How to Build a Million Dollar School with $250,000?

That was the question that faced us as we went to Samoa with the set of plans drawn up by Phil and Nigel and their teams. On the face of it these plans cost out at NZ$1.3 million, which is far more than BANZAid has or can reasonably contemplate raising for this project. We currently have NZ$250,000 in hand, and while we can reasonably anticipate raising a certain amount more through fundraising activities such as corporate sponsorship and support from the New Zealand Samoan community, the target of $1.3 million is beyond our reach.

In this situation we had to find the answers to three questions: Were the plans we had an accurate representation of the needs of the school? Was there any possibility that the Government of Samoa would have additional funds for the school, or that we could build a first stage with the funds that we have, leaving the balance of the project to the Samoan authorities? And finally, were there any alternatives?

We discovered that our visit was very timely: the village council had decided the previous week that if they didn’t hear anything from us by the end of the month they would ask the Government to cancel the project.

We saw that the school is currently operating by using four buildings on the coastal area that were not demolished by the tsunami. These have been patched up and are being used as temporary classrooms. They are very inadequate, and are right beside the coastal road, with no fencing. Some photos are included here.

Wemet with the Prime Minister who was very friendly and helpful.When we discussed the high costs the PM asked who we had had pricing the project for us. When we told him, he agreed that these would all be people who would complete the project to the highest standard, but that they were also the most expensive. He suggested that we move from a contractor based model to a community project based model.

Community Project Model

The traditional model in Samoa for community buildings such as churches, schools and community fales is that the village council employs a chief builder and supervises the work. The builder and his assistants are paid partly in kind, and the village people contribute volunteer labour as much as possible. The building progresses in stages as funds allow.

This is clearly the alternative that we were seeking. There are a number of advantages for us:

• Under the contractor model the issue of volunteers (local or from NZ) was always problematic. How does their work get incorporated into the price structure that the quotation is based on? The community project model maximises the use of volunteers.
• The staging of the project is simpler. They will take a building at a time and continue as long as funds are available.
• While manpower was never the biggest part of the cost, labour costs are now minimised and able to be subsidised by the village ‘in kind’ contributions.
• In development terms a community project model is the ideal that should always be aimed for. This ensures community participation and community ownership of the project.

When we came out of the meeting with the PM we spent a long time discussing this with the Mayor of the village. He is very happy with the idea and prepared to take personal responsibility for supervising the builder.

Now they are eager to get started as soon as possible! Can we make it by the 12 May? The Prime Minister and other dignitarys will come for an official Groundbreaking/Ribbon Cutting ceremony...

The challenge is on - can we build a million dollar school for $250,000?

• We are now in a position where we can use volunteers from New Zealand. New Zealand volunteers will work under the supervision of the Village Builder, who will be in charge of all construction work. Volunteers will need to raise their own air fares and costs, and a contribution to the Project Fund. Volunteers should contact Paulwith details of their experience and the timeframe in which they will be available.
• We will still need to continue fundraising activities. The community project approach will reduce costs, but we will still need more than our present NZ$250,000 to complete the school. Anyone who can help with fundraising activities should contact Paul Thompson. As well as individual and church donations we will look for any corporate sponsorship opportunities, and for any donations of building materials.

Acknowledgements

Project Consultant:
     Blue Barn Consulting Ltd www.bluebarn.gen.nz

Architectural Design:
    BSM GROUP Architects Ltd., Auckland

Financial Support:
     NZAID - Humanitarian Action Fund

Contributors:

• • AliNeal Limited – QS
  • Hugh Fendall Consultants Limited – Structural Engineers
  • Stuart Bilby Engineers Limited – Environmental Engineers
  • Geotechnical Consultants Limited – Geotechnical
  • Mark Jewkes Quantity Surveyor – QS
  • Wiri Wholesale Timber Limited – Truss Design 

The site for the new school is cleared and ready	The rugby field is in use already
Architect's drawings of what the new school will look like