Whilst
efforts have been focused on the farming side of the operations,
the house itself has been left to deteriorate and is now
in a state of true disrepair. The
deterioration of the premises was sped up after a terrible
storm in January this year left its mark on the roofing,
ripping off panels and wearing through already weakened
structures. Most roofs leak whenever there is rain,
and the children and their clothes, books, beds and other
items inevitably experience the damp every time.
Since the extent of the problems became known, there
have been concentrated local efforts to try and do
what can be done to address some of the immediate needs,
including fundraising initiatives and a lot of hands
on work by the Friends of MacCorkindales. The MYC Bosco Builders have also visited the home on several occasions
to fix light fittings, plumbing issues and make repairs
to furniture.
In addition
to that the Rotary Club of Manzini are now seeking funding
to assist in larger renovations of the accommodation at
MacCorkindales in the hope of having an accommodation option
worthy of these young children and teenagers.
- Significantly improve the condition of the orphanage
- Demonstrate to the children that we are concerned for
their well being
- Create an environment that is conducive to studying,
given all our children attend school
- Teach the children to take pride in their homes through
maintaining cleanliness and order and acting responsibly
when utilising the household shared resources
- Reduce the costs of maintaining the home, which is currently
becoming unmanageable due to its current state
- Remove health hazards such as damp and mould from the
homes
- Ensure the longevity of this project, in that the home
remain habitable with minimal repairs for at least
the next 10 years
- Make the home a place of true refuge for the children
The
main problems centre on the leaking external roof. All
external roofing and internal ceilings would need
replacing along with a coat of paint throughout the
entire internal and external home.
There
would also need to be a trench dug along the back
wall of the boys’ dorms and a small support wall
built to stop the mud washing down the hill and stacking
up against the back wall. This is currently
causing
a lot of dampness and mould on the inside bedrooms.
The
orphanage has been inspected by professional builders
and an architect to confirm the need for these repairs
to be made. With the MYC Bosco Builders
contributing their labour towards the project cost
estimates for the is job are as follows:
Replacement of external roofing |
|
SZL28,000 |
Replacement of internal ceilings |
|
SZL19,000 |
Paint (internal and external) |
|
SZL5,510 |
Digging of trench and building of support wall |
|
SZL3,000 |
Total |
|
SZL55,510 - approx $9,000 or
€8,000 |
This
work needs to begin as soon as possible to minimise further
damage and discomfort resulting from future rains. It
is the hope of all concerned that the money can be raised
to make this achievable.
|