‘Hoe kijkt coördinator Edward Bailor terug op het project?’
De partner vertelt... van 22 februari 2024 door Edward Bailor
Elk jaar vragen we onze partner hoe het project is gegaan en welke lessen de partner heeft geleerd.
Context and summary
Describe the original plan/idea for the project. Has the project been executed as planned?
Give a (short) general description of the implementation of the project.
The construction of the 5 classrooms, head teachers office, staff room, storage and 8 compartment toilets (2 urinaries, 4 toilets and 2 girls change rooms) has been completed and handed over to the community in November 2021. Before the commencement of the actual building work, the project team hired an experienced and skilled contractor (Amadu Koroma) for the construction work. The team also organized a consultation meeting with community stakeholders to solicit local contribution and orientate the community about the project activities, deliverables and roles and responsibilities of the community. In addition, 3 local committees (Children Program, Cultural Program and Construction team) were also formed. The outcome of the meeting contributed to the mobilization of local materials and the provision of unskilled labour.
How do you look back on the following topics? How was it arranged, what went well, what could be done better?
Construction
Buildings worked on
The digging of the foundation, preparation of bricks and clearing of the construction site were voluntarily accomplished by members of the community. The construction team completed the concreting of the foundation, raising of the foundation bricks, oversite concrete and raising of the 2 layer bricks in May 2020. Later, the raising of super wall structure, roofing and ceiling, plastering, skidding and painting, and fixing of doors and windows were completed for the 3 classrooms and toilet in September 2021, and for the 2 classrooms in November 2021 respectively. The delay in the completion of the projects as opposed to the initially planned completion date was a result of the coronavirus outbreak which prevented the participants from physically participating in the construction work.
The project also provided 60 sets of chairs and desks, 3 cupboards, 6 tables and 14 chairs to the School Management and Administration of the newly built school.
The project team coordinated, supervised, monitored and ensured timely provision of building materials and strict adherence to quality standards during the entire project.
Tasks to be done
Programs
Children program
Not applicable.
Cultural and touristic outings
Not applicable.
Life Skills program and Football for Water (also include the amount of tranings given and the number of people from the community actively involved in training).
Not applicable.
Cooperation and involvement
Leadership team World Servants
Local leaders / key persons
The local leaders were key in achieving the project results. Their cooperation and involvement inspired the necessary community contribution. They were actively involved in planning, coordinating and monitoring project implementation. The community leader/chief, WARD Councilor and School Management and Administration helped galvanize local materials and stimulated the provision of voluntary labor services on site. In the absence of the Dutch participants, the leadership of the New Harvest Ministry helped to increase and retain voluntary unskilled labours at the project site by providing food and motivation for unskilled laborers.
Community
Community cooperation and involvement were positive in terms of participation, coordination and monitoring of the entire project. There was a timely provision of local materials as community contribution and voluntary labor service in fetching water, digging of the foundation, clearing of the construction site, backfilling and pounding of the foundation, safekeeping and transporting of materials, etc. Their involvement in achieving the project results was visible in every stage of the project implementation.
Beneficiaries
(Local) authorities
Facilitation of the team
Accommodation
Not applicable.
Food
Not applicable.
Transportation
Not applicable.
Safety
Not applicable.
Lessons learned
• The postponement of a project to a later year has huge effects and cost implications on prices of building materials.
• The absence of the Dutch team of participants led to delay in construction work because of limited labor supply and also increased the cost of labor.
• The high inflation and increase in the price of commodities, especially building materials, affected the project implementation.
