The Naweni Kindergarten Classroom
Donation protected
The Naweni District School is located on Vanua Levu, the second largest land mass in Fiji. Serving a number of local villages and settlements, the school is home to over 200 students and 8 teachers. The school serves children from age 4 - 17 and includes a dedicated kindergarten and pre school.
The Naweni Kindergarten was built in 2017, when eight children between the ages of 4 and 6 were being taught in the old school canteen- a dimly lit, cramped and humid space that was totally impractical for learning and teaching within.
As a result, CAUKIN Studio worked with Spratley & Partners, Centrespace Design and The Naqaqa Giving Foundation to design and construct a dedicated kindergarten, with ample space for the students as well as two toilets a sink and external verandas. The building was completed in September 2017 and saw the eight kindergarten attendees inaugurate the building in an opening ceremony with the school and village.
The construction process saw 15 international participants work side by side with local people to complete the structure over a period of 6 weeks. The design takes from the local vernacular, using local construction techniques and building methodologies in an interesting and innovative way to result in a building which is well ventilated, strong and beautiful- promoting learning in a productive environment.
In 2018, during the construction of two further projects on Vanua Levu, CAUKIN Studio conducted a post occupancy survey at the Naweni Kindergarten to establish successes, points for improvement and overall impact that the building was having on the school and the children who attend it.
We found that numbers of children attending the kindergarten had risen from 8 to 30 as a result of the new building and the kindergarten teacher, Salome, reported that children’s concentration and grades had also risen as a result of the new space being a far more comfortable environment.
Whilst these findings were immensely rewarding to see, they highlighted some of the unforeseen outcomes that can come with humanitarian development projects. Although we designed the new building to be large enough for more pupils than the 8 that were in attendance originally, we could never have predicted that numbers would rise so much.
Since revisiting the kindergarten in 2018, we have kept up to date with the progress of the school. There are now over 35 children regularly attending the kindergarten, spread across two class sessions, taught by Salome and a newly appointed kindergarten teacher. The school’s headmaster, Master Vula, has identified a need for a second classroom, a linking verandah and a playground to assist with adapting to the growing kindergarten.
As a result, we are proposing an extension to the kindergarten in the form of a second classroom as well as an outdoor learning / playground space, providing the children with a chance to explore learning through creative play.
The Naweni Kindergarten was built in 2017, when eight children between the ages of 4 and 6 were being taught in the old school canteen- a dimly lit, cramped and humid space that was totally impractical for learning and teaching within.
As a result, CAUKIN Studio worked with Spratley & Partners, Centrespace Design and The Naqaqa Giving Foundation to design and construct a dedicated kindergarten, with ample space for the students as well as two toilets a sink and external verandas. The building was completed in September 2017 and saw the eight kindergarten attendees inaugurate the building in an opening ceremony with the school and village.
The construction process saw 15 international participants work side by side with local people to complete the structure over a period of 6 weeks. The design takes from the local vernacular, using local construction techniques and building methodologies in an interesting and innovative way to result in a building which is well ventilated, strong and beautiful- promoting learning in a productive environment.
In 2018, during the construction of two further projects on Vanua Levu, CAUKIN Studio conducted a post occupancy survey at the Naweni Kindergarten to establish successes, points for improvement and overall impact that the building was having on the school and the children who attend it.
We found that numbers of children attending the kindergarten had risen from 8 to 30 as a result of the new building and the kindergarten teacher, Salome, reported that children’s concentration and grades had also risen as a result of the new space being a far more comfortable environment.
Whilst these findings were immensely rewarding to see, they highlighted some of the unforeseen outcomes that can come with humanitarian development projects. Although we designed the new building to be large enough for more pupils than the 8 that were in attendance originally, we could never have predicted that numbers would rise so much.
Since revisiting the kindergarten in 2018, we have kept up to date with the progress of the school. There are now over 35 children regularly attending the kindergarten, spread across two class sessions, taught by Salome and a newly appointed kindergarten teacher. The school’s headmaster, Master Vula, has identified a need for a second classroom, a linking verandah and a playground to assist with adapting to the growing kindergarten.
As a result, we are proposing an extension to the kindergarten in the form of a second classroom as well as an outdoor learning / playground space, providing the children with a chance to explore learning through creative play.
Organiser and beneficiary
Samantha Litherland
Organiser
Joshua Peasley
Beneficiary
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