GlobalGiving.org: BeeHive School nurturing future Malawian leaders

This Holiday has been a Snowball of Love & Support

Eva Markiewicz and Katy Harrison — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:53:19 GMT

Dear Friends of BeeHive School,

BeeHive School has really been blessed with generosity this holiday season. There has been such an incredible outpouring of kindness - it has been a snowball of love and support. It is truly humbling. Thank you everyone! At this rate, we'll have the final of the three buildings completed in no time.

A special thank you goes out to long-time BeeHive volunteer Katy Harrison for her fundraising support this holiday season. Katy was the magic behind the school photodocumentary showing the construction progress of the classrooms at Beehive School (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku0epqdiGCQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL)

Katy is also leading a very successful fundraising effort through Global Giving’s “gifts for good” campaign where people who donate more than $75 through the online Global Giving site receive a gift - a beautiful handmade necklace. Katy found the necklaces on www.etsy.com, a website that is “a community of artists, creators, collectors, thinkers and doers” where people can sell things that they make. The necklaces are gorgeous and very high quality - each made with unique African stones and beads. This endeavour has been very successful and has raised $950 USD (142,500 kwacha) for BeeHive School, and there are three necklaces left.

The story behind the necklaces is quite special. The US artist, Casey Hunt, started making necklaces to sell through her Etsy store as a way to raise money for micro-credit loans for people in Africa. BeeHive volunteers Katy and Eva purchased 10 necklaces for the gifts for good campaign and Casey used that money to provide a Kiva loan to fund a group of women in Uganda that own a shoe store business - you can read all about it on her blog. Katy and Eva also paid for the postage to send to the donors, so that way every donation given for a necklace goes directly to BeeHive School. Casey’s connection to Africa runs very deep, as she and her husband adopted a son from Ethiopia. You can read more about their journey here.

The ESC Foundation, a family foundation based in Germany, recently discovered BeeHive School and approached us with some very probing and detailed questions, which we were delighted to delve into. After a thorough vetting of BeeHive’s mission and the intended use of the funds, the ESC Foundation donated €2000 ($2600 USD or 430,000 kwacha), which will be used to complete the third and final building. Please join me in a “Ich bin Ihnen sehr dankbar” (I'm very grateful/thankful to you) to the ESC Foundation!!

Ryton Methodist Church, in Gateshead, England raised £738 ($1500 USD or 188,300 kwacha). Special thanks to Judith Stoddart, along with David Stoddart, Amanda and David Baker, Reen Dunlop and others. Judith writes “It was a pleasure. We love Chimzi dearly and would love her to come back after Christmas, so when we found out about your school building project it made sense for us to try and help out as much as we could. We have been given another £105 this morning and maybe more to come!”

A very special thanks goes out to school teacher Debbie Watts who is a primary school teacher in the US' Department of Defense and is currently based in the UK. In the UK, it’s customary for students and their parents to give a Christmas gift to their teacher, but this year, Debbie decided that what she wanted more than anything else was support for Beehive School.

Debbie writes:
“The group of children I teach every day--your children--make my job so rewarding. I get to do useful work that I enjoy with people I like. I feel so lucky.

I know how generous these children, and you, their parents, are. I know many of my students this year plan to bring me a little something special to show their appreciation. Every year I receive lovely, thoughtful Christmas presents. And I am so thankful for the gesture and the gifts.

But I look around my schoolroom and my home--it’s filled with so many wonderful things. As Americans, we are blessed to have too much abundance in our lives. I truly cannot think of another thing I need or want. The gifts that would mean the most this year are gifts for others.”

Her generosity is amazing and BeeHive has received many donations from the staff and parents at her school.

People all over the world are reaching out to help BeeHive and this support doesn’t just come in the form of financial donations. Architect Rowan Haysom donated his talent, time, and expertise to design the BeeHive School buildings. From his website:

"The design for a new primary school in Mzuzu, Malawi. The construction is based on locally available materials and appropriate technologies. These include natural passive heating and cooling devices, sun dried bricks, load bearing masonry construction, etc. The plan demarcates layers of transition from the public to the private realm, with the hall and library open to the public past the control of the admin hub. The classrooms are beyond a further transitional layer, placed in a cloistered arrangement. The external spaces are as important as the internal rooms, and together create an intimate, protected and safe learning environment." http://www.haysomwardmiller.co.uk/page1/page7/page32/page32.html

Niall, the staff and students of BeeHive are overwhelmed with the generosity of all these kind people around the world. For anyone still trying to decide where to invest their hard earned dollar this year - please consider BeeHive School. With a little more help we’ll have the buildings completed by the end of 2012 - making it possible for over twice the number of students to attend school in safe structures (As many of you recall - the old school buildings were at maximum capacity and BeeHive was forced to turn away students. The old structures themselves were also structurally unsafe).

Thank You Everyone! And a very Happy Holidays from everyone here at BeeHive School.

Warmly,
Eva Markiewicz and Katy Harrison
Beehive School Volunteers

p.s. Have you seen the latest photos of the school garden! The students collect rain water to cultivate their plots.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150413629209139.364265.271055084138&type=3

Links:

A Bright & Cheerful Holiday Newsletter

Eva Markiewicz and Katy Harrison — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:43:27 GMT

Perlton Edwin and Kenneth Malema

Dear BeeHive Community,

BeeHive wishes you a Happy Holiday Season and a Happy Thanksgiving to those in the US.

Thank you for your past support and encouragement. This newsletter has some fun updates - don't miss the short video that Katy put together! - we think you will find it inspiring and by the end you'll have a smile on your face.

Malawi has had a rough 2011. In July, the UK cut aid to the country after a disagreement with Malawi's government. This lead to tragic riots in the capital and also in Mzuzu, which ended with 98 serious injuries and 18 people dead. Although BeeHive students were exposed to the rioting and had family and friends affected by the riots - we were very fortunate that none of them were physically injured. In fact, BeeHive students have continued to flourish despite the chaos around them.

All the students at BeeHive School received high marks in their exams this year. Two students did exceptionally well. Perlton Edwin and Kenneth Malema got the highest and second highest grades in the whole of Malawi for the Cambridge Primary exams. These exams test their knowledge of English, math, and science, and ensure that they are ready to move onto secondary school. Perlton and Kenneth attended the Cambridge Outstanding Learners Achievement Awards, at Bedir School in Blantyre, to receive their awards. This photo shows Perlton receiving his award from the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, and the British Council Regional Director for Southern Africa.

Over in the US, we have been raising funds to help finish the construction of the school. During the summer, BeeHive volunteers Katy Harrison and Abe Downey camped and rode their tandem bike 3,000 kilometers across Europe, from Budapest to Holland, while raising awareness and funds for the school.

BeeHive School is still part of the internationally recognized Global Giving. In order to partner with them, we undergo rigorous compliance checks, including site visits from Global Giving representatives to monitor progress and make sure that we stay true to our goals. Global Giving has also been a great site to raise awareness and get others involved in the school. For the holidays we are part of their 'Gifts for Good' campaign.

When you donate $75 to the school through this program, you will receive a hand-made necklace made with African beads as a thank you (for more info please contact: info@beehiveschool.com). We have commissioned a US artist, Casey Hunt, to make these beautiful necklaces. Casey is inspired by nature and uses African beads made from glass, wood, shells, pearls or stone. Each necklace is unique and has sterling silver clasps. All funds raised will go to completing the the last section of the school including the library and assembly hall.

Construction is progressing quickly with only 1/3 left to go. The classrooms and some toilets were finished earlier this year, allowing students to attend class in the new buildings. In August the playground was complete, and is of course hugely popular. The children love the slide, climbing gym, swings and even a sand box - a rare luxury in Malawi. You can check out the progress yourself in this video:

http://beehiveschool.smugmug.com/gallery/19959116_RrLCZK#1598826543_tSFgs7G-A-LB

In October the school held 'Open Day' where parents got to go to school with their children. Parents sat in class, had snacks at break-time, then attended a meeting and questions. Niall, the founder and principal, said it was a fantastic day with very encouraging feedback from the parents. These events help parents engage more actively in their children's education. Also, during Open Day the PTA raised 14,000 Kwacha ($85 USD). In a country where a dinner at a very nice restaurant is $2 USD, this is a very significant contribution!

We have also been working with the Apricot Project, a group starting a new way to micro-finance scholarships for children around the world. They are using BeeHive School as one of their partners while they test out their beta website and get the kinks ironed out. We hope to have a few BeeHive students on scholarships from the Apricot Project soon. Find out more about the Apricot Project here:

http://www.facebook.com/apricotproject?sk=info

Thank you again for donating to BeeHive School and continue to stay in touch. Your involvement has been very important in making BeeHive what it is today.

On behalf of BeeHive School,

Eva and Katy

--
The BeeHive School Website:
www.beehiveschool.com

Find us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/BeeHiveSchool

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY4ilS1Gx1c

Phone:
+1 510-508-6804 (Eva Markiewicz)
+1 510-520-8966 (Katy Harrison)

Partners with ASAP Africa
http://www.asapafrica.org/

US Postal Address:
Beehive School Building Fund c/o Katy Harrison
833 Sonia Way
Mountain View CA 94040
USA

Malawi Postal Address:
Beehive School
PO Box 831
Mzuzu
MALAWI

Hand Made Necklaces

Links:

A Closer Look at BeeHive School

Eva Markiewicz — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 03:54:34 GMT

We recently went through a rigorous application process to become a field partner for a start-up. This provided us with a good opportunity to crystallize what BeeHive School provides for their students and the larger community. I hope you enjoy this thoughful discussion.

Mission: Through education, BeeHive School is nurturing future Malawian leaders and innovators who will one day tackle the most severe problems faced in Malawi. Through a holistic model towards education BeeHive has been able to deliver top-quality education at a nominal cost.

Key Features of BeeHive School:

- Continual Teacher Training and Mentorship Program: The cornerstone to Niall Dorey's success has been his teacher training program. Niall hand-picks individuals with a high potential for growth and learning to become teachers at BeeHive School. Through the program, teachers learn to implement a more holistic approach to education whereby the students are viewed as human beings and encouraged to participate actively in class through discussions, asking lots of questions, and fearlessly attacking new material. This is counter-cultural in Malawi where corporal punishment is still the norm and students in most traditional classroom settings are expected to be quiet and "seen, but not heard." Niall trains teachers in advanced conflict resolution and non-violent discipline striving to make student's infractions a learning opportunity. Niall meets regularly with teachers individually and as a group to discuss challenges as they arise and provide a forum through which teachers can continually reflect, learn, and grow. BeeHive's teachers are known to be the best in the area and are often approached by expensive private schools that are able to offer substantial salary increases. Niall takes this in stride, hoping that even though BeeHive is continually faced with the challenge of training new teachers, that in the end at least the entire region benefits from BeeHive's novel teacher training program.

- Holistic Education: Niall strives to help students grow and mature in areas beyond academics. Unlike most schools in the area, BeeHive provides sports, music, drama, field-trips, art classes, computer training, projects in entrepreneurship, and attracts volunteer teachers from around the world to share their skills with the students.

- Educating Girls: Unlike many private schools in the region, BeeHive strives to be gender-balanced and attract and educate girls. Expectations and aspirations for their female students are set equally high to those of boys. Female students at BeeHive school continue onto secondary school just like the boys - this is not the case at most other schools.

- Malawian Teachers for Malawian Students: - Niall strives to select and train teachers of local ethnicity, so that BeeHive students can fully identify with their teachers. Many other private schools import teachers from Europe and wealthier African countries making it difficult for students to fully connect and identify with their teachers. Teachers are highly respected in Malawi and are seen as being at the top of the social hierarchy, so having teachers of local ethnicity helps students develop a sense of pride and set high expectations for themselves because they see that their teachers are able to accomplish so much.

- Diversity: BeeHive School is ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse - tolerance for all people and ways of thinking is integral to the philosophy at BeeHive. BeeHive School attracts many children from visiting professionals in the area including professionals working with NGOs, emerging businesses, manufacturing, health aid workers, and missions. This provides all the students with the opportunity to interact with other students and families with different beliefs and world views, this teaches the students about having understanding, respect, and curiosity for other opinions and cultures.

- International Volunteers: BeeHive encourages volunteers from all over the world to visit the school. This is not only a unique opportunity for the volunteer, but also for the student. Meeting high-achieving volunteers from American and European Universities inspires the children to dream big and opens their eyes to the world of opportunities available to them if they commit to their studies. It also opens them up to other world views and helps them feel comfortable interacting with people from different cultures.

- Affordability: BeeHive School's legal status in Malawi is that of a not-for-profit. BeeHive School strives to keep costs low in order to make the school accessible to as many students as possible. BeeHive charges $200 per term whereas other private schools charge $1000 per term on the high end and $500 per term on average. Most lower-cost private schools are in the $3-400 range and BeeHive is well below that. BeeHive used to be at $70 USD per term, but due to the need to build new classrooms, BeeHive had to raise costs to $200 per term. BeeHive hopes to lower the cost once the classrooms are complete. Currently about 50% of the school fees go towards operating expenses and the other 50% towards completing construction of the new school buildings.

- Computer Education: BeeHive is one of the few schools in Malawi that has a computer lab and computer training for their students thanks to the efforts of Justin Cannon - an MIT student that visited BeeHive School in 2008 and installed a computer lab. Students are taught basic computer skills like using a mouse, typing, basic programming, the concept behind searching for information, etc. This early interaction with computers will be invaluable in bridging the digital divide as the internet and effectively using technology becomes pervasive and instrumental in every workplace.

- Other: Teaching language in the national language - English. Children can speak their local dialects at recess, but they must speak English in the classroom. Since English is quickly becoming the standard for international business and scientific communication, this is very valuable for the students.

Secondary Affects:

- Strengthens the middle class of Mzuzu because it provides a top-quality school where the middle class can send their children. A common problem in Malawi is small business owners and entrepreneurs exit the country in search of quality education for their children. This has a ripple affect by which the economy fails to grow and jobs are lost. BeeHive is providing a strong motivator for small business owners to stay in Malawi.

- By strengthening the middle class, BeeHive is also contributing to fostering civil society and strengthening democracy. It is also helping to build the local economy both directly by employing teachers and staff and indirectly by helping attract and keep high-value community and economic leaders.

- BeeHive School is becoming a feeder school for emerging secondary schools and Mzuzu University.

- Combating "brain drain" on Africa - a trend by which the most educated people, including teachers, business leaders, etc. leave the country in search for superior personal opportunities for themselves and their families.

Links:

Katy and Abe's 3000 Mile Tandem Tour de Europe

Eva Markiewicz — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 23:10:38 GMT

Katy & Abe with their trusty stead - a Tandem Bike

Summer is finally here and BeeHive's volunteers have been brainstorming ideas to help this very special school on the other side of the world.

Currently, BeeHive's buildings are under construction with only 1/3 left to complete! With some classrooms still under construction, the completed classrooms are being shared. The school day is split into two shifts, with the younger students taking class in the morning and the older ones in the afternoon. This is working so far, but it's taking a substantial toll on the teachers and staff and BeeHive is anxious to finish construction. Two long-time supporters of BeeHive School - Katy and Abe - are dedicating their entire summer to help BeeHive complete construction.

Katy and Abe are taking a break from life as usual and hitting the road in the name of adventure and philanthropy. The adventure will involve pedaling and camping through Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Holland on a tandem bicycle. They're hoping to raise awareness and funds for BeeHive School - a primary school in Mzuzu, Malawi. Malawi is located in South Eastern Africa and is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Katy and Abe are planning to ride 3000 miles and their goal is to raise $1 per mile.

They are currently in Italy and have been enjoying centuries old ruins, gelato, vineyards, and pasta. You can dive into their week-by-week adventures on their personal blog:

http://katyandabe.com/

You can also see where they've been and where they're headed on their bike tour through this really cool map complete with photos and posts. Katy and Abe are currently in Italy and making their way to Hungary.

http://trackmytour.com/3678

Thank You for supporting BeeHive School and Katy and Abe on their marvelous adventure! Happy riding to all this summer!

---

( p.s. Niall Dorey, the founder and director of BeeHive School, has been working hard to get ADSL internet installed, so that he can send more photo and video updates for us all to enjoy. We're hoping to have more photos of construction by the end of the summer. If you are headed to Malawi this summer - then why not take advantage of the opportunity to spend a couple of days at BeeHive and help us collect some photos and videos of BeeHive School. You can take advantage of your time in Northern Malawi to also visit Lake Malawi and Nkhata Bay - I'm sure Niall has some recommendations for fun spots off-the-beaten track. )

Abe with the trusty Tandem Bike

Katy in Italy!

Bikes and Trains Mix Well!

Links:

A Short Update on Construction at BeeHive

Eva Markiewicz — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:57:19 GMT

A nearly completed building

Dear BeeHive Supporters,

Sorry for taking so long to post a new update, but communication with our field partners has been minimal, since the internet connection has been down for Niall. A new connection should be established soon, so we'll have pictures and hopefully even video headed your way soon.

We recently sent over $1000 USD, which at the current currency exchange rate works out to about 131000 kwqacha. These funds came in the nick of time as construction at BeeHive School is still in full-swing. They are working on the administration block, library, and computer room. The funds went straight into cement, which is surprisingly expensive in Malawi. Since Malawi is an under-developed nation certain materials which we take for granted in the United States are actually quite expensive. As a point of comparison, $100 USD can buy you 6000 bricks in Malawi, but it will only buy you a few bags of cement. Bricks are locally produced and there is a large market, therefore they are competitively priced. Cement, wood, and glass are harder to come by and thus more costly.

Niall has taken some video with the small HD camcorder Katy, Spencer, and Eva bought him as a Christmas gift. Since his internet connection is so slow we can't transfer the files online. We have sent him a few USB memory flash drives and he will be sending those our way soon. Unfortunately it can take anywhere from 1-3 month to mail packages from Mzuzu. But you can look forward to those videos in the coming months!

I didn't want to leave you all hanging, so I have included some photos from Troy Smith who visited the school a few months ago.

In some other news - a few of our volunteers are planning fundraisers in the form of garage sales soon when the spring comes, so if you're interested in hosting one contact us at info@beehiveschool.com for suggestions.

Niall also reports that the school is looking fantastic and he's excited to upload photos once he can get access to a good internet connection. He encourages all his friends and supporters to come visit soon!

We will never be able to say it enough - but Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to all our BeeHive supporters. It's because of your unwavering support that BeeHive has been able to weather all the challenges over the past couple of years and build a truly remarkable new school that will safely house generations of students to come.

Warmly,

Eva Markiewicz on behalf of The BeeHive School Team

Niall walking along the new school buildings

Inside a classroom

Construction in Progress

Students enjoying recess at their new school!

BeeHive Student celebrating a soccer goal!

BeeHive School Spelling Bee A Success!

Eva Markiewicz — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 22:39:49 GMT

Spelling Bee Winners

A yearly tradition at BeeHive School is the much-talked about and much anticipated yearly spelling bee contest. This year was a big success and the winners are pictured below. The Spelling Bee took place in BeeHive's new classrooms, which are coming along nicely, but funds are running low.

Currently, due to the incomplete classrooms, the school day is split into two shifts, so that the classrooms can be shared. The younger students take class in the morning and the older ones in the afternoon. This is working so far, but it's taking its toll on the teachers and staff and BeeHive is anxious to finish construction.

BeeHive’s parents have already donated what they can and even pre-paid their dues for several semesters in order to further construction. Unfortunately, this has not been enough to finish construction.

We are asking BeeHive supporters to pledge $10/month for at least one year on the Global Giving site to help with constructing a new bathroom unit at BeeHive.

Finally, we’d just like to take a moment and reflect on this past year. BeeHive has seen some very low lows and high highs. At this time last year, BeeHive looked like it was going to be shut-down and an entire community lost, but with the help of so many hopeful and generous people both in Malawi and around the world, BeeHive pulled through and every day is looking brighter and brighter. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped us this year. Thank you for your encouragement, thank you for your hope, and thank you for your constant support.

Much Progress and Great News From BeeHive!

Eva Markiewicz — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:43:10 GMT

Construction at BeeHive Going Very Well!

We have lots of good news to report from BeeHive School!

First off, along with four other schools in Malawi, BeeHive entered the "British Council Exams" and all of BeeHive's students passed with flying colors! In fact, BeeHive's students did the very best, beating out every other school in Malawi. BeeHive prepares their students to compete on an international level.

Niall Dorey, BeeHive's founder, director, teacher, and handy-man, was lucky enough to host his old University friends that came to support Niall and BeeHive through their toughest times. Niall had a lovely time and is looking forward to their next visit.

Now for some really big and exciting news - The second of three planned sections of the new school are now complete and BeeHive is hoping to be back up to 150 students! Niall has promised to send photos and asks everyone to keep sending good thoughts across the pond.

For more photos of the construction progress, please check out our website: http://photos.beehiveschool.com/Other/construction/12083217_M66ta#858324315_nNnMx

and here: http://www.facebook.com/BeeHiveSchool?v=photos

Stephen and Maureen Dorey, BeeHive's biggest champions (and Niall's parents) organized a "Scottish Dance" fundraiser with the assistance of their daughter, Claire. It was an incredible success! They raised £470 for Beehive School, which will go to the last of three sections for the new school! Thank you to all those lively spirits who kicked up their heals and really got the party going! Thanks on behalf of every BeeHive supporter for your generosity and kindness!

And last, but definitely not least, the Ministry of Education performed another inspection of the new buildings and BeeHive passed with flying colors - in fact, the inspector said that Beehive was a model structure and that they would be sending more people to visit to see what a well-built and safe school should look like. Niall and BeeHive are finally able to breathe easier knowing the the school is up-to-code.

New Construction

Two of three sections now complete!

Links:

Check out updates directly from Niall on our Facebook Page!

A Visit to the Beehive Primary School

Troy Smith — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:08:16 GMT

Everyone has his or her own view of determination. For me it’s always been Rudy, the scrappy kid who ditches the steel plant to follow his dream of Notre Dame football stardom. I mean, come on. At the end, when his whole family is there and everyone is chanting, that’s just classic. If you don’t tear up I’m pretty sure you don’t have a heart. Sean Astin, a tip of the hat to you. For some people perseverance and determination is Mandela, King, or that guy who cut off his own arm to escape from underneath that boulder (come on, you all definitely remember). However, it is pretty rare that one encounters that kind of person firsthand; a person who is literally putting everything they have, heart and soul, into one, singular goal. When I arrived in Mzuzu, Malawi I admit I hadn’t done my research. I knew I was visiting a primary school called the Beehive School, and that they had encountered some trouble as of late. Aside from that, I was pretty much in the dark. What I found when I arrived was a man who had been worked to the core, had been run ragged, and yet still was keeping his chin up. Before I even heard his story, I knew Niall Dorey had faced some tough times. He moved a bit slow, looked a bit tired, and yet seemed completely anxious to get to school the next morning. The Beehive School was founded following Niall’s experience teaching in a local Malawian private school in the early 2000s. Faced with overcrowded classrooms, unmotivated teachers, and overall lack of proper infrastructure, Niall decided to act. “The school I was teaching in was supposed to be the best in the Northern Region, but I thought these kids were missing out on something. I thought I could make a school that was so much better.” Starting with eight students, and using a room of his own home, Niall Dorey officially started the Beehive School. The school quickly grew to a massive 210 students, all decked out in their construction orange dress shirts and black ties. Classrooms and a playground were constructed, the operation expanded, and the Doreys moved into a new home. The school was even complete with a library and a computer lab. There were definitely some busy bees at Beehive, but for the Ministry of Education, the honey left a bitter taste. Lacking proper licensing, and possessing “temporary structures” (which more often than not, were better than the facilities at local schools), Beehive was ordered to close in November 2009; this the very day they were approved for a parcel of land on which to build the permanent structures. Unsure of what to do, feeling completely hopeless, Niall tried to negotiate with the Ministry of Education, but was met only with negativity. Pressured by others, Beehive went to court. While the court battle was ultimately unsuccessful, it did allow them a stay of closure. Two sessions later, however, they were closed yet again. Crushed and defeated, it seemed Beehive would simply be a dream lost by the wayside. However, the dream still lives on. With the help of some dedicated parents, Niall was able to collect funds and hastily finish construction on one classroom block at the new site. It is simple, no frills, but it is indeed a permanent structure They must split the school sessions--grades 1-4 in the morning, 5-6 in the afternoon. The walls are all blank, the blackboard has been painted onto the wall, and there’s a bit of condensation coming through the windows; but it’s a school, and a pretty good one at that. If one were to have any doubt about Niall’s passion and love for these children, they need only see him at work in the classroom. Niall has had to adopt a first grade class as his own due to staff shortages, but still he puts everything he has into molding those little, at times a bit hyperactive, minds. However, the work isn’t done. Construction on the second block is still underway, and the Dorey clan is working hard to ensure that everything about Beehive is up to code (there is quite a lot to the Malawian School Codes, just trust me, it’s pretty unbelievable). Niall’s wife, Constance, has been a rock during the entire ordeal, single-handedly lifting bags upon bags of concrete for construction, at times acting as the brawn to Niall’s more soft-spoken nature. The two, with their three beautiful children, earn couple-of-the-year in my eyes. While the stress may be overwhelming, and the staff members may be dwindling, I have no doubt in my mind that Niall Dorey will succeed and accomplish his ultimate goal—a proper education for Malawian children, and a beautiful school on a red clay hill. “I’m going to build this school, no matter what. I want this school, the parents want this school, the children of Mzuzu need this school. (Niall Dorey) Troy Smith, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is currently an In-the-Field traveler visiting GlobalGiving projects throughout Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania. Follow his trip at http://troygivesglobal.tumblr.com/.

Construction Update: 1st of Three Wings Completed!

Eva Markiewicz — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:55:01 GMT

Rotary Club Fundraiser for Roof

BeeHive School has been making steady progress with new construction. Constance, Niall's wife, has been indispensable and has been overseeing construction of the new school; often traveling several hours into remote villages to find the most affordable and best quality bricks.

Three wings are planned at the new site and currently the smallest wing has been completed. Please review the attached architectural drawings for a detailed look at what BeeHive has planned. Rowan Haysom, who is originally from South Africa and who is trained in sustainable buildings, designed the new school blueprints free of charge. Rowan has incorporated passive efficiency measures to optimize natural cooling of the building during hot months and designed the school buildings to have plenty of natural lighting. To learn more about Rowan Haysom, please visit: http://www.haysomwardmiller.co.uk/page9/page14/page15/page15.html

Tensions were high for founder/director Niall Dorey and the BeeHive community when they lost in the appeals court a couple of weeks ago and the old school site was shut down for good, since the buildings do not meet basic building safety codes. For a time BeeHive was shut down with no place to hold classes.

Fortunately, the Ministry of Education sent representatives to the new school site last week and they were very pleased with the progress. It looks like BeeHive will be permitted to hold classes in the wing of the school that has just been completed, as long as they continue to make steady progress with the rest of the school. Since the new school buildings are not complete, they can only accommodate a portion of the students at a time, so there may be two sessions during the day, increasing the burden on the teachers and staff.

Niall Dorey and his family, including his parents Maureen and Stephen Dorey, have been working tirelessly to raise funds and complete construction. Many friends and generous supporters have come out of the woodwork to help BeeHive, most notably Peigi Mairi Nicholson and Back Primary School, a very small village school on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides who recently raised £500 for BeeHive School. It just goes to show how many small hands working together can accomplish something amazing. Hats off to the incredible efforts of these generous students with such big hearts!

Funding for the new roof for the school wing came through the generous support of the Rotary Club of Ceilidh who raised £1000! An press clipping of their efforts is attached.

There has also been a lot of support through our Facebook Fan Page and website. Thank you everyone for being so engaged and showing your support for Niall and the BeeHive community.

In summary, summer is finally here and BeeHive has been reveling in the good news from the Ministry of Education! BeeHive will be using the 1/3 of the school that is currently completed to hold classes in, so construction will continue Pano'A'Pango (little by little). BeeHive needs donations now more than ever to finish construction and keep the school open for as many students as possible.

Global Giving will be matching donations by 50% on June 16. This means that if you donate 50, then BeeHive gets $75. If you donate $100 then BeeHive gets $150. And if you donate $200 then BeeHive gets $300. So if you've been thinking of donating then please do it early on this June 16! Thank You!

US donors please go here: http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/beehiveschool/

UK donors please go here: http://www.globalgiving.co.uk/pr/4900/proj4898a.html

FULL DETAILS ON GLOBAL GIVING'S BONUS DAY BELOW:

Bonus Day starts at 12:00 a.m. EDT (GMT-4) and runs for 24 hours until 11:59 p.m. EDT (GMT-4). What time does Bonus Day start in my time zone?

* All donations made to GlobalGiving.org during this time period will be matched at 50%, up to $1,000 per person/per project.

* Check donations and donations made through GlobalGiving.co.uk will not be eligible for this match, though the funds will be applied to your project.

* The project that raises the most money and the project that recruits the most unique donations during the Bonus Day period will each get $1,000, in addition to all money raised and matched.

* There are $70,000 available in matching funds and will be allocated by the time of the donation. If funds run out during Bonus Day, donations will be applied to your project and to the Bonus totals, but will not be matched. So get your donations in early!

Lastly, you should look forward to some updates from Troy Smith, a student that will be visiting BeeHive School on behalf of Global Giving in the coming weeks.

Construction Photo

Links:

Attachments:

BeeHive's Architectural Drawings (PDF)