Meleleki, the community has already started, we follow.
The story
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The initial situation
Meleleki is a Maasai community in the Simanjiro district with about 1,000 people. The nearest primary school is over seven kilometers away, many children cannot make the journey every day.
The idea & the people
Before we arrived, the community of Meleleki had already started and built Block A with two classrooms on their own. Lalahe and Lazaro coordinate everything on site. The Bücherbörse Stuttgart e.V. is the main sponsor and continues to build with us.
The path
Before starting any construction, we check whether the conditions are really in place: land release, teachers for the transition period, the government's written commitment to take over. Only when everything is clarified do we get involved in a project.
The result
Block A stands, built on the community's own initiative. What's next: Block B with additional classrooms plus a teacher's room, a teacher's house with solar, toilet houses, and water tanks on scaffolds against elephant damage.
Status & outlook
Meleleki is the seventh school in the network. The community is ready, we bring the resources, the Bücherbörse Stuttgart e.V. bears the main share. Together we complete the school. You can find the current status below and in the cost overview.
Meleleki at a glance.
What happens before the first stone.
Block A with two classrooms is already standing. It was built by the approximately 1,000 people of the community in Meleleki before we joined.
Currently, the preparatory phase for Block B is ongoing. We are reviewing the prerequisites: land release, teachers for the transition period, written government commitment for state takeover, community maintenance plan. The construction start is roughly dated for 2026/2027. Followed by Block C, a teacher's house with solar, toilet houses, water tanks on scaffolds against elephant damage, and a playground.
What comes next and how much it costs.
The main sponsor of the project is the Bücherbörse Stuttgart e.V., they cover the costs of the next construction phase. Block A is already standing because the community of Meleleki built it themselves. What comes next, we plan together.
| Position | Status | Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Block A (2 classrooms) | Complete (community) | - |
| Block B + C (5 classrooms + teachers' room) | In preparation | ~60,000–65,000 € |
| Teachers' house with solar | In preparation | ~35,000–45,000 € |
| 2 toilet blocks | In preparation | ~15,000–20,000 € |
| Water & food (tanks on scaffolding) | In preparation | ~6,000–8,000 € |
| Playground | In preparation | ~2,500 € |
| Total (Makuyuni share, estimated) | - | ~118,500–140,500 € |
The figures are estimates from the planning document. Once the contracts are signed, we will replace the ranges with the actual costs.
What we learn here: If a community starts on its own, half the work is done. We just need to arrive at the right time.
You can help finance the next school.
Every euro goes directly into school construction.