The project « Help our school is drowning », was to save a school run by the Daughters of Charity from flooding.

In the coastal town of Lobito, Angola, this school has been through an extremely difficult period. Torrential rains caused devastating floods which inundated the whole school, making it impossible to continue classes and even threatening the structure of the buildings.

“We worked day and night with two motor pumps pumping the water out, but the water just wouldn’t go away,” said Sr Ana Paula, the school’s headmistress.

Faced with this critical situation and the extent of the damage, the school’s management consulted architects.

“They recommended structural work to provide a lasting solution to the problem. The proposed solution was to create an effective drainage system and concrete the courtyard to prevent water infiltration in the event of heavy rains.” Sr Ana Paula

As soon as the funds were received, the work was organized and began very quickly, with a tight schedule to allow classes to resume at the start of the new school year. The work progressed at a good pace:

– creation of drainage trenches around the entire yard
– intensive removal of standing water
– installing stones and pouring concrete to create an impermeable surface.-

Thanks to this extraordinary mobilization, 80% of the work was completed by the start of the school year in September, enabling secondary school students to resume their courses. A few days later, primary school students were back in school. The work was completed a few weeks later.

“When we started work, all the local students and their parents came to see us and thanked us for the work done. They told us: ‘Thank God, now we will be able to finish our school year without any problems’. It is a great relief for everyone.” Sister Ana Paula

The teachers, particularly moved, said: “Sister, this is a dream. We never thought it would be possible to do this work. Now we will not have stomachaches when it rains…”

This project has not only repaired and consolidated buildings, it has restored security and, above all, hope to an entire community.

Sister Ana Paula Matias Armando, DC
Source: https://www.projets-rosalie.com/