Progress Report: May 2010

Project Goals

The overall aim of the project is to give children in Sanankoroba village, Kati easier access to a good quality education by June 30, 2010.

The specific objectives of the project are:

• To reduce the number of pupils per class by constructing new classrooms

• To improve the school environment by planting trees for shade

• Allow children the opportunity to study in better conditions

• To facilitate the establishment of a school management committee which children can actively take part in, helping to implement a ‘child friendly’ school concept

Background
Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, with over 72% of the population living on less than $1 a day. Children in Mali are faced with one of the worst chances of survival and have extremely low school enrolment rates. A staggering 60% of all children do not attend primary school and one quarter of 15 – 24 year olds are unable to read or write. One of the key problems is the poor quality of education and educational facilities.

In the project area, the school facilities were insufficient and classrooms were over-crowded with more than 100 students per class. Most children have, therefore, been unable to complete school and fulfill their potential. Among children enrolled in Grade One, only 40% reach Grade Ten or secondary school. It has therefore been necessary to improve the quality of education so that more children can complete Grade Six and have the opportunity to continue their education.

Activities Achieved
No major difficulties were encountered during implementation. The following activities, which were outlined in the initial project plan have now been achieved:

Opening of the school	Speech by Plan Programme Unit Manager

June 09 – October 09: Construction started on 3 classrooms

• Village Committee and community members were elected. Contracts were signed between the Construction Company for the classroom construction, Environmental Services for the upkeep of the trees and the School Board for training for the school management committee members and children’s school government. Construction began under the management of the school and committee members. Furniture and equipment for the new classrooms were ordered.

October 09 – Feb 10: Construction completed, tree seedlings planted, training began

• Successful completion of the construction of three classrooms, designed to accommodate 50 children. Each classroom equipped with 25 desks and benches for the children, a desk for the teacher, two chairs and a cupboard. Training sessions attended for maintenance of classrooms and seedlings by 12 members of the children’s’ government committee.

Feb 10 – March 10: Inauguration Ceremony

• Since January, children have been studying in the three new classrooms which are fully equipped with tables, benches, desk, and cupboards. From the training all committee members are aware of their roles and responsibilities.

An inauguration ceremony was held and attended by the Mayor, State Representatives, members of the community, School Management Committee and students on 17th April 2010 in Sanankoroba.

Pupils’ representative	Mayors Speech

Impact
This project has had a positive and profound impact on the local community and there have been significant advancements in creating a dramatically improved school environment and enhancing educational access. The activities undertaken as part of this project have enabled students at Sanankoroba to learn and grow in a safe and engaging environment. By improving quality of education the project will help to increase the percentage of children that complete their primary education in future years.

• The construction of three new classrooms has directly benefited 1,008 children. It has enabled the school to reduce class sizes in the 10 existing classrooms. Where 95 to 100 pupils were sharing a class room, it has now been minimised to 50 pupils per class.

• The purchase and planting of seedlings, when grown, will enable students to stay in shaded areas during their breaks from class. This will improve the learning environment and consequently will help children to obtain better results.

• The training sessions of the School Management Committee has, and will continue to build capacity to manage their school in the long run. The committee is now in charge of maintaining the school infrastructure.

• Contracts have been put into place where support from the Ministry of Education and the rural communal councils have agreed to pay for long term maintenance of the new classrooms, along with costs of the school including teachers’ salaries and learning materials.

Community Involvement, Sustainability and Integration
Throughout this project there was a high level of community participation. The following groups were involved in the implementation of the project; The Ministry of Education, Environment local service staff, the Mayor, village councils and the school authorities. They maintained a regular presence at the school construction site.

The Ministry of Education’s representatives, the Mayor and his councillors have overseen and given training to the school management committee and the children’s government committee to ensure that they know how to look after and maintain the school grounds.

The Forestry Service has also given training to the pupils on how to look after the seedlings and young trees.

The community have paid a donation of 600,000 FCFA to keep in an account so that if repairs are needed in the coming years, they can manage it themselves.

Monitoring and Evaluation
The commitment to the regulatory and monitoring processes has ensured that this project is completed to a high standard. During the reporting period, representatives from the local government, the mayor and the community visited the construction site regularly, to review the activities taking place and to ensure that all standards that were set, have been met. Plan staff, as with all Plan projects, were also involved in the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the project.

Problems Encountered
No major problems occurred during the project period, although a small number of trees did not survive once planted and will subsequently be replaced.

Budget Breakdown
Please see budget breakdown below. The remaining funds of 1,250,393 FCFA (approximately £1,603.18*) will be used towards the ongoing maintenance of the school and for an official ceremony organised by the community leaders to notify the state education of the newly renovated school.