February to June 2021
The area where the Tree school is, was already allocated to Education and owned by the Maasai Community. The Maasai people therefore decided to build the new School next to the Tree. Many meetings were held among the Maasai Leaders, Taran and the community. There was a general skepticism towards the building plan and what Taran´s intentions really were. Jacob Parit Noomek became her most important collaboration partner and the communicator between her and the Maasai Community.
Challenging building process
Maasai Plains
Ongoing Construction
A building agreement was signed with a local Contractor, Kiarie Amos, and a building Team was established in the beginning of February 2021.
The building process was challenging but fun. The bush area is 45 minutes from a town called, Namanga, and the bush roads are not always easy to drive on. During heavy rains the workers had to spend the night at the building site because they were not able to drive home, and made fires around the sleeping area to protect themselves from wild animals. Many days of strong sun, heat and hard work. Trucks came regularly from Namanga with cement, sand, building materials and water supply. All materials were bought at a local Hardware in Namanga, and windows and doors made by a local welder.
The Maasai community became more and more involved and exited about the School during these months, and several meetings were held under the Tre discussing the importance of Education. The children were going to School under the Tree next to the building site, and were able to watch the daily progress. The building construction was funded entirely by private donations.
Getting classrooms ready
The School was painted in June and all the paint was donated by Crown Paints. Everyone was working to get the three classrooms ready during July and August, reaching out to donors to get school desks, book shelves, text books and stationary. All the desks were donated by Crown Paints, and the book shelves were donated by the Chandaria Foundation. Books and stationary was purchased with private donations.
The local wall artist, Kim Gitau, decorated the School building with Wild Animals and learning tools.
90 students and three Teachers moved from teaching under the Tree, and into the Classrooms on Monday 23 August 2021. A very happy day!
Students in the new classrooms.
The building process
