African Conservation SchoolsNewsletter – February 2015

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Since 2013, the African Conservation Schools program has been promoting conservation in Africa by providing a sustainable network of quality primary schools and teachers to communities living in key wildlife areas.

ContentsSchool Design Underway for Adisge

School Profile

Phase II of Lupani to Begin

Manyara Makes Headway

On the Horizon

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In recognition of our appreciation for the generous supporters of the African Conservation School (ACS) program, the ACS team will be putting together a monthly newsletter as a way to provide relevant and up-to-date information on the schools. As we continue to grow and expand the ACS program, this newsletter will be an important platform for communicating updates on the different stages of school construction, program implementation and impact.

Though we recognize that there have been a few challenges at this stage, we are learning from them and moving ahead to ensure a streamlined process in reaching our program goals. On behalf of the students, teachers and community members who are the ultimate beneficiaries of your support, thank you!

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Adisge Primary School has an enrollment of approximately 220 students in kindergarten through grade 6, with six teachers living on site and another four in the village. The environment is cold and windy given the locality and altitude. To retain the little heat that exists in the classroom, teachers often close the window openings, which creates a warmer, but very dark, learning environment. Ensuring heat retention will be a major consideration in designing the new school while simultaneously providing a well-illuminated classroom environment in which to learn. Similar tactics will be used in the development of the teachers’ housing units, greatly improving the ability of the Adisge School to attract and retain quality teachers.

Absenteeism is a persistent challenge. Children sell crafts to tourists or assist families on the farms. Though the school is working with the community to help maintain steady attendance records, a new school is expected to help improve both enrollment and attendance levels and reinforce the importance of education Finally, the newly developed school will provide for the full primary

education curriculum of Ethiopian children, through grade 8. At the moment, Adisge provides schooling through grade 6, and the closest school providing the final two primary grades is 12 km away—prohibitively far for students to continue their education. Adding the final two primary grades to the new school will ensure students finish primary education and allow them an improved chance of continuing their education on to secondary school.

As Kefyalew Lizaw, a grade 5 student at Adisge, puts it: “If I can continue school, I want to become a doctor.”

Preparations are being made for the next ACS in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia. A recent visit to the school in January concluded by contracting a local architect to design and oversee the construction and development

of a new school for the Adisge community. Tenot Consulting, the architect that is building the AWF-supported Limalimo Lodge in the Simien Mountains, has agreed to a project that includes new classrooms for kindergarten and

grades 1–8, associated offices, ablution blocks, teacher housing and full site landscaping. Following an onsite visit by the Tenot project leader to meet with AWF, teachers and local community leaders and conduct an initial site survey, the team is prepared to undertake the concept and design phase of the school. The timeframe for completion is 10 months, finishing construction December 31 with ongoing landscaping work thereafter.

SCHOOL DESIgn UnDErWAy FOr ADISgE

SChool Profile

ABOVE: Adisge’s current classrooms are dilapidated and dark. new designs will improve lighting and heat retention in classrooms.

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Followers of the Ilima Conservation Primary School in the Democratic republic of Congo (DrC) will be excited to hear that the official opening is scheduled for the week of March 16. While

this is nothing new for its 300+ students who have been attending classes in the new Ilima School since September 2014, the official opening will ceremonially hand the school over to the government and celebrate the hard work put into the school by the community, project architect MASS Design group and AWF. High-level delegates from the government and community will be invited to attend alongside representatives from AWF and MASS Design group, and donors such as the World Bank and U.S. Agency for International Development (or USAID).

This past year has seen a school built from the ground in one of the more rural landscapes in which AWF operates. With the school now complete, construction is focusing on finishing the teachers’ housing by April. Two of three buildings are nearly complete, with walls erected and roofing in process. Construction is only part of the process, however.

While the physical infrastructure is crucial for ensuring a suitable learning environment, quality teachers and a robust educational experience are also critical components of a child’s education. Teacher training and conservation curriculum are core parts of the ACS program that enhance the quality of education students receive. In October 2014, Ilima’s teachers attended an on-site five-day training to strengthen their skills in basic pedagogical methods, classroom management, operation of educational units and analysis of the national primary school program. next on the agenda is implementing a conservation education program at Ilima, which is likely to include partnerships with local organizations who are on the ground and have complementary programs and activities already in place.

Enrollment at Ilima has already increased from 230 students to 323 students, indicating that the parents and community are excited about the opportunities the school has to offer. To track the performance of the school, data will be collected on at least a term-by-term basis to measure enrollment, dropout/survival rates, grades and any other measures deemed necessary to help demonstrate the impact the school is having on educational standards as well as knowledge and understanding of conservation.

SCHOOL DESIgn UnDErWAy FOr ADISgE

TOP: AWF and MASS Design group carefully planned for a sustainable school that is appropriate to both the area geography and regional climate. MIDDLE: Opportunities to teach in outdoor learning spaces further reinforce the connection between school and conservation. BOTTOM: Ilima is sited in a location that bridges both untouched forest and agricultural areas, reinforcing the importance of the land and natural resources.

ILIMA’S OFFICIAL OPEnIng SCHEDULED

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PHASE II OF LUPAnI TO BEgIn

Classrooms constructed in 2011 need to be supported by improved landscaping to control erosion and water runoff. Phase II addresses campuswide landscaping, including plantings of indigenous species, and outdoor learning areas.

A new building in Phase II will incorporate an additional classroom for grade 7, staff offices, a library and additional toilet facilities.

AWF’s support to Lupani has been ongoing since 2011, when a modern six-classroom school replaced a one-room dilapidated schoolhouse with a caved-in roof. Both students and teachers have since thrived

in the improved learning spaces, accessing quality education and renewing commitments by the community to support the school as a center of excellence.

Over the past year, AWF has been working with MASS Design group to design and plan Phase II of Lupani’s development. This will include a grade

7 classroom, library, administrative offices and improved landscaping to prevent erosion and water runoff or collection pools. With the final architectural plans nearly complete, an on-site visit by the local architect will take place in early March. Subsequent to a successful tendering process, construction is anticipated to begin by the end of March.

In addition to school infrastructure, two new generous supporters have provided additional funding for the Lupani School, focusing on education

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This past year has seen deliberate and comprehensive preparation for the major renovation planned for Manyara ranch Primary School. AWF has been working closely with MASS Design to encourage

timely implementation, and though there have been a few challenges that have slowed the process leading up to groundbreaking, work is set to begin in April.

Over this past month, MASS as the project manager has been negotiating with Kapwani Architects, the local architect identified to oversee the construction and landscaping at Manyara. A joint site visit by AWF, local officials from the Monduli District Council and Kapwani Architects was

conducted in late January to discuss the project, tentative work plan and timelines for delivery. Following this visit, next steps include finalization of the architectural plans and tendering for contractors. MASS with Kapwani Architects will oversee the tender process, working closely with AWF and representatives from Monduli District Council’s office throughout the entire process.

In addition to the physical renovations, the school is in need of classroom furniture. A large number of chairs and desks have broken because of poor initial quality and a lack of proper maintenance. As a result, most of the furniture is unusable, and students have been sitting on the floors during classes and exams.

Part of the project’s budget includes the purchase of new furniture, which will provide 500 brand-new student desks (providing seating for two students per desk), enough to furnish all classrooms for all the children at the school. An in-depth search for quality furniture makers was concluded in January when a company based in Tanzania was found that specializes in wood milling, with school furniture as one output. The company practices sustainable forestry operations, ensuring that the highest environmental standards are met. A sample of the furniture is currently being made to ensure durability and avoid previous challenges related to furniture quality.

given the delays encountered during the pre-construction phase, AWF is pushing hard to remain as close to the original schedule as possible and ensure that work at Manyara will begin in early April. This includes at least weekly follow ups with the Monduli District Council by AWF’s team on the ground, in addition to MASS’s liaison with the local architect and contractors. Though construction has been slow to start, we are nearing the stage where it can begin. With the start of construction in April, the full work will take nine months ending in December. Landscaping will be completed by March 2016.

MAnyArA MAKES HEADWAy

AWF’s landscape director John Salehe and Manyara ranch Manager Fidelis Ole Kashe test out potential school desks for the Manyara ranch Primary School.

The ZeduPad, produced by local Zambian tech company iSchool, provides the full Zambia national curriculum on a small, affordable, child-friendly touchpad. ACS will be working with iSchool to provide ZeduPads to the Lupani Community School, for use by both students and teachers, replacing the need for an expensive, resource-intensive computer lab.

technology and conservation education. With these two new grants, we are developing the following initiatives at Lupani:

Technology: iSchool, a Zambian tablet producer, has mapped the entire primary school curriculum in eight different languages and pre-loaded them on to the government sanctioned ZeduPad tablet. An entire iSchool package, complete with 30 student tablets (sufficient for a full class), seven teacher tablets for lesson planning, teacher training for one year, projectors and headphones, will be introduced to Lupani upon completion of the new school. The ZeduPad is considered a valuable teaching aid as it promotes peer and self learning, and provides lesson plans and interactive multimedia learning materials. It also has reading schemes (for use in adult literacy classes), reference and research resources and exam preparation, which is far more than what is provided by conventional means.

Conservation education: A specialized conservation education program will be developed for Lupani to help reinforce sustainable use of natural resources. The material will be additive, complementary and generally delivered outside of normal instruction as extracurricular activities. Examples of the type of activities to be implemented include signage and nature trails, infographics explaining AWF’s conservation model and the school’s purpose, establishment of conservation clubs, teacher sensitization on conservation issues, and linkages to safari and/or tour operators.

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African Wildlife FoundationHeadquartersNgong Road KarenP.O. Box 310, 00502NAIROBI, KENYATel: +254 0711 063000Fax: +254 20 276 5030awf.org

Washington, DC, Office1400 Sixteenth Street, NWSuite 120WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036, U.S.A.Tel: +1 202 939 3333Toll free: +1 888 494 5354

About African Wildlife FoundationFounded in 1961, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is a leading conservation organization focused solely on the African continent. AWF’s programs and conservation strategies are based on sound science and designed to protect both the wild lands and wildlife of Africa and ensure a more sustainable future for Africa’s people. Since its inception, AWF has protected endangered species and land, promoted conservation enterprises that benefit local African communities, and trained hundreds of African nationals in conservation—all to ensure the survival of Africa’s unparalleled wildlife heritage. AWF is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Kenya and registered as a 501(c)(3) in the United States. For more information, visit awf.org.

Photos: Mass Design Group, John Salehe, Brian McBrearity, Perrin Banks, Craig R. Sholley and AWF

© 2015

While progress is being made toward construction on three schools, the ACS program is looking ahead. Developing clusters of schools within priority AWF landscapes remains integral to the goal of building 15 schools by the end of 2018. With Adisge as the first school in the Simien Cluster, we have begun assessing landscapes for the next ACS school cluster. A due diligence mission to Kidepo Valley in northern Uganda took place in February to assess the potential conservation and education impact from an ACS program there; the final result for that mission will be compiled in March.

Equal in importance to school construction are the ongoing commitments to the students and teachers once the new schools are complete. Teacher

training, conservation education and continuous performance assessments are all activities being developed to roll out upon completion of the schools. In this way, ACS program activities will strengthen the linkage between education and conservation, well beyond the traditional support provided to schools.

As we continue to expand our reach, improving access to quality education and expanding conservation impact, we look forward to providing you with meaningful updates. your support is integral to the success of the ACS program, and we intend to work closely with our partners to ensure the teachers and students are receiving not just educational excellence, but also the skills needed to balance conservation and development.

on the horizon

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The African Wildlife Foundation, together with the people

of Africa, works to ensure the wildlife and wild lands of Africa

will endure forever.

African Wildlife FoundationHeadquartersNgong Road KarenP.O. Box 310, 00502NAIROBI, KENYATel: +254 0711 063000Fax: +254 20 276 5030

Washington, DC, Office1400 Sixteenth Street, NWSuite 120WASHINGTON, DC 20036, USATel: +1 202 939 3333Toll free: +1 888 494 5354Fax: +1 202 939 3332

awf.org

africanwildlife@awf.org