The Building Project: One Month In
About a month ago, we launched our campaign for the Building Project. We've outgrown our current school building and urgently need to buy land and start building a new school for our students. In October of 2017, the landowner we rent from asked us to move our temporary classrooms from the side of the building to the rooftop... so that leads us to where we are now with over 100 kids crammed together in 7 classrooms on a tiny roof. And not to mention, rainy season in Haiti starts in just a few short months. Rainy season + rooftop = EEK!
First, let us just say, we are so beyond thankful for the $40,000 (AHH!!) that has already been donated via our GoFundMe page toward this project. The support of our friends and family is incredible.
That being said, we still need more funding. We have a big huge giant number of $800,000 as our overall campaign goal. But for right now, we're focusing on raising an additional $125,000 to complete phase one: buy property.
As you can imagine, we're learning a ton about Haitian real estate in this process. There is so much to consider when considering where to buy...
How far from the main road is it?
Is it accessible via car or motorcycle?
Does it already have a perimeter wall (these are surprisingly extremely expensive to install)?
Can we work around the existing trees and vegetation, or do we need to do any removal?
How far is it from where the majority of our students currently live?
Is there or could there be access to water?
Is the land in a good spot to eventually set up internet?
How many people own the land?
Does the landowner(s) have their paperwork?
Our latest discovery of land (see the photos below), was recommended by one of our student's parents and has a lot of potential. It's near the current school. There is a small building and bathroom on the property we can renovate to give us a jump start on building. There is also a perimeter wall already installed that just needs some small repairs.
If you've already given to the campaign, thank you. Please spread the word and share our story with your friends and family. We will continue to give updates and share the progress of the project with you!
From $20 to $20,000, all gifts, large or small, will work together to make a huge difference in the education and futures of these precious kiddos. Go to gofundme.com/dreamdesignbuild to give, follow us on Facebook for more updates, or let us know if there's another way you want to volunteer or contribute.