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Current Be A HERO Project: Renovation and addition to an existing building, enabling it to be used for a school offering access to education to children living in extreme poverty.
The Be A HERO project, Light of the World School, will be a pilot project to provide access to education at no cost for children who would not otherwise have this opportunity. The dream is to multiply this project throughout the city, eventually providing access to schooling to every child in Uberlandia.
Light of the World owns a building with a total area of 32,280 sq. ft, with 9,684 sq. ft available for new development. Currently 9,684 sq. ft is used for a church, and 6,456 sq. ft is used for four classrooms. The classrooms include furniture, desks, whiteboards, TV sets and air conditioning units. In addition to the classrooms there is 6,456 sq ft that houses a library, school office, restrooms, nursery, counseling rooms and a kitchen with a professional stove.
Based upon evaluation of the existing structures some modifications will have to be made to meet the needs of the school which include: construction of eight additional classrooms, a better floor plan for the kitchen, adaptation of exit doors for classrooms according to required state laws and provision of suitable furniture. The official documents have been submitted to City Hall for approval.
The construction will take approximately forty-five days to complete at a cost of US$ 12,363.00*. The projected start date for the school is scheduled for the end of February or beginning of March 2007 as this coincides with Brazil’s school year calendar.
The goal is to enroll 185 children for the first year of the school which will include kindergarten for ages three to five years of age and primary first grade for children six years of age. The school will provide lunch, a late afternoon snack, and dinner, so that the children can be on site full time. The children will also enjoy general art classes (i.e. music, dance, and painting) during both morning and afternoon periods.
During holiday vacations meals and activities such as soccer and basketball schools will be offered. The first holiday school will start in January 2007, which will include instruction by some of our country’s professional soccer players.
For adults we will be offering computer courses and language classes in both Spanish and English at no cost.
The plan is to expand the school facilities over the course of 2007 so they will be ready to accept more students for the 2008 school year. The expansion will occur on lots six and seven of the property that LW already owns. The additional facility will allow the accommodation of an additional 185 students that are forecasted to attend the school in 2008, bringing the total enrollment to 370 students. 2008 will also see the opening of new classes for elementary school, which will include second through fifth grades in addition to the existing kindergarten and first grades.
Budget
* All financial estimates are subject to 5 – 8 % fluctuations due to exchange rates.
Retrofit building
Add on 8 classrooms to the structure so that there will be a total of 12 classrooms to accommodate 185 children.
Cost: US$ 12,363.00
School books & supplies
Annual cost per student: US$ 48.00
Total cost: US$ 8,900.00
Student clothing cost
Annual cost per student US$ 49.00
Total cost: US$ 9,065.00
Furniture and equipment: (complete furnishings for all classrooms, furniture for dining room, and indoor and outdoor play grounds)
Total cost: US$ 17,660.00
| Item |
Cost |
| Retrofit Building |
$12,363.00 |
| School Books and supplies |
$8,900.00 |
| Clothing for students |
$9,065.00 |
| Furniture and Equipment |
$17,660.00 |
| Total |
$47,988.00 |
Future Vision
The Light of the World School is a pilot project undertaken by Light of the World. The vision is to invite churches from all over the city and region to modify their buildings and start a school in their facility after the model developed by Light of the World. This could potentially solve the crisis created by the overtaxed public school system that results in unschooled children unsupervised on the streets.
100% of all funds donated for this project will be applied directly to the project. Be A HERO does not keep anything for administration. Be A HERO is able to do this because the Hero Partnership and Pillar Program participants designate their donations specifically for administration. If you would like to invest in this project, we accept donations by cheque or by credit card. Click here to donate. You will be sent a receipt for income tax purposes early in the following year.
To view photos from Brazil click here.
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