I have good news from Kenya where our Architecture for Humanity design fellow Greg Elsner reports that both design and engineering work are done on the two principle buildings of the High School. The RainWater Court and the Main Classroom block are fully approved for construction, and a number of contractors are now bidding for the privilege of building them.

Check the photo below to see our first class of 9th graders (currently studying in temporary classrooms) as they use the age-old 3-4-5 method to lay a square and mark the boundaries of the RainWater Court.

Fundraising has continued to progress, and once we've completed the 1000 Voices for Hope campaign, the school will be fully funded. In the meantime, we expect to be breaking ground within a matter of weeks.

I'm making this report just days after the terrible earthquake in Haiti, and am hopeful that the good news from Kenya will ultimately be good news for Haiti. The RainWater court design from Mahiga will be the basis of the Youth Sports Facility and Disaster Recovery Center in Port-au-Prince. The Haiti replication will include water, renewable power and an earthquake and hurricane proof structure and we believe it will be an anchor of hope for Haiti.

Thanks for your support. Keep it coming and spread the word. The sooner we complete funding and open Mahiga Hope High School, the quicker we can turn our attention to Haiti where hope is currently in short supply.

Pictures:

• 9th graders laying out the RainWater Court (JPG)
• The RainWater Court (JPG)