On the 14th April, 2019 after all the necessary legal documents and contracts had been signed, construction work finally commenced on the building of a new, permanent school for Patmos school children.

 

Under the supervision of the contractor and his team of engineers and the foreman, work started on the preparation of the land.  As most of the excavation work has to be done manually, a team of local unemployed young men were recruited to help dig the foundations.  In this way the project is also helping provide temporary work for some of the people in Mathare 4B District.  A Clerks of Work will be regularly checking on the progress of the build and a local Elder will be working closely with the foreman on the project.

 

A Three Phase electric power line has now been connected to the bore hole which is sited in the school compound, and the pump is now connected to the borehole.  This means there is now  a good source of clean water  on site.

 

Before the work started on the demolition of the old school structure and the digging of the foundations, a prayer ceremony was held on the school site which is commonly known as ‘Ground-breaking Prayers’, and these prayers are said prior to the commencement of building a new structure.  Present at this event were the Headmaster, the Country-Representative-Kenya of Orphan Outreach, the Quantity Surveyor, the Architect, the Contractor, the Elder and the Head boy and Head girl from Patmos School.

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6th May, 2019: 

Work on the foundations is progressing well and steel bars have now been fixed on the foundation and concrete laid to hold them in place.  It is anticipated that the laying of the foundations will be completed in the next couple of days and work can then commence on the erecting of the walls of the building.

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June 2019:

In June there was a site meeting where the architect, clerk of works and construction engineers were present to evaluate the progress of the building work.  Also present at the meeting was Tom Wambulwa representing Orphan Outreach.

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July 2019:

Both Mike Douris, the President of Orphan Outreach and Amy Norton the Co-Founder and Vice President of  Strategic Partnerships  at Orphan Outreach visited Patmos School in July and they were able to have substantive discussions with the architects, clerk of works and contractors at that time.  The Headmaster is also liaising closely with the builders and all the stakeholders to ensure the school is built to a high standard and is completed on time.

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August 2019:

We are delighted to report that  by  August much progress had been achieved on site and the Headmaster reported that work on the  ground floor walls had been completed and that the next stage would be the casting of the first floor. The second phase of the school building work is due to commence shortly.

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September 2019:

In September the casting of the first floor of the building was successfully completed.  Work is now commencing on raising the columns on which the second floor will rest.  Once this work has been finished  the concrete surrounding the columns will be left to harden for 21 days before the casting of the second floor can be done. 

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October 2019:

The Clerks of Work has reported that with regard to the main school building that progress has been made on the main structure and that they are currently preparing to cast the second floor slab.  The foundations and columns have also been completed for the tank tower and that the construction work is progressing well and is on schedule.

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November 2019:

Construction of the new school is progressing well with the  plastering of the walls well underway and the installation of the windows.

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Dedication Ceremony:

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It is with much joy that we can announce that the 'Dedication Ceremony' of the new Patmos Junior School building took place on 20th January, 2020 at 10.00 am.

 

Our heartfelt thanks go to Mr Steve Spencer, Director and Board Member at Orphan Outreach for funding this new school building.  To read more about the Dedication Ceremony click here

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We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the  other kind donors who have played a significant part in making this all possible for the children.

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March 2020:

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We are delighted to report that work on the new Patmos School building has been progressing well over the last few months.  There is still some internal work that needs to be completed before the school can officially open and this work includes painting, the fixing of interior doors, some electrical and plumbing works as well as  the wiring of the solar panel structure.  The terrazzo floors also need to be cleaned. However, because of the recent government restrictions imposed in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, work has currently had to be halted.

 

We can confirm  though that the third floor playground is now finished and just needs to be cleaned.  The school now has the furniture for all the classrooms, the dining room, staff room and the offices.  Once the internal walls have been painted the builders will install the shelving.

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April 2020:

In April and with the appropriate social distancing rules being observed by workmen, some internal work was able to resume on the new school building including the painting and fitting of classroom and office doors.

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We are also delighted to report that in April with funds donated from an Orphan Outreach donor, an additional piece of land which is adjacent to the  school building has been purchased.  

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June 2020 Update:

We are pleased to report that work on the new school building is almost complete.  The painters are now working on the final coat of paint on the interiors of the school and the fitting of classroom doors and the installation of blackboards are in progress.  The kitchen  has been fitted with a large jiko stove that services four cookers and the remainder of the work in the kitchen is scheduled to be completed in the near future.

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July/August 2020 Update:

Work progressed at speed during July and August with the installation of the solar panels on the roof being completed.  The carpenter finished work on the classroom shelves and kitchen cupboards and delivery was taken of school desks,  chairs  and benches.

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September 2020 Update:

Under the supervision of the Clerks of Works the construction company worked hard during the month of September to ensure that all the necessary work was completed. 

 

The government in Kenya had mandated that the Grade 4 and Grade 8 classes in the country should resume their studies in a school environment from the beginning of October.

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October 2020 Update:

School lessons resumed in the new Patmos School building for the Grade 4 and Grade 8 classes.  

All remaining school children continued to be taught under the Distance Learning Program.

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To read about the land acquisition over the last few years that has made the building of this new school possible. click here.

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