Boys’ dormitory
During our visit to celebrate the girls’ bathrooms, one student asked us not to forget the boys. Nine are still sleeping on classroom floors. Remembering them has become our priority.
01 / Location
Nechishala Secondary School, Hwange District, Zimbabwe.02 / Purpose
Safe, affordable accommodation for students who currently travel long distances or sleep in classrooms.03 / Approach
A repeatable, scalable dormitory model that can be adapted to other places.The project story
01
The problem
Bushboarding is an adaptation to rural life in which students stay at school because the journey from home is too long. They often sleep in classrooms, cook meals over open fires and live in unsafe conditions.
02
Community support
Projects do not begin with our wishes; they emerge from conversations with the community. Together with community leaders and local partners, we define the project and share its costs. The community’s contribution is usually smaller and includes volunteer labour, locally made bricks and sand gathered near the site.
03
Where we are starting
Nine boys are still sleeping in classrooms. They are ‘only’ nine because many other students give up on their education when the conditions become too difficult. Some students we met live 15–20 kilometres away and spend one or two weeks sleeping in classrooms so they can continue their studies.
04
What we hope to build
A straightforward building with six dormitory rooms, each accommodating three to six students, a small veranda for studying or playing, and a room for the adult responsible for the dormitory. Safety and rest should not be privileges.
The resources
Budget
Target
To be defined