Following the successful completion of phase one of Tholana Kindergarten Classroom Project in 2020, MAMA and the Tholana community agreed to progress to phase two of the project, which included constructing the school’s bathroom block and installing a solar lighting and power system.

The impact of COVID-19 in the rural and isolated areas such as Tholana meant that the available workers were diverted to other priorities. Rural communities rely on subsistence agriculture and land cultivation for root crops. Food security has become a significant issue for the community during the pandemic with many needing to prioritise their available resources and time to establish new food gardens. That combined with the need to isolate to minimise community transmission meant that the project took longer than initially planned. 

Despite these challenges, the community have managed to dedicate a few builders to continue working on the bathroom block. They worked in shifts to reduce contact with others during the height of the pandemic and divided their work between construction and farming responsibilities.

Our dear friend, Walter Diamana, has recently provided an update and the attached photos of the now complete project. It includes the newly installed solar panels and battery system which will provide power to the MAMA-funded classroom (which was constructed in phase one) and the newly built bathroom block (constructed as part of phase two).

“This project remains a shining beacon of hope for community development.”

Walter Diamana, Tholana

Notwithstanding the COVID-19 interruptions, there has been a lot of interest in the project from both within the community and by visitors to the province. Teachers from nearby schools have been very impressed by the quality of the new education centre, including access to educational resources such as books and supplies. They also had visits from the Education Officer from Isabel Province and the local Member of Parliament who expressed their appreciation to MAMA and admiration for the hard work of the Tholana community to provide these educational opportunities for the children in the area, saying that ‘this project remains a shining beacon of hope for community development in Isabel province and how to mobilise limited resources and funding with great impact’.