Design for Social Change - Chitempha School

With the teacher housing at Chiutika School completed in April 2012, we're excited to be directing our efforts toward two projects - the sanitation blocks at Chiutika and the new classroom complex at Chitempha School! We have just begun the siting and trenching for the foundation afor Chitempha's new four-classroom block, with the laying of the foundation blocks to begin in the next two weeks.

We're also pleased to announce that SCALEAfrica Design Fellow, Charlotte Lipschitz, will be leaving for Zambia next week! She will be assisting our Project Manager, Geoff Renou, on the construction of Chitempha and the sanitation blocks at Chiutika, as well as surveying area schools to determine the site of our next project. We look forward to Charlotte's updates from the field and images of the ongoing work!

And, as we ease into summer, we are deep into the planning of our annual benefit at the Thompson LES rooftop on Thursday, August 2nd. There's an amazing silent auction in the works, as well as a performance by a very secret, very special guest! We hope you'll check back to see the progression at Chitempha and for further details on the benefit.

Best wishes,

Erinn & Guy, Co-Founders

Links:

• ARCHITECT magazine article on SCALEAfrica

This winter has been an exciting time here, as we've been in contact with many, many new people who heard about SCALEAfrica through the cover story in the Smith College Quarterly and Erinn's involvement with the Women in Public Service Project at the US Department of State. The enthusiasm generated has been incredibly motivating and we hope that people will continue to write in with their ideas for collaboration on our upcoming projects and ways we might assist in the work of other organizations.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Global Giving Challenge and helped to secure SCALEAfrica a permanent spot on the Global Giving site. Besides the contributions you made to our upcoming project at Chitempha School, this relationship works to spread the word on what we do and get us in front of new supporters - which is instrumental to SCALEAfrica continuing our work and building our community of supporters, so thank you!

We are rapping up to begin construction at Chitempha Basic School in April! Much work has been done on the construction drawings and pricing of the buildings to get us to this stage. The buildings to be rehabilitated will now have larger windows for better light and ventilation, as well as a sky lit verandah for much-needed shade. We will also be adding four outdoor classrooms to accommodate students while the buildings are under construction. The students and teachers are thrilled at the possibilities with the new, healthy, sustainable structures and are eager to participate in the work by making compressed earth blocks and carting sand and water for the cement mixture.

Happy February to you all, check back soon to see the updates on our work and a rousing thank you for your continuing support of SCALEAfrica!

Best wishes, Erinn and Guy

Links:

• Smith Quarterly Cover Article - SCALEAfrica