The aim of this school project in Sorris Sorris, was to address the desperate state of the four hostel buildings into which the 205 pupils were crammed, replace the broken sewerage and water supply systems, renovate the kitchen and provide cooking facilities. The Damaraland region of Namibia in which this school is located is vast. Most of the children in the region, who wish to attend school, must stay for the duration of each term. Daily travel is impossible due to the distance their homes are from the school.
Sorris Sorris Primary School
Thirty Friends From Ireland volunteers arrived on the site on January 25th 2009 and worked in very challenging conditions for two weeks. They lived in a tented camp, a short distance from the school and worked an average of twelve hours a day to complete what can only be described as a mammoth task. They ranged in age from fifteen to fifty-eight and came from every walk of life. The first day on site allowed the gang to get a sense of the tasks ahead. The project area comprised of four large hostel buildings, a dining area and kitchen area.
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Work commenced immediately on the first hostel with the removal of all broken windows, doors and old plumbing fittings. As the days progressed the volunteers moved on to the other three hostels and began renovating the kitchen and cooking area. There were endless days of filling and sanding, digging out of old pipes, removal of ceilings, painting, tiling, grouting, digging trenches for sewerage pipes, glazing, more digging for new fresh water pipes, welding, fitting doors, chimneys, boilers, cookers, more digging and not once did anyone complain. Temperatures rose to 42 degrees Celsius, on occasion, but the gang stayed very focused. They knew, after a few days, that we would need every hour possible to complete the project. It was so impressive to see how the project really became theirs after a few days. They were determined to finish. Brute Force and Ignorance became the rally cry for the routine early morning digging duties. As the days passed so too did the shyness of the kids at the school. Soon they were running around with sunglasses and baseball hats and shouting “Slan”. Their endless laughter and good humour in the face of such challenging conditions was astounding. Some local teenagers joined our volunteers, after an appeal at the local church and our workforce grew. But still the days of filling and sanding, digging out of old pipes, removal of ceilings, painting, tiling, grouting, digging trenches for sewerage pipes, glazing, more digging for new fresh water pipes, welding, fitting doors, chimneys, boilers, cookers, more digging, continued. But soon everything started to come together.
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