The First Two Schools at the Kafanchan Site:

10/18/2018

Kafanchan Nursery/Primary School; Kafanchan Secondary School

We arrived at this first location- Kafanchan, the original school location in the diocese. Many of the buildings here were built in the 1930’s by missionaries. The fact that they are still in use today as a secondary school is a testament to their sturdy construction. That being said, the buildings are all in need of renovations of varying degree. The need is great and Bishop Markus and his team work hard to prioritize the most urgent requests with limited funds- there is simply not enough to go around to repair everything, especially when trying to manage seven schools.

The first building on our tour of Kafanchan was the original chapel, alsoconstructed in the 1930’s. The building is currently used for an examination hall on the secondary level campus; however, the interior ceiling is on the verge of collapse, making the space currently unusable. Note the sag in the photo. The building is in need of an entirely new roof.

Also built in the 1930’s were the dormitories, one is shown in the photo. While many areas provide an education at the nursery/primary level, secondary schools are fewer and far between. If further education is desired, students often have to travel out of their immediate areas. As bussing is non-existent, students must board at the school. Many secondary schools offer boarding facilities. The dormitories at Kafanchan Secondary School were also constructed during the 1930’s. One of the dorms is shown in the photo. Students have beds in a common room; note the mosquito netting over the bed frames.

Students who board are provided with meals throughout the day. Food is prepared over an open fire in the kitchen, shown in the photo. A dedicated matron prepares the meals, rain or shine, and often in the intense heat. The Bishop would like to rebuild the kitchen; it is one of many initiatives raised by the building committee.

The Nursery/Primary School was located across the compound. The classrooms were nearly all full- the number of students attending school is truly amazing. I was very impressed with the staff and students- all seemed working very hard. These primary buildings were in reasonably good condition- there are no outstanding urgent needs at this school.