SHOCC has been supporting a primary school at Marigat for many years and 2013 sees the completion, by scouts from Cleveland, UK, of the last two of its eight classrooms. There is more work still to do but the project is up and running with over 350 pupils.

About 20 miles away land has been donated by the Wei Wei irrigation scheme to allow a new school to be constructed. I visited the project in the summer of 2012 and saw the first classroom nearing completion. It opened to its first 35 pupils in January 2013 and has been called St Kevin's School.

I have included several photographs that show the construction of the first classroom from its early beginnings in March-April 2012 through to its completion in September-October 2012. In January 2013 I received photos from Fr Peter Kway, the local parish priest, of the first class and the first toilets. The building is providing work for local builders, carpenters and painters and is being supervised by Fr Peter.

In February 2013 I was able to send a further £2,750 to enable the construction of a much needed kitchen for the school and to add a 10,000 litre water harvesting tank for the frist classroom. Eventually, every classroom will have such a tank to store rain to meet needs in the long dry seasons.

I have an obvious personal interest in the development of this school and know that Fr. Peter will closely supervise all the work on building the classrooms, developing the curriculum and landscaping the school grounds. There is no shortage of potential pupils as there is no school within 20 miles. Already every place in the first infant class has been taken and there is a long waiting list. Finding teachers is no problem; finding classrooms is.

My challenge is to help Fr Peter develop this school over the next few years to a situation where its pupils can go on to secondary education and beyond. He will need much help, not least in financial terms.

This is where I feel most able to help knowing that every penny donated will go directly to the project with no overheads and unnecessary costs. So please join me to help reach our target. If we can raise £6000 each year for several years, this will allow Fr Peter to expand the school, one classroom at a time. The £6000 I have set as my target is for the January 2014 classroom and I hope work can commence in October 2013.

I will be visiting Marigat in August 2013 and will then be able to give a full report on progress.

Thanks for your support.

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