Build a Classroom, Save the Amazon

Thank you all for your generous support!! We are extremely grateful for the response we've received for Build a Classroom, Save the Amazon. Because of past contributions and two very recent generous contributions; one from a US Rotary organization and the second from a husband and wife in Switzerland, we are now able to finish building our classroom! Having met our goal, we will be closing down this fundraising project. Until that time please consider a final contribution to help with supplies and furniture for our NEW CLASSROOM! We will be kicking off two smaller agricultural projects to coincide with the start of the new school year – please watch for this to appear in the next couple of weeks on Global Giving.

Early this year we reported that we had completed the Aquaponics portion of this project. Our students work daily at monitoring, testing and harvesting fish and vegetables that are thriving on our campus. In the fall last year’s students training new students in the operation and maintenance the Aquaponics farm.

Finishing the classroom is going to fill a huge gap on our campus and provide much needed space for our new group of students. Here are some interesting facts about our new classroom:

• 165.7 SQUARE METERS OF NEW CLASSROOM SPACE
• THE WALLS WILL BE 3 METERS HIGH
• THE ROOF IS ANOTHER 5 METERS HIGHER IN THE CENTER.  
• THERE WILL BE TWO THATCHED ROOF CONES.
• THE CLASSROO CONSISTS TWO OCTGONS ADOINING ON ONE OF THE 8 SIDES.
• THERE WILL BE A SLIDING WALL BETWEEN THE TWO OCTOGONS.  THIS WILL GIVE US 2 CLASSROOMS! 
• IT WILL TAKE 800 GUANGOS.  [THIS IS THE KICHWA NAME FOR A GROUP OF 100 LEAVES] SO A TOTAL OF 80,000 LEAVES TO MAKE THE ROOF! 
• EACH LEAF HAS TO BE HAND WOVEN INTO THE ROOF. 

To cut down on costs we are having the students help with the thatched roof weaving. They are all experienced in doing this work at home and allowing them to help in the construction will give them a feeling of ownership and pride for their new classroom. Right now the leaves for the roof are being collected, trucks are bringing in river rock to form the floor, the footings are done and wood is being secured for the framing and roof joists. We will post in progress pictures and the finished classroom pictures in the near future. We just completed the construction of the composting toilets that will service the new classroom. The pictures show how nice this project has turned out too.

Well – we did it – the students are happy, the Yachana Foundation Staff is happy and we hope that you are happy that our campus has the classroom we need and a fully functional Aquaponics farm. Please let us know what you think about our progress and of course if you have any ideas for new classroom projects this fall please send them our way.

Here is link to a great video about our agriculture and permaculture projects at the Training Center. Please share with your friends! 

http://www.amara.org/fr/videos/6CBLO7vtQD7G/info/agriculture-permaculture-by-yachana-lodge-foundation-amazon-ecuador/

Links:

• About our Agriculture and Permaculture Efforts