We are absolutely thrilled to share with you that construction on the Nairobi Seed of Hope site has officially begun, marking the start of an exciting new chapter!
November 15th, 2023
The painting is underway and the details to the building are really beginning to transform it! Our Kenyan partner leads, Mary and Florence, even held a meeting with the building team INSIDE one of the brand new meeting rooms!
November 8th, 2023
The build is progressing so well and we are delighted to say it is on track to be finished by the end of the month!
The plaster work and external keying is all done. Preparation for painting with the undercoat layers are also ongoing. This is the initial layer that’ll help to brighten the walls to receive the brighter colours when painted later this month. The floor is also now set ready for the terazzo style flooring to be laid over the next week.
September 27th, 2023
Another month, another build update and as always, we are blown away by the progress! The ground floor walls are fully built and work is beginning on the first floor where the concrete has been laid and the curing is ongoing. Window and door frames are also beginning to be fitted.
One of UK Trustees, John Fleming, made a vist to the site earlier in September with his family and met with our Kenyan Operations Manager, Mary at the build site.
“We held a joint team meeting with the contractor and the build design team in Nairobi. The progress is amazing and it has come up so seamlessly, I am just grateful to the entire team” Mary
August 29th, 2023
The walls are beginning to go up and the building is really starting to come to life. We can’t believe how quickly this part of the build is progressing!
August 23rd, 2023
One month on from when construction first started and the new Nairobi Seed of Hope site is progressing very well. The foundations have been dug, a building inspection has been completed and the ground floor slab was cast last week. As you can see from the photos below, the building’s footprint is really starting to come along and it is so exciting to see – what a fantastic first month!
July 25th, 2023
It has been a long time coming but demolition for the site has finished and excavation and laying the new foundations will happen over the coming weeks!!
About the building…
The current site, formed of shipping containers and corrugated iron sheet classrooms, will be replaced with a permanent brick and stone building. We will build a single storey, with the opportunity to add a storey on top of the ground floor in future (as approved by planners). In this single-storey phase we will be constructing 4 classrooms and a toilet block. We will relocate the temporary classroom structures to be used for our storage, a staff room, and Business Hub for graduates.
This build will allow us the space to expand our provision to meet growing need, add more courses as requested by the community and reach more students.
What it means…
With skyrocketing youth unemployment and deepening poverty following the crises of covid, severe ongoing drought and rising costs of living, demand for our Seed of Hope courses has never been higher. Having condensed our courses in 2021, we were able to reach record numbers of young people last year, but our Nairobi site is at capacity. This build will mean we
can:
- Expand, add new courses, and reach more vulnerable young people each year
- Improve the facilities to benefit teaching and learning
- Improve accessibility for all students
- Create a Business Hub to support graduates in running their own small businesses
- Enable us to register as an official Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution. This is a big step for Seed of Hope, adding credibility as a model centre from which to replicate our teaching model to other providers.
The first stage of the build should be completed by December this year and will mean we have the capacity to welcome and train 315 students a year – an incredible leap in the number of young people who will be equipped with skills and confidence to become self-sufficient. We will introduce the Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy course to Nairobi, which has been well established at Seed of Hope Muranga’a and Kitui, and will no doubt be very popular at the Dagoretti centre too.
Thank you!
We are extremely thankful to share with you in celebrating the beginning of this vital, ambitious and meaningful project. From vision, to planning, to construction we value your continued support.
We want to thank the Ross family and friends who generously donated to the Ruth Ross Memorial Fund, and the Fonthill Foundation, Fresh Leaf Foundation, National Coatings and Supplies, Rotary Club of Dunfermline, The Casey Trust, Tina and John Harrfey, and supporters via Global Giving.
This project wouldn’t be possible without our generous funders and kind supporters like yourselves, so thank you!
We’ll share news and updates from the Nairobi build and look forward to celebrating its completion at the end of the year ready for launch in January 2024!
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