By mid-2013 40 such buildings will have been constructed, benefitting 7250 students.

Access to formal education has been restored in the areas of the Ayeyarwaddy Delta in Myanmar that were devastated by Cyclone Nargis. The first 30 permanent primary schools-cum-storm shelters have been completed: children can resume their education and the communities have a «safe haven» during natural disasters. The process for constructing the remaining 10 schools-cum-shelters began in 2012.

Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar in May 2008 and devastated large parts of the low-lying Ayeyarwaddy Delta, taking about 140,000 lives and destroying or damaging more than 2000 schools. About 2.5 million people were in need of assistance. The Delta is an area where the food security of most communities fluctuated from season to season, even before the disaster. With the support of the international humanitarian community, the most immediate of the people’s needs were met and infrastructure was rebuilt. However, the need to restore the formal education infrastructure requires continued support.

Schools offer a «safe haven» for communities during natural disasters.

Schools that can be used as storm shelters
The project combines disaster preparedness with the improvement of basic education facilities. The school/storm shelters are built on two floors: the veranda together with the classrooms on the first floor will serve as a safe haven for the communities when disaster strikes. The lower floor can be used for additional classrooms or community meetings. 

Each storm shelter can accommodate up to 700-1000 people and is equipped with a water supply, including tanks and drinking water filters. Separate toilets are built for girls and boys taking into consideration the need for privacy and cleanliness.
The communities are involved from the outset in order to build a sense of ownership. Several meetings with the village and school communities are held before, during and after the reconstruction in order to discuss school-yard design, tree planting and waste disposal. The communities also receive training in infrastructure maintenance, disaster risk reduction, health and environmental protection. These activities  ensure the long-term sustainability of the project.

Successful opening of 30 schools

The project combines disaster preparedness with the improvement of basic education facilities.

The project in brief