Olives students see their new school

What an amazing day, I am buzzing. A lot has happened this last week, most importantly though was confirmation that GVI volunteers are helping to fund a brand new school for Olives Rehabilitation Centre!! You may remember from a previous blog that ORC was desperate for a new school building to accommodate heaving classrooms, enroll all the kids on the waiting list and qualify them for government funding. So imagine our excitement to be announcing that the first round of GVI Olive Rehabilitation Centre volunteers have secured the new premises! This has been funded directly from project costs, which should also fund rent for at least the rest of the year.

GVI staff and volunteers with Olives Rehabilitation Centre staff, celebrating at the new school

Stevens Were (founder of Olives) told me “I can barely contain my joy. Our kids now have space to be free to play like other kids, before there was no space for this. Our children can sit under a tree and cool off after lessons. We can finally accept all the children on the waiting list who are currently going without education, this is amazing”.

Big smiles from the founder of Olives Rehabilitation Centre, Steven and his wife Jane (who also teaches kindergarten)

Another major bonus of the new premises is the boundary fence. The original location was crammed in between other houses and shops; children were able to easily slip off unknown to staff, which was an ongoing concern to teachers. The new school has one entry point and a fence that runs the boundary, so it will be obvious when children are coming and going.

Students enjoying their new lawned play space, a first for these kids

The GVI team and volunteers have just had an incredible afternoon with ORC staff and students investigating the new school grounds, playing on the lawn (involving some extremely impressive feats of acrobatics) and singing songs under the mango trees – this is all possible because volunteers have chosen to give their time and resources to a very deserving group of kids and teachers.

ORC students investigate their new classrooms

Words simply cannot describe the level of excitement that was felt today; needless to say a few tears were shed by some of the softies amongst us! It doesn’t get much better than this. I hope you will all stay tuned for updates on the new school.

- Tess Doogue

Students stream into their new classroom, creatating a huge ruckus

Olives students see their new school