Burere

EWB-UC has been partnering with the Burere community and Cincinnati based non-profit Village Life Outreach Project since 2009. This project aims to design and construct safe new classrooms for the Kingigoro primary school in the village, which is in desperate need of extra space for its students.

In the fall of 2009, EWB-UC visited the community on a primary assessment. The current facilities were in disrepair and in need of replacement in several cases. The school facilities in 2009 consisted of one, four classroom building and one, two classroom building. One of the classrooms in the four room building had completely collapsed and another was in poor condition. EWB-UC learned that the attendance at the school was far lower than the enrollment from the community due to these unsafe conditions. The current structures were unable to house all of the students at one time, even with the lower attendance, causing some classes to be taught outdoors under a tree. The 2009 assessment provided many of the pictures and initial knowledge of the site, community, and residents in Burere.

In the summers of 2010 and 2011, EWB-UC returned to the Burere village for further assessment of the site and discussion with partners in the area. The 2010 trip yielded valuable site information which was used to determine the future location of the proposed new two classroom building. In 2011, EWB-UC students returned to complete assessment at the site and discuss roles in future design and possible construction with the community and other partners in the area. The trip was successful in sending material samples to the University of Dar es Salaam for testing, and in confirming important roles in the partnership needed to complete future implementations in Burere.

The project committee has decided, as of January 2011, to pursue a two classroom building design to account for construction logistics and keep materials costs reasonable for initial implementation. Project team members are working to complete a structural design and drawings that meet international standards as well as constructability requirements for the area. Other tasks the committee will pursue are construction planning, materials budgets, and educational materials for the future owners and caretakers of the school, the Burere community.

Right now in the Burere Project

The Burere committee has been spending countless hours working toward the design of the school house in Burere, Tanzania. The successful fundraising event, Bricks for Burere, will prove to be a great help for the project and for the entire community of Burere. The community has been patiently waiting for the return of EWB and for the beginning of this construction project. Currently the structural designs are in their final revisions, and EWB-USA has added some suggestions for the pre-implementation plans. As it stands now, the goal is to have the final designs submitted by next month and to have the beginning implementation phase done this summer. All of this progress would not be possible without the hard work of the entire committee and the strong support of their advisors Dr. George Suckarieh, Dr. Tom Bible, Julie Cromwell, Richard and Emily Elliot, and Jason Jones. All of EWB-UC is looking forward to the future and the reconstruction of the school building in Burere.