Family and Friends....
Drum Roll Please, I got approved from my Benin boss for a Peace Corps Partnership Grant to finish construction on my school's two classroom buildings. So, this could really become a reality, I just need Washington's approval, and then to find the money from outside donors. This is where you come in. Please tell everyone you see, pass in the street, or who owns a really big office that makes charitable donations to check out this site.
http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.volproj
My project should be up in about two weeks. But, I will keep everyone updated. In the meantime, here is my final proposal if you want to take a look. I thought it might be interesting for you guys to read some of the professional documents I have to produce.
CEG Dompago School Enabling Project
Peace Corps Partnership Program
I. Proposal Summary
Location: Badjoudé, Donga Region, Benin
Total request: $6,470.80
Peace Corps Volunteer: Annie Reifsnyder
US Hometown: Arlington Heights, IL
Community Leader: Dieudonné Yedonou
The Parents’ Association of 701 students at the secondary school in Badjoudé has made a commitment to educate their children. School fees are $14 USD. In addition very year each family contributes approximately $9 USD per boy or girl meant to improve school facilities and pay teachers. This amount for the average African subsistence farmer with five to six children is no small commitment.
Parents recognize that an education is the key for their children to discover a new and changing world that sees women and men on an equal playing field, and farming or trade as not the only option for their lives. However, they also wish to educate children about their culture in their own community. Funds requested by the partnership program will realize this dream by constructing two additional classrooms for CEG Dompago, housing one hundred students permanently and several other classes during off hours.
The space provided by this grant would respond to dramatic overcrowding as 13 classes are currently squeezing into eight classrooms. Next year 15 classes will be taught at the secondary school and the children will continue to come, especially female students. This last academic year only five female students took the commune’s graduation exam from senior secondary school, but there are 1,099 females currently in primary schools. At CEG Dompago there were approximately one hundred girls in the first year of secondary school and just twenty who took the test to pass into senior secondary school. Yes, female students are still the minority, but that is slowly changing.
An additional two classrooms would not only provide a physical structure, but a home for clubs and sporting activities that have been halted. Normally, students have Saturdays and Wednesday afternoons free, but school administration has scheduled classes during these times because of classroom shortages. Thus girls are not able to begin football clubs like their male counterparts, who receive permission to be absent from class. Theatre groups can only find time to perform once at the end of the year. Any hope to begin anything else has faltered.
With the assistance from this partnership project, community-initiated funds will relieve overcrowding, provide an outlet for creative expression, and begin blue prints for school expansion to continue in the future. In celebration of the completion of this project ten students will design and paint a mural entitled “working together,” to celebrate the cross-cultural partnership.
II. Background Information
Approximately 6.5 million people live between Togo and Nigeria in the West African country of Benin. With a female literacy rate of only 26.5 percent , the government has pushed the population, 52 percent of which are female, to emphasize education in their communities.
A typical rural family in Benin can only afford to send a few of their children to school, meaning families send boys instead of girls to be educated. As a direct response to this problem in 1993-4, the government made primary school education free for girls. As a result Benin has seen a dramatic increase in the total number of primary school students, in which a majority are female.
Badjoudé is the ideal example of this phenomenon where ten primary schools are currently overflowing. Ten villages and approximately 6,000 inhabitants make up the district of Badjoudé. It falls into the commune of Ouaké, which boasts a total population of 22,911 men and 22,791 women in the Donga region of Benin. The commune headquarters in Ouaké oversee the six districts and 44 villages, all aligning against the Togo border. The culturally rich Lokpa majority is mostly Muslim, although there are dynamic followers of Animism and Christianity – especially Catholicism. There are three secondary schools in Ouaké Commune, one in Badjoudé – CEG Dompago.
The Donga region is commonly joined with the Atacora region. The Atacora/Donga ranks upon the lowest in statistics related to secondary education . In Benin there are 231,349 students attending both junior and senior secondary school and only 68,883 of them are female. In the Atacora/Donga there are 10,083 male and 4,205 female students, the lowest in all of Benin. Of these students only 29.37 percent (21.07 percent female) pass into senior secondary school and 30.72 percent graduate, again the second lowest and lowest respectively. Arguably these statistics can be correlated to the physical structures the schools of the Atacora/Donga have to educate their students. They again rank as the nation’s lowest with 319 classrooms, 83 latrines, 13 director’s offices, seven libraries, four science labs, and two infirmaries.
Not for Profit Agencies and Non Governmental Organizations have targeted building classrooms for primary schools. This is helping with the overcrowding in the primary schools, but has created another problem. Primary students will become secondary students. In order to continue encouraging girls to go to school there has to be a place for them to continue to learn. In order for male and female students to equally participate in after school activities they need to have common times during afternoons and weekends free. This can only happen with partnerships like those initiated by the Parents’ Association at CEG Dompago.
III. Verification of Partnership Guidelines
Project is Community Initiated and Directed
CEG Dompago was established in October of 2000. Its very conception resulted from the effort of hundreds of dedicated parents. The original secondary school in the district was at least an 18-kilometer journey from Badjoudé. Shortly after a larger secondary school in Ouaké was constructed, this cut down the journey to 7-kilometers either by bicycle or foot. Parents were tired of only seeing their children on the weekends. Parents wanted to talk with their children sharing the Lokpa culture and language. Mothers wanted to see their daughters have the opportunity to go to school too. All this was impossible without a school in the district. So, parents campaigned, fought, and the government relented. With the help of a French not-for-profit agency eight classrooms were built and the school was born.
This mindset of a community driven to educate their children has not faltered. Subsistence farmers pay abnormally high school fees for the area to give their children a quality education. This year alone the Parents’ Association paid part of the salary for all but three of the schools’ teachers, bought a generator, lights, a pump and a new flagpole. The parents in Badjoudé care about the future of their children. Thus, the community cares and participates, because parents make up the core framework of the village’s male and female leaders.
Project Meets a Pressing Community Need
1. Overcrowding
There are ten primary schools in Badjoudé’s district with a total of 2,317 students, creating a wave putting further strain of the under resourced secondary schools. Such statistics did not go unnoticed by the community of Badjoudé. The Parent’s Association decided to raise their yearly contribution and formed a committee to budget and plan for two new classrooms. The money was found but two large problems arose. First, the school administration was calling for a water pump to provide easier access to water during the dry season as well as better hygienic conditions for students. The association responded by building a pump. It was also realized that classes being held from 17H to 19H had to end early due to a lack of light. As a solution to this the Parents’ Association bought a generator to provide lighting for seven out of the eight classrooms. Both these projects were taken, out of necessity, from the money put aside for classrooms.
2. A Lack of Female Participation
CEG Dompago currently has three classes of students in their final year of junior secondary school with approximately fifty students in each class. Of these fifty students about ten are female. Looking at the first year of junior secondary school there are five classes of approximately sixty-five students per class, in which twenty are female. Numbers are rising in school, but not in creative outlets for female students. A field for handball, a sport usually played by females, sits full of weeds and unused. Girls sing and dance at football games to support their male counterparts, but have no official club to do this in other creative ways. The reason is not a lack of want or need, but instead a lack of time and venue. This can begin to be solved with the addition of two classrooms.
This project will add to an already successful school and engage students in the short term by:
- Permanently placing two classes of approximately fifty students each. Seven courses are held for the class each week.
- House four to five additional courses each week with other classes during free periods.
- Providing further classes for traveling, training sessions on HIV/AIDS Awareness and women’s empowerment.
- Motivating the community by showing, especially parents, buildings can be built by community-initiated funds.
It will also add the long-term vision of the school and community by:
- Attracting better teachers by offering more favorable work schedules.
- Allowing students to form and participate in theatre groups, dance groups, youth clubs, sports teams, and after school activities.
- Allowing female students to have a more extensive peer support system with increased participation in after school activities.
- Allowing parents to raise money for two additional classrooms in two years.
- Enabling enrollment to continue to grow encouraging a more equal percentage of female students.
The Community is making at least a 25% self-help contribution.
The budget clearly illustrates the 30 percent contribution the community plans on making to the total cost.
The Community has a well-developed plan for project implementation and sustainability.
Gender, Racial, or Religious Equitability
Parents’ Association membership is automatic for both the mother and father of each student. This means the mélange of races and religions are all accepted and participation is encouraged.
Local Situation
Families and communities are wide reaching in Benin. The inhabitants of Badjoudé may not be genetically connected, but they are now through a common wish to advance the village. All major traditional chiefs, government authorities, and organizations have been consulted and more often than not parents of secondary school students as well.
In-Country Means of Support
The Parents’ Association is buying all construction supplies as well as paying for the labor affiliated with the project. The school administration under the guidance of the Ministry of Education is handling the donation of the plot of land adjacent to the building as well as the desks. They have also agreed to incur all costs with regards to maintaining the building and providing materials for its use. The local authorities have given one of the adjoining rooms in their office to be used to store the desks.
Resources and Time
Local resources drawn into this project range from manual labor of students to natural resources such as sand and water to time donated by countless individuals in the planning of this project. As a result a specific breakdown as well as timeline has been established accounting for possible obstacles along the way.
Breakdown of responsibilities:
- CEG Dompago Parents’ Association
· Keep track of all receipts.
· Purchase all building and construction materials needed.
· Keep construction staff on task.
· Pay for any additional unforeseen costs.
- School Administration
· Oversee mural contest.
· Oversee the workers on a daily basis.
· Oversee the students transporting materials to the site.
- Peace Corps Volunteer
· Buy paint needed for mural.
· Oversee mural production.
- Village Government
· Store desks needed for the two additional classrooms.
Timeline for the project:
- October
o Buy necessary supplies for the foundation and three main walls.
o Build iron casts.
o Construct foundation and man walls.
- November
o Buy rest of the materials for the masonry.
o Build sidewalls.
o Roof beams are installed.
o Tin bought and placed on top of roof beams.
- December
o Students move into the classroom by the first week.
o Painting and installation of the doors and windows completed over Christmas break.
- January
o All receipts counted and tabulated.
o Mural Competition begins and students select a winner
- February
o Ten students selected to paint mural.
o Mural finished.
o Picture and thank you letters sent to partnership donors.
Possible obstacles of schedule implementation:
· Materials
o This is a very popular time for construction projects. Supplies should be available but getting them on time is not a guarantee. The Parents’ Association plans to order as much as possible for the contractor in advance.
Environment
The donated plot of the construction site was chosen for several reasons. Obviously, first and foremost for its proximity to the two school buildings already constructed. Second, because no trees will have to be chopped down or moved to accommodate the foundation. The school has made every effort to use materials like sand and gravel from the environment without taking away from the productivity of the land. This is why transportation for natural resources was factored into the budget, because only areas with a surplus plan to be used.
Sustainability
Arguably, there will always be students and young minds in Ouaké commune that wished to be filled with valuable information. This is the purpose of Badjoudé’s secondary school. This cannot and won’t happen without more space to educate. Further, female students are currently being told to step out into the community, go to school and play a prominent role.
After the completion of the project the committee that was formed last year to build the new classrooms will perform an evaluation both in their own committee and among the Parents’ Association.
So, this project in not only inherently sustainable, but also proves to sustain learning in the community. A book can be declared out of date, but there will always be use for a chalkboard and desk that is properly cared for.
Cross-cultural exchange and use of funds
In May of 2005, eight students, one geography teacher, and one Peace Corps Volunteer collaborated in the World Map Project. After two weeks of work the mural of the world has received high praise from students, faculty, and even traveling dignitaries.
This prompted the Parents’ Association to propose a mural to celebrate the completion of two new classes as well as properly thanking contributors. After completion of the buildings, students will be asked to submit possible mural drawings to the title: “Working Together.” Students, staff, and community members will then vote to decide a winner, demonstrating a proper democratic voting structure just before a national election.
Eight to ten students will paint the mural on the building during their free time in the coming months. Flanking this mural on one side will be the Benin flag with the community contributors listed and on the other side will be the Peace Corps logo with the contributing partners. This is to provide a representation for all in all, including the illiterate majority, of the partnership. Students also plan to write letters and send photos to thank donors.
IV. Budget
1 USD = 500 CFA
Complete Project Total: $9,243.60 USD (4.621.800 CFA) 100%
Partnership Total Contribution: $6,470.80 USD (3.235.400 CFA) 70%
Community Total Contribution: $2,772.80 USD (1.386.400 CFA) 30%
Budget Overview
Sub-categories Partnership Contribution (CFA) Community Contribution (CFA)Partnership Contribution(USD) Community(USD)
1. Masonry Materials 1.279.900 F 438.900 F $2,559.80 $877.80
2. Carpentry Materials 515.500 F 790.000 F $1,031.00 $1,580.00
3. Painting Materials 295.000 F 0 F $591.00 $0
4. Labor 1.144.500 F 57.500 F $2,288.00 $115.00
5. Land 0 F 100.000F $0 $200.00
TOTAL 3.235.400 F 1.386.400 F $6,470.80 $2,772.80
Budget In Detail
1. Masonry Materials Total: $3.437.60 (1.718.800 CFA)
Partnership Contribution Total: $2,559.80 (1.279.900 CFA)
Community Contribution Total: $877.80 (438.900 CFA)
Masonry Materials Unit Quantity Price Per Unit CFA Total PCP (Quantity) Total CC (Quantity)
1. Ciment Ton 12 70.000 700.000 (10) 140.000 (02)
2. Sand Transport 9 20.000 100.000 (05) 80.000 (04)
3. Gravel Transport 4 55.000 165.000 (03) 55.000 (01)
4. Iron of 8 dm. Bar 106 2.300 181.700 (79) 62.100 (27)
5. Iron of 6 Bar 120 1.300 131.100 (87) 42.900 (33)
6. Iron Roll 4 3.500 10.500 (03) 3.500 (01)
7. Masonry Boxes Box 28 2.000 6.000 (03) 50.000 (25)
8. Nails Kg. Box 15 600 3.600 (06) 5.400 (09)
TOTAL 1.270.900 428.900
2. Carpentry Materials Total: $2,611.00 (1.350.500 CFA)
Partnership Contribution Total: $1,031.00 (515.500 CFA)
Community Contribution Total: $1,580.00 (790.000 CFA)
Carpentry Materials Unit Quantity Price Per Unit CFA Total PCP (Quantity) Total CC (Quantity)
1. Tin Roofing Packet 8 55.000 0 (00) 440.000 (08)
2. Wood Beams Beam 95 1.500 142.500 (95) 0 (00)
3. Cross Supports Beam 39 7.000 273.000 (39) 0 (00)
4. Roof Joints Beam 10 7.000 70.000 (10) 0 (00)
5. Roofing Plates Satchel 150 200 30.000 (10) 0 (00)
6. Desks Desk 50 7.000 0 (00) 350.000 (00)
TOTAL 515.500 790.000
3. Painting Materials Total: $591 (295.500 CFA)
Partnership Contribution Total: $591 (295.500 CFA)
Community Contribution Total: $0 (0 CFA)
Painting Materials Unit Quantity Price Per Unit CFA Total PCP (Quantity) Total CC (Quantity)
1. Paint – Finishing Bucket 8 25.000 200.000 (08) 0 (00)
2. Paint Oil 4 L 5 9.000 45.000 (15) 0 (00)
3. Diluting Agent 10 L 1 10.000 10.000 (01) 0 (00)
4. Slate Bucket 5 4.500 12.500 (05) 0 (00)
5. Paint – Base Sack 02 6.000 12.000 (02) 0 (00)
6. Paint – Mural Can 8 750 6.000 (08) 0 (00)
TOTAL 295.500 0
4. Labor Total: $2,403.00 (1.201.500 CFA)
Partnership Contribution Total: $2,288.00 (1.144.000 CFA)
Community Contribution Total: $115.00 (57.500 CFA)
Labor (Man and Woman Hours) Unit Quantity Price Per Unit CFA Total PCP (Quantity) Total CC (Quantity)
1. Metal Carpentry Door / Window 10 54.300 543.000 (10) 0 (00)
2. Iron Work Days 15 3.000 45.000 (09) 0 (00)
3. Wood Work Days 11 300 33.000 (11) 0 (00)
4. Masonry Work Days 40 10.000 365.000(36.5) 35.000 (3.5)
5. Painters Days 10 6.200 62.00 (10) 0 (00)
6. Students – Water Days 35 500 17.500 (35) 17.500 (35)
7. Students – Mural Days 10 500 0 (00) 5.000 (10)
8. Roof Work Days 10 9.600 96.000 (00) 0 (00)
TOTAL 1.144.000 57.500
5. Land Total: $200 (100.00 CFA)
Partnership Contribution Total: $0 (0 CFA)
Community Contribution Total: $200 (100.00 CFA)
Land Unit Quantity Price Per Unit CFA Total PCP (Quantity) Total CC (Quantity)
1. Adjacent Property Plot 18.45m x 7.3 m 100.000 0 100.000
TOTAL 0 100.00
V. Website Information
The following text should be placed on-line to inform potential community partners of the project.
Atop the rolling hills in the northwest of Benin sits CEG Dompago. The secondary school has a total of 701 students and 13 classes, who squeeze into only eight classrooms. This Parents’ Association led project will fund the building of two new classrooms to meet the demand, which continues to rise as more students are exiting the village’s ten primary schools. Education has been stressed in this culturally rich farming community, but this new commitment can only be fulfilled with more space to learn. Ultimately, a new building will allow students, especially the 225 female students, to participate and form clubs and sports teams. A mural entitled “Working together” will be drawn and then painted to celebrate the completion of this cross-cultural collaboration.