FINAL TOUCHES FOR THE GIRLS CENTER, ARUSHA
When the landscaping and furniture arrives, architects know that our work is nearly finished.
In the spring of 2022, co-founders Nano Chatfield and Beth Rockefeller approached us about creating a permanent home for the Girls Foundation of Tanzania. When we first saw the four-acre site that they purchased on a former coffee plantation in Arusha, in February of 2023, cows and goats were grazing there.
Girls planting bananas and other fruit trees on the northeast side of the Girls House (TGFT).
Founder Nano Chatfield (center), Executive Director Dr. Estahappy Mariki (standing right) and TGFT girls at the entrance to the Girls House (TGFT).
Early this December, Nano arrived for her semi-annual visit coinciding with end-of-year school holidays to find ten structures nearing completion. She emailed the design and construction team: “The buildings, the masonry work, the pathways, the leveling- everything is BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS, UNBELIEVABLE.”
The “small” rains started just as site drainage concepts developed by U.S. civil engineers Haley and Aldrich were completed by the construction crew. At the large Girls House, gutters and downspouts fill an underground cistern that will water plants. All other buildings have drainage systems that can connect to rain barrels. For the large unbuilt areas of the site, designated retention areas have proved successful in keeping the water on site while preserving walkways and playfields.
Covered courtyard connecting administrative, living and sleeping areas of the Girls House (TGFT).
The drainage concepts have been supplemented by plantings coordinated by a permaculture expert who also arrived on site on site in early December. His work was included with a grant from Mainsprings (https://mainsprings.org/ ), a Mwanza-based American NGO. Nano reported:
“Today, we had 90 girls digging trenches with five local men. … I think we’ve planted 250 banana trees in the trenches and lines of lemongrass on the swales to hold the dirt, [as well as] mangoes, avocados, moringa and acacia trees. Each girl is assigned her own tree.”
Locally-fabricated furniture being installed by TGFT board members in the Dining Room (TGFT).
Even before all of the buildings were fully closed-in this fall, Senior Executive Director Dr. Estahappy Mariki was hosting TGFT events on campus. Local artisans have been making custom wood furniture. Our long-term building partners from Africa Schoolhouse worked hard finalizing lighting, plumbing, walkways and wood doors and trim right up until December 22nd, when the key crew members left for a well-deserved break with their families, 300 miles away in the Mwanza region.
Founder Nano Chatfield, Scott Teas, Africa Schoolhouse Project Engineer Benjamin John, Pamela Hawkes, Director Estahappy Mariki, Africa Schoolhouse VP for Community Jefta Kishosha and Architect of Record Joas Tibaijuka in the living room of the Girls House, June 2024 (Africa Schoolhouse).
As 2025 begins, we will miss weekly WhatsApp construction meetings with the team, Beth Rockefeller, Africa Schoolhouse Founder Aimee Bessire and the architect of record, Joas Tibaijuka of JTA Architects. We look forward to seeing the campus come alive with the TGFT girls, staff, neighbors and education partners like Coaches Across Continents and Amplify Girls.