Two Years On (Oct 08)
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Exactly two years ago today, I and the Got
Matar Community Development Group agreed to go ahead
simultaneously with construction, enrolment and fund-raising
for their new secondary school. Thanks to the commitment of
the Group and the generosity of donors, over 300 children
are already enjoying an education that they could not even
have dreamt would be possible.
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Two schools support Got Matar
Pupils, aged between 15 and 16, in class 10B at
Bjoernsletta School in Oslo have donated a whopping Euro
3,950 to Got Matar – savings from a study tour to Poland and
Germany to learn about the second world war.
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In England, senior prefects at Queen
Margaret’s School near York have selected Got Matar as
their charity of the year, and have already collected £100
in their first event! Pupils and staff have set up a Got
Matar Committee to examine the possible development of an
institutional link between the two schools. |
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2008 building programme to begin
Following the creation of the Board of Governors this year,
the issue arose as to whether it or the Got Matar Community
Development Group (GMCDG) should be responsible for further
donor-funded construction at the school. After considerable
local debate, agreement was reached last week.
Given that the GMCDG had taken the
initiative to get the school started, engaged donors and
performed very effectively, it was decided that they should
continue to run the building programme. Building priorities
will, however, be set by the Governors, and the school
administration will manage and maintain all facilities and
equipment, once construction had been completed.
Pending this agreement, I had retained
donations intended for this year’s building programme. I
have now requested our two associated charities, PEAS in the
UK and Associazione SONIA in Italy, to transfer the
donations that they have received to the GMCDG account in
Kenya, and have also forwarded our own contribution.
Together with some funds sent by donors
directly to the Group, and excluding contributions for
bursaries, this means that there are approximately Euro
40,000 (£32,000) now available to the Community for
commitment towards the building programme. |
The first two classroom blocks as a backdrop
to the meeting
The Chairperson, Mrs Grace Andiki,
consulting members |
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Mike Kironde, from PEAS
Uganda, has made two recent visits to Got Matar to attend
the Board of Governors meetings as donor representative and
to assess progress. He has thoroughly reviewed the cost
estimates for this year’s core building programme,
consisting of a third block of 3 contiguous classrooms and a
science laboratory. Including an expansion in
solar-generated electricity supply, wiring, water
collection, all furniture and laboratory equipment, total
costs amount to Euro 53,000 (£41,500). This means that, at
present, there is a shortfall of about Euro 13,000 (£9,500).
Part of this may be met by the Ministry of Education, but I
hope that jointly we will find a way of filling the
remaining gap between now and the end of the year. In the
meantime, I have authorised the GMCDG to go ahead with the
construction contract which is fully covered by available
funds. This should allow the building to be ready for the
next intake of 150 new Form One pupils in January 2009,
bringing capacity up to 450 pupils.
Andrew MacMillan
October 4th 2008
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