Model Project - Rebuilding the Tedeini School

Imagine walking two miles through the desert in the early morning to get to school. You enter an old mud classroom whose ceilings and walls have gaping holes from erosion through the years. You have no school supplies, your teacher is a parent in the village who barely speaks the country’s national language, and your parents could not afford to give you any food for your school day so you must spend the entire day at school hungry. This was an actual situation faced by the first village engaged by Caravan to Class.

To address their educational needs of the village:

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• We built a new cement 3-room classroom with metal roof.
• We repaired the well so students have water at the school site.
• We provided both breakfast and lunch.
• We hired certified teachers from Timbuktu.

Program Overview

Team of partners:

• Caravan to Class
• Non-governmental organization partner: Nord et Developpement
• Village elders, village of Tedeini
• Timbuktu Ministry of Education
• Caravan to Class supporters

Budget:

• $60,000

Goals and tasks:

• Build new 3-classroom school building
• Repair existing school building
• Repair latrine
• Purchase desks/tables and other classroom furniture
• Purchase and store food
• Pay teachers’ salaries
• Repair well

Timeline:

• Produce work plan, raise funds, complete construction within 16 months

Donors:

• 60% US, 27% Asia, 13% Europe
• 2 schools in San Francisco (150 children)
• 1 senior citizens’ organization (75 retirees)

Impact of our work:

• Increased enrollment of children of village from 15 to 75 students
• Achieved certification of the school from Ministry of Education
• Government provided principal (at its cost) to run the school