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Samanala Pre-school: Out with the old and in with the new

The first visit to Samanala Pre-School revealed a shabby building with few saving graces. Children’s art work hung on the walls trying to cover the hundreds of holes but the walls still looked tired with dirty, chipped paint. The simple cement floor was so thin that in many places the dirt ground beneath was exposed. Twenty years ago the floor was probably smooth but now it is rough and covered with cracks and holes. The state of the floor is bad enough but to consider that the school has only a handful of chairs, most of which are damaged, and many of the children spend their lessons sitting on this floor makes its condition…

The tiled roof leaked and in places the wooden rafters were completely rotten, at risk of collapsing in bad weather.

There single toilet, accessed from the back of the building was damaged beyond repair.

Working with the teachers and parents to identify and prioritise the needs a plan of action was designed. The parents were eager to help and the local carpenters and masons keen to assist with special rates.

The first item was the roof and in a very short space of time new rafters were in place and the broken tiles replaced putting an end to the classroom puddles. The old, flimsy floor has been ripped up and the holes in the walls filled. The large number of white marks revealing just how bad it was.

It is almost comical to see the contribution made by the local authorities when the teachers pleaded for assistance with furniture. For a school of 32 under 5’s the authorities provided two desks of an appropriate size for 8-10 year olds! It is therefore a great relief for everyone that the carpenter who lives next door to the school is busy with his team making new desks and chairs. They are using strong and durable wood as there are no guarantees that any breakages in the future will be replaced.

The local mason has already repaired the surfaces and the simple fireplace in the kitchen and has transformed the once repulsive toilet, completely gutting it, fixing a concrete roof and making it accessible without going outside, particularly important during the monsoon seasons.

Eager parents, equipped with sand paper and paint are keen to get to work on the make-over of the walls but there is some heavy duty cleaning to be done before the paintbrushes can get started.

Even though it’s only the first week of the project the difference is remarkable and it is clear that in a very short space of time the little pre-school will be transformed.

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