Each year for the past several years, Waves of Hope has chosen a school rehab project in our local community. These pre-schools and elementary schools are often in desperate need of some simple maintenance and from time to time the schools are in such horrible shape that we have to complete a full tear down and rebuild of the school. While each project is unique in scope, the goal is always the same. To provide our local students with safe, comfortable and clean learning environments complete with the resources needed to learn and advance in their studies. In total we have completed 5 elementary schools and 2 pre-schools since we started in 2009.
Once these projects are completed we also commit to monthly maintenance at all of our school rehab sites. Our team visits the school regularly and completes any repairs needed as funding allows to keep the schools in top working condition. We also strive to provide boxes of resources to each classroom every semester or more frequently when we can.
This year we are focusing on improvements at the Waves of Hope high school that we first built in 2013. Although functional and full of students (200+ daily), the school necessitates a number of improvements such as walkways, stairs, improved and expanded bathroom facilities, garbage facilities and outdoor space. Phase one of this project is proposing to build walkways in high traffic areas where there is currently only dirt that is dry and dusty in the dry season and muddy in the wet season. The toilets in back are in need of repair and painting, while the main footway area could really use some walkways, planting and repair.
The second phase of the Manzanillo High School improvement project is a proposal to construct an outdoor plaza seating area. As most of the school grounds is open dirt, the majority of the outdoor areas are dusty in dry season and muddy in the wet season. We hope that by constructing an outdoor area using the same blocks as the walkways we will be able to reduce the amount of mud and dirt that is tracked throughout the school and provide an aesthetically appealing area for social congregation, studying and lunch breaks. The trees in this part of the school provide a natural shaded area that is currently not being utilized.