Building Classrooms in Rural South Africa

Progress of the new classroom at Silatsha School in the Eastern Cape of South Africa 

The building of the new classroom at Silatsha School has progressed again as our last two groups of volunteers from project partner EDventures brought their energy, willingness to get their hands dirty and enthusiasm for power tools, to the project!


To see the beginnings of this building project read the last blog about it's progress "Volunteers Continue Building Classroom in Rural South Africa".

Over to group leader Milton:

"The first group of volunteers this season were awesome - they completed the work we had laid out for them at Gwegwesha Creche and so we moved them onto helping to complete the new classroom at Silatsha School which has been a project in progress for a while.


The classroom walls were already built up to their permanent height but the gable ends had to be built up with the help of local builders...

Putting up scaffolding and carrying blocks to
an accessible place

Lending a helping hand to local builders

The gable ends completed

The group's challenge then was to put up the roof trusses...

Preparing the trusses

Power tools! Woohooooo! ;)

Lifting the trusses onto the classroom roof

All of the trusses and branderings fitted ready for the new roof!

...paint the zinc sheeting for the roof...

Preparing the zinc to be painted

Opening the paint tins...

Painting up a storm!

...with a little help from our friends...

...and start plastering the walls.

The following group took over the project here - they had a solid two weeks at Silatsha and with only 6 volunteers they had their work cut out for them! Our aim was to complete the roofing, the plastering, build the stoops, sand the walls in preparation for painting (on the existing buildings) and make a sign for the school. 

We're heeeeeeeere! The group with project leaders Cari, Miller
& Thabs in the middle!

They got to work quick sticks on sanding the existing classroom buildings - the walls are in need of some serious TLC!

 

The team then moved onto mixing cement and finishing the walls of the new classroom...

Building the stoop at the front of the new classroom...

Plastering the new walls...

Beginning to lay the roofing...

And putting up a frame for the new school sign!

 

An awesome and very successful project - we are hoping to have the classroom completed by the end of the year when we can move the kids in! A huge well done to the volunteer teams for helping VA32 move this project forward so quickly :)

And a massive thanks to Cari for sharing her photos with us.