Classrooms

Construction of the classrooms took place during 2011. Four classrooms have already been constructed: 2 for Forms 1 and 2 each (equivalent to 2 classes of Grade 9 and 10 each).

Foundation
Since any structure is only as secure as the foundation on which it rests, we followed the steps outlined below to build the concrete foundation.

1. Leveling the area where the foundation will be poured.
2. Digging a trench around the perimeter of the foundation (1 foot wide and 2 feet deep).
3. Building a frame around the trench using framing boards held in place with wooden stakes.
4. Forming the foundation walls by reinforcing the trench with steel rebars and filling the trench to the top with concrete. (Steel rebar reinforcement is critical to making sure the foundation can bear wall stress adequately.)
5. Forming the floor by removing the foundation framing boards and filling the inside area of the pad with gravel 4 inches deep. Then the entire inside of the pad area is filled with concrete, matching the height of the trench foundation, and allowed to harden.

Double-walled construction, vents, and roof ridge…
You’ll note that we used double wall construction where the wall cavity serves as an insulator, keeping the classrooms much cooler. On the outer wall, there are a series of vents interspersed at the bottom and top of the classroom walls allowing for convection currents which push the hot air up and out of the upper vents. The roof is also designed in such a way to allow for the hot air absorbed from the iron sheets to escape through a roof ridge built on top. This double-wall construction is the first of its kind in Turkana County, and probably most of Kenya. After securing the roofing, the work crew fitted the door and window frames and nailed in the ceiling boards. Finally, the flooring was completed and the walls plastered on the inside and out at the beginning of 2012.