The
Rotary Club of Scarborough and the Rotary Club of East Heliopolis
(a north-eastern suburb of Cairo) recently completed a public
school upgrade project for mentally disabled students in
Cairo.
The School
EL
Tarbia El Fikriya School is the first public school for
mentally disabled students in Heliopolis. The school has
approximately 120 students (male and female) and 34 teachers.
It has two buildings:
• A main building for grades KG -
6
• A vocational building for grades
7-9
The
educational system is divided into two sections: Kindergarten
to grade 6 and 3 years of vocational training in grades
7, 8 and 9. Students are accepted from age 6 (Kindergarten)
to age 20-22 (Grade 9). After completing the program, students
are able to go into the work force with little assistance.
But,
the school lacked funds to obtain resources for its mentally
disabled kids.
The Need
The
school needed lots of help. The classrooms were in terrible
condition. There were no appropriate chairs or desks, especially
for grades 1 and 2. The summer heat was unbearable. The
dinning room needed significant upgrades
Both
clubs worked together to provide an acceptable environment
for students.
Rotary
Scarborough provided: ceiling fans, drinking water, magnetic
boards for classrooms, new desks and chairs for grade 1
and 2. Rotary Heliopolis provided proper restrooms, a great
playground with swings and a shade area for students. They
also upgraded spinning machines, carpentry tables and tools
for the Senior Grades, and bought computers for the classrooms.
The
Funding
Much
was accomplished with relatively little funding. Here is
the story (in US $):
• The Rotary Club of Scarborough
$4,000
• Rotary District 7070 (Canada) $1,000
• The Rotary Club of East Heliopolis
$3,500
• Government of Canada (CRCID / CIDA)
$5,000
• The Rotary Foundation $8,500
• Total $22,000
The Result
The
students are now enjoying a more comfortable and healthy
environment for studying. They have new chairs and desks
to work on. Proper equipment for modern vocational training
is now available. Spinning wheels (for making yarn) and
sewing machines are up to date. Ceiling fans have helped
to lower the classroom temperatures. Drinking water is now
accessible on each floor. Students of all ages are enjoying
eating in the Dinning Room with new tables and chairs. They
have a better environment to learn in with water, cool air,
proper desks and tables to work on.
There
is no comparison between how the school was and how it is
now. We all agree that having a proper educational environment
helps students learn. That is what these kids have now,
thanks to Rotary.
Some Before
and After Pictures
And,
here are some before and after pictures that show how much
was done with so little money.
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