Rising Star School – Sanitary facilities in Hopley
PARTNER
Rising Star Primary School Hopley
Vision & Hope Foundation Harare
Engineers Without Borders Germany
LOCATION
Hopley, Harare, Zimbabwe
COMMUNITY
Students, teachers, and administrative staff at the primary school in Hopley
PHASE
DURATION
2023 – 2025
ARCHITECTURE
The project was implemented by Engineers Without Borders Germany. Further information on the architecture of the award-winning Rising Star Primary School, their sanitary facilities and the doctoral research activities of our founder Kristina Ziadeh.
According to your contribution, we are now fully having protection and guidance, which is our access to a life of abundance to our children. It is an asset of inestimable value in the rest of life. I will say once again, thank you very much to all who stretched their hands to the construction of this school.
The Rising Star School is located on the outskirts of Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. The Hopley neighbourhood is characterised by informal housing structures. It is estimated that 200,000 people live in Hopley, but the community lacks basic urban infrastructure such as electricity, running water and sanitation systems. In the heart of this densely populated settlement, the primary school serves as a community hub, functioning as both a school during regular school hours and a gathering place for residents.
The school building was constructed jointly by the school administration, the Vision & Hope Foundation, and Engineers Without Borders Germany. After seven construction phases, the school was completed and handed over in March 2023.
In addition to the classrooms and administrative rooms, a sanitary building containing toilets for girls, boys and teachers was built in partnership with the same organisations. As with the school, the use of exposed brickwork and round arches creates a sense of belonging and identity. The construction team, which has worked together since the primary school building project began in 2016, did an excellent job once again, completing the new sanitary facilities on schedule. Alongside the existing sanitary buildings constructed by the school administration, Rising Star School now has the required number of sanitary units, which are recognised by the local authorities. These have been expanded to include safe spaces for personal hygiene and changing rooms for everyday school life. This enables girls and young women in particular to attend school during their menstrual cycles.
Our founder, Kristina Ziadeh, oversaw the construction of both the primary school and the sanitary facilities on behalf of Engineers Without Borders.