupani has been ongoing since 2011, when a modern
six-classroom school replaced a one-room dilapidated schoolhouse
with a caved-in roof. Both students and teachers have since thrived
in the improved learning spaces, accessing quality education and renewing
commitments by the community to support the school as a center of excellence.
Over the past year, AWF has been working with MASS Design Group to
design and plan Phase II of Lupani’s development. This will include a grade
7 classroom, library, administrative offices and improved landscaping
to prevent erosion and water runoff or collection pools. With the final
architectural plans nearly complete, an on-site visit by the local architect
will take place in early March. Subsequent to a successful tendering
process, construction is anticipated to begin by the end of March.
In addition to school infrastructure, two new generous supporters have
provided additional funding for the Lupani School, focusing on education
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7. T
his past year has seen deliberate and comprehensive preparation
for the major renovation planned for Manyara Ranch Primary School.
AWF has been working closely with MASS Design to encourage
timely implementation, and though there have been a few challenges that
have slowed the process leading up to groundbreaking, work is set to
begin in April.
Over this past month, MASS as the project manager has been negotiating
with Kapwani Architects, the local architect identified to oversee the
construction and landscaping at Manyara. A joint site visit by AWF, local
officials from the Monduli District Council and Kapwani Architects was
conducted in late January to discuss the project, tentative work plan and
timelines for delivery. Following this visit, next steps include finalization of
the architectural plans and tendering for contractors. MASS with Kapwani
Architects will oversee the tender process, working closely with AWF
and representatives from Monduli District Council’s office throughout the
entire process.
In addition to the physical renovations, the school is in need of classroom
furniture. A large number of chairs and desks have broken because of poor
initial quality and a lack of proper maintenance. As a result, most of the
furniture is unusable, and students have been sitting on the floors during
classes and exams.
Part of the project’s budget includes the purchase of new furniture, which
will provide 500 brand-new student desks (providing seating for two
students per desk), enough to furnish all classrooms for all the children at
the school. An in-depth search for quality furniture makers was concluded
in January when a company based in Tanzania was found that specializes
in wood milling, with school furniture as one output. The company practices
sustainable forestry operations, ensuring that the highest environmental
standards are met. A sample of the furniture is currently being made to
ensure durability and avoid previous challenges related to furniture quality.
Given the delays encountered during the pre-construction phase, AWF is
pushing hard to remain as close to the original schedule as possible and
ensure that work at Manyara will begin in early April. This includes at
least weekly follow ups with the Monduli District Council by AWF’s team
on the ground, in addition to MASS’s liaison with the local architect and
contractors. Though construction has been slow to start, we are nearing
the stage where it can begin. With the start of construction in April, the
full work will take nine months ending in December. Landscaping will be
completed by March 2016.
Manyara Makes Headway
AWF’s landscape director John Salehe and Manyara Ranch Manager Fidelis Ole
Kashe test out potential school desks for the Manyara Ranch Primary School.
The ZeduPad, produced by local Zambian tech company iSchool, provides the full
Zambia national curriculum on a small, affordable, child-friendly touchpad. ACS will
be working with iSchool to provide ZeduPads to the Lupani Community School, for
use by both students and teachers, replacing the need for an expensive, resource-
intensive computer lab.
technology and conservation education. With these two new grants, we are
developing the following initiatives at Lupani:
Technology: iSchool, a Zambian tablet producer, has mapped the entire
primary school curriculum in eight different languages and pre-loaded
them on to the government sanctioned ZeduPad tablet. An entire iSchool
package, complete with 30 student tablets (sufficient for a full class),
seven teacher tablets for lesson planning, teacher training for one year,
projectors and headphones, will be introduced to Lupani upon completion
of the new school. The ZeduPad is considered a valuable teaching aid as it
promotes peer and self learning, and provides lesson plans and interactive
multimedia learning materials. It also has reading schemes (for use in adult
literacy classes), reference and research resources and exam preparation,
which is far more than what is provided by conventional means.
Conservation education: A specialized conservation education program
will be developed for Lupani to help reinforce sustainable use of natural
resources. The material will be additive, complementary and generally
delivered outside of normal instruction as extracurricular activities.
Examples of the type of activities to be implemented include signage
and nature trails, infographics explaining AWF’s conservation model
and the school’s purpose, establishment of conservation clubs, teacher
sensitization on conservation issues, and linkages to safari and/or tour
operators.
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