Rebuilding the Foundations
The state of the school is in shambles. Though the level of education our students receive rivals that of renowned Islamic centres of knowledge such as in Madina and Cairo, the conditions are quite famished. All students are crammed into a handful of rooms that have broken chairs and desks, holes in the walls and no electricity (even though there are rough-ins for that). Many rooms don’t even have doors, and some don’t even have a proper roof. It is an old building that’s simply falling apart. This project is a huge undertaking and we aim to rebuild it from the ground up while providing the best of materials they can use.
Architectural Plans
Mohamed El-Sheikh drew up a comprehensive plan to rebuild the school. It will have separate floors for all the different age groups, as oppose to having them all crammed in one space. Mohamed made it a point to have it look and feel fun, no matter how serious your material will be, we must remember these are still children who love to play and have fun.
There is a natural ventilation system which spans all floors. It takes advantage of natural air pressure differences allowing for cooling in such a hot place. There are in-built designated slides that allow students to drop from one floor to another. The top floor is designated as an open gardening space to further provide diverse enrichment activities for student.
Restrooms are a huge issue in the current building. They are broken and worn down, making it an uncomfortable space to be near let alone use, trust me, I’ve used them. It goes without being said, we plan to create ideal space for teaching and learning. We want to provide proper furniture like desks, tables, lighting, boards and book shelves. Furthermore the students and teachers are in severe need of new resources and materials, and that includes Qurans.