GIRLS DORMITORY COMPOUND TANZANIA

Clockwise from Left: Guard House, Matron House, Dormitory 1, Showers and Latrines, Dormitory 2, Dining/Multipurpose Hall.

Construction has begun on the third phase of the Milembe School for Girls in Iteja, Tanzania by non-profit Africa Schoolhouse in cooperation with the Misungwi District, and we will be joining Aimee and Mark Bessire and the construction crew for the month of February.  The self-sufficient dormitory compound will include housing, showers and latrines for 50 girls, a dining pavilion and matron house, with space for a second dormitory.  It will join three science laboratories and a teacher house constructed by Africa Schoolhouse from plans by Scattergood Design in 2016, as well as existing classrooms for over 300 students. 

The dorm compound is intended as a prototype for rural school districts throughout Tanzania, enabling them to create more dormitories for girls by using local labor and materials. By utilizing existing campuses, this promises to bring more facilities and more school opportunities for girls online sooner.  Suitable for locations with no access to district electricity, water or sewage, the buildings will incorporate sustainable, easily-obtained materials, rainwater catchment, solar-powered lighting and can be modified to meet local customs and crafts. Assuming all components will be brought to the site in a pickup truck, and all site fabrication will be accomplished without power tools, the details have been simplified to accommodate basic levels of carpentry and masonry and plans to film demonstration videos can make key construction steps available via cellphone.

You can follow the progress on Instagram #scattergooddesign.