Mwakikonge Community Space

Mwakikonge Community Space, in the village of Mwakikonge northeast of Tanzania, will improve the work and learning environment for the staff and children at the Mwakikonge school. The school is state-owned and it is the state that asked for the new building. Our commission is through the Swedish organization Porridge Project, (Grötprojektet https://www.grotprojektet.se) improving nutrition for school children since 2011. 

The project, starting with a nine week field study to learn more about the local culture and to meet all the stakeholders, resulted in a proposal inspired by local building traditions for a building requiring little maintenance and using low-tech solutions with solar panels and solar cells: Mwakikonge Community Space. The building, an extension of the school yard, will create an open dining hall improving student lunch periods by offering a large area with shade for long and hot school days. It will incorporate flexible spaces for play, homework, city council meetings, ceremonies and other spontaneous or planned uses. It aims to support local politicians in their efforts to reinforce the importance of education in the village and to increase parents’ participation in and understanding of the learning process. It will also support the work of the Porridge Project providing food for school children. 

The goal now is to go back and build Mwakikonge Community Space!