By Andrew Aikman | English Teacher at Kitezh Children's Community
As we all know, these are not easy times, financially. Here in Russia the economy is hardly growing at all, wealthy donors have almost disappeared. Over the past couple of years we have not managed to find the single generous sponsor we had hoped for to fund our much needed new school building. The beautiful old wooden schoolhouse no longer conforms to government regulations, and we are trying to expand our work and take in more children. At present our school is up to capacity with 46 pupils.
The new design is low-rise, original, a beautiful and modern building. It is both harmonious with our environment and inspiringly innovative. Last summer after securing a small but significant donation, we decided to take a leap of faith and lay the foundation for just one quarter of the building. With insufficient money and no guarantee of more, no promises, just our belief that we are going in the right direction, we started. Spring arrived and we refined our plans, calculated quantities and … by May the anticipated funds arrived to build the walls! Now we have 1,500 sq metres of space walled in - open to the sky, to our prayers.
The children see something is really happening, there is a sense of excitement, of anticipation, of hope. But now the money is spent, the work has stopped. As I write this, we are looking for, praying for, asking for a further 46m roubles (£790,000) to finish the building completely. To roof it, the next step, we need 2.5m roubles (£43,000), now.
Trusting in the providence that has supported us so far, we hope to have this competed before the beginning of the school year in September. In another couple of months (before the winter), if we have sufficient funds, approximately 4m roubles( £68,000), we can complete the interior. This will give us four new classrooms for the primary school, one for the secondary children, two toilets, the boiler room, the medical room and a large recreation space for children to play in, relax and stay out of the cold winter.
Indeed this building will provide sufficient space to accommodate 40 children, more than doubling our current capacity in the primary school. We don’t need the whole four quarters of the plan to be completed immediately, but we do most urgently need the flow of funds to continue the progress. Without a roof, without insulation, these new walls will be very vulnerable to the punishing destruction of the harsh winter. We are ready to expand, we are preparing to give our children greater opportunities. Even without money to continue, we are finalising plans for the next stage.
As Goethe said, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”
Your donation, however large or small, will be gratefully received to realise this great dream.
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