Container to Classroom

Over the last few months we have been slowly, oh so very slowly, converting our container into a useable room. Initially it will be a classroom for the grade 3 children but could become anything from offices to a library or a group work room….

Along the way there were lots of frustrations ‘learning experiences’!

-The grinder wasn’t up to the job, so burnt out, repeatedly.-

-We only have power in the afternoons, normally it comes back some time between 2pm and 3pm, the workers knock off at 4pm. – so the grinder (when it was working) welder and drill could only be used for an hour and a half most days.

Making holes

-The paint was ‘slopped’ around, so ended up all over the wooden floor which no one thought to cover and I wanted to stain.

slip, slop, slap!

Scrape and sand!

-The windows were fitted 90 degrees the wrong way around, so now open up and down instead of across…. They needed some adapting to be able to stay open.

At least they open and let in light, now they are clean!

I could go on!

Anyway now it’s finished I can forget about the problems and enjoy the new classroom which is so much bigger than the small room my Grade 3s were crammed into before. The windows may not be right, the floor not perfect but they are both a great improvement on the dark, cramped room the grade 3 were using.  As I kept trying to tell myself, what difference did a few days make to those grade 3s in the end?!

As a result of having a new classroom we also have a new library, I have a new office and we even have a spare room, for now!

Library in the old Grade 3 classroom

The children, teachers and I are truly grateful to everyone who helped with this conversion. From Channel of Hope, Zambia, who gave us the container. Celtic freight for moving container, twice! Rob Marsden and John Fishwick for planning and designing, making window frames etc and for everyone who works here and has put up with my nagging to get this finished.

Now, on to the next project!