Project grows on hope, charity and hard work

TWO months ago, the DRC School Project and Community Centre was nothing more than a great idea on paper, an idea aimed at satisfying the needs of the growing informal settlement on the outskirts of Swakopmund.

For the past six weeks or so, about 20 DRC community members have been volunteering their services on a daily basis to help establish what they call “the pride of the settlement”. “We are here because we want to help the kids.There is a very big need for this kind of facility in our community as the parents do not have money to send their children to school,” say Kandali Nikanor (24) and Hilma Paulus (20).Residents of the DRC, they immediately offered their services when they saw something happening on the four erven – donated to the project by the Swakopmund Municipality – on the main street .LUCKY BREAKThe two project authors, Ivanna Iafigliola-Kriner and her husband Mike Kriner, have been working on the project since 2001 – writing many letters asking for donations and assistance without much success.Their lucky break came when Namib Films donated several container-like structures and loads of other material used in the Hollywood movie ‘Flight of the Phoenix’.The 126 square metre structure consists of three rooms and served as crew quarters for the oil rig employees in the movie.With the kind assistance of Wim van der Plas of Premier Construction, everything was relocated to the DRC.His company’s two cranes, flatbed truck and full crew were used to move the structure and other material from the Rössing Mountain site and the main movie site behind the dunes.It took three days.The donation meant an instant kick-start for the project, but also the beginning of many long hours of hard labour.”The quarters were not built as a permanent structure and were only filmed from the outside.This means we have a lot of repairs to do,” says Iafigliola-Kriner.’PEOPLE JUST ARRIVED …’From the outside, the newly painted structure is bright, replete in happy colours.Surrounded by a neat fence, it already looks impressive.”We did not have to ask anybody to help us.People just arrived and offered their help.”Children started sweeping without being asked,” says Iafigliola-Kriner.”There is a very positive feel about this centre and a lot of interest.”She adds that since the structure and loads of other material, including boxes of clothing used in the movie, were moved to the site, there has not been one theft or burglary.According to the two young volunteers, the community will be very proud of the centre and will therefore look after it.EDUCATIONAL HEARTBEATThe idea is to provide an educational centre for the community where activities such as basic education, health information and a cultural forum can be housed, with the main focus on women and children.Other functions could include an after-school programme where children can do their homework, a craft centre and a place for the community to hold meetings.The DRC, where many services are lacking, has no facility of this sort at present.One major hurdle to the efficient running of the centre will be the unavailability of electricity at the DRC.According to Iafigliola-Kriner it will take at least another month to get the structure up to standard before the centre can be opened.The Kriner couple want to bring Swakopmund’s different communities closer together as a private initiative.They are again requesting donations of paint, roofing material and school supplies.”Many DRC residents work in the businesses and homes of Swakopmund residents.It will be great if they can get directly involved by donating to the project,” says Kriner.The project generated some of its own funds two weekends ago when more than N$3 000 was made through the sale of movie clothes.* Donations can be made to the DRC School Project at the Commercial Bank of Namibia, Swakopmund, account number 1052 031560, swift code:CBONAMX”We are here because we want to help the kids.There is a very big need for this kind of facility in our community as the parents do not have money to send their children to school,” say Kandali Nikanor (24) and Hilma Paulus (20).Residents of the DRC, they immediately offered their services when they saw something happening on the four erven – donated to the project by the Swakopmund Municipality – on the main street .LUCKY BREAKThe two project authors, Ivanna Iafigliola-Kriner and her husband Mike Kriner, have been working on the project since 2001 – writing many letters asking for donations and assistance without much success.Their lucky break came when Namib Films donated several container-like structures and loads of other material used in the Hollywood movie ‘Flight of the Phoenix’.The 126 square metre structure consists of three rooms and served as crew quarters for the oil rig employees in the movie.With the kind assistance of Wim van der Plas of Premier Construction, everything was relocated to the DRC.His company’s two cranes, flatbed truck and full crew were used to move the structure and other material from the Rössing Mountain site and the main movie site behind the dunes.It took three days.The donation meant an instant kick-start for the project, but also the beginning of many long hours of hard labour.”The quarters were not built as a permanent structure and were only filmed from the outside.This means we have a lot of repairs to do,” says Iafigliola-Kriner.’PEOPLE JUST ARRIVED …’From the outside, the newly painted structure is bright, replete in happy colours.Surrounded by a neat fence, it already looks impressive.”We did not have to ask anybody to help us.People just arrived and offered their help.”Children started sweeping without being asked,” says Iafigliola-Kriner.”There is a very positive feel about this centre and a lot of interest.”She adds that since the structure and loads of other material, including boxes of clothing used in the movie, were moved to the site, there has not been one theft or burglary.According to the two young volunteers, the community will be very proud of the centre and will therefore look after it.EDUCATIONAL HEARTBEATThe idea is to provide an educational centre for the community where activities such as basic education, health information and a cultural forum can be housed, with the main focus on women and children.Other functions could include an after-school programme where children can do their homework, a craft centre and a place for the community to hold meetings.The DRC, where many services are lacking, has no facility of this sort at present.One major hurdle to the efficient running of the centre will be the unavailability of electricity at the DRC.According to Iafigliola-Kriner it will take at least another month to get the structure up to standard before the centre can be opened.The Kriner couple want to bring Swakopmund’s different communities closer together as a private initiative.They are again requesting donations of paint, roofing material and school supplies.”Many DRC residents work in the businesses and homes of Swakopmund residents.It will be great if they can get directly involved by donating to the project,” says Kriner.The project generated some of its own funds two weekends ago when more than N$3 000 was made through the sale of movie clothes.* Donations can be made to the DRC School Project at the Commercial Bank of Namibia, Swakopmund, account number 1052 031560, swift code:CBONAMX