In the coming months we will be working diligently with our partners at Free the Children to determine the exact village in which we will be rebuilding a school. This decision will be based on the specific community that presents the greatest need.

Please click here to read more about our Sri Lanka project and the community you will be helping.

We will be building this school within the Chimborazo province and will help improve the educational experience for some young Ecuadorians. In the coming weeks we will be working diligently with Free the Children to determine the exact community in which this school will be build. This decision will be based on the specific community that presents the greatest need. On average the construction of the school will take eight to twelve months to complete.

A monumental THANK YOU goes out to all of the people and groups that have contributed to this project as it couldn’t have been done without you.

If you would like to receive updates about this project or become a contributing member for our next project we would love to hear from you.

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Header photo credit: eskararriba on Flickr

We are thrilled to extend our thanks to both those who have decided to contribute for a second year in a row and those who are new contributors to Building Walls of Wisdom.

We would also like to make special note of some of the events and group based fund raising efforts that continue to help raise both awareness and funds for our projects. Events like the Abu Dhabi Ultimate Frisbee Tournament and groups like Mr. Fernandez’s Third Grade Class are just a couple of great examples. We encourage everyone interested to come up with unique and creative ways to help this cause. Feel free to share any ideas you have in the comments below, or send us an email.

Thanks again for everyone who has helped us get this far and to everyone that will help us reach our goal for a new school in Ecuador!

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Header photo credit: bunchofpants on Flickr

“The students in the Emori Joi community are excited to start a new school year. The pupils have now joined new grades and are looking forward to a fruitful year and new topics in their school curriculum. The enrollment rate is currently at 576 pupils and is still rising especially with the continued support with the lunch feeding program. All scholarship students also reported back to school and are in a new grade. We now have 8 students in their final year of secondary school.

Other exciting news is that an award ceremony for all 8 of our Kenyan communities was held on February 10th, giving prizes for communities for their performance and Emori Joi’s schools took:

• 1st place for best environmental club
• 1st place for best health club
• 3rd place for highest marks

Further, a deworming exercise was conducted to all the pupils at Emori Joi. A total of 587 pupils were dewormed. Deworming is done once every 3 months and helps to promote the health of students in the community.

We are very happy to share all of this great news, and will be providing a more detailed community report in the spring – along with actual pictures of the school that was built. Thanks again to all of the contributors that helped bring this project from an idea to a school that is now enjoyed by the Emori Joy community.

Within the Ecuadorian community we will be working in, only 10% of children go on to secondary school and the male literacy rate is 70% whereas female literacy is only 40%. By building a school here we will be helping to bridge this gender disparity.

As Aung San Suu Kyi asserts,

The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all.

This project will be based in the Chimborazo province, which has a large population of indigenous people, and although many children have access to primary education – they often leave school early. By improving the quality of the education for the children in the area, our hope is that better retention rates will follow.

Haven’t contributed yet? Feel free to do so now!

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Photo credit – heatheronhertravels on flickr

In partnership with Free the Children we have made a meaningful investment in providing the people in the Emori Joi community with an opportunity to better their lives. In addition to providing this community with a school a holistic model of development has been implemented in this area, which includes clean water and sanitation projects, health care and alternative income programming.

By removing the barriers that often prevent children from attending school, this past year 298 girls and 326 boys were able to enroll at Emori Joi Primary School, 18 teachers received additional training and 32 children graduated.

“Since initial construction, academic progress has been at the forefront of the leaders of Emori Joi Primary School. In January 2008 Emori Joi was ranked #1 school in the district! Female attendance and retention have also increased, to almost 50 per cent of the student population.”

Free the Children

Emori Joi is a rural community located in Narok South District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya. The population of this community is approximately 2000 people including 240 families. Some of the major challenges for the region include gender inequality, drought, female circumcision, child labour, and migration.

For more information surrounding the work being done in this region, please see the Emori Joi Fall ‘09 Report provided by Free the Children.

Thanks again for all of the contributing members that have helped make this first project a relality.

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Thumbnail Image Credit – teachandlearn on flickr