New classrooms

Originally there were six classrooms at Willy-Taylor Academy of which 3 classes were completely finished and the other three still needed a roof. During my stay in 2010, these three classes were already completed. It soon became apparent that this would not last as the number of students continued to grow after our campaign. So we needed extra rooms.

At the beginning of 2011, the starting signal was given for digging the foundations for the new classes. The new block would be a copy of the existing building and would again have six classrooms. Brick by brick, each time with a little money that we could raise, construction started.

While some strong men turned mountains of sand and cement into quick-build stones, the women walked up and down to the well in the village to provide them with water. Soon three classrooms were finished. Later we were also able to add the other three classrooms.

Initially, the twelve classrooms were open spaces in order to lose as little light as possible and also to keep the heat out. In 2017, doors and windows were added by a Belgian volunteer. These windows are not completely closed but consist of an iron railing. For example, the classrooms can be kept open during school hours, but it is still possible to close everything in the evening. This was especially necessary because we bought and received a lot of new textbooks in recent years. By closing the classrooms, they can be kept safe.