Maggie goes to Mombasa
Program: Education Center
Blueprint: Boots on the ground
Location: Mombasa, Kenya
Timeline: Spring 2022
Project description
Maggie goes to Mombasa is a collaboration between the Maggie Program and ‘Close The Gap’ Kenya.
Partners
Day 0
Preparations
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We welcome two new volunteers. Say hi to Florence Vermeersch and Koen Verleyen! Both of them already helped us out with the Maggies in Leuven and Herent and are fully ready for our first project abroad. Koen is an all time DIY-er and experienced engineer, Florence a freshly graduated architectural engineer and a real hard worker. Welcome to the team!
The Maggie Team is completed with our hard working team members Benjamin, Matthias, Karolien and Maxim!
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After our fresh team of volunteers got together to prepare for our exciting mission to Mombasa, we packed the essentials and were good to go.
The team safely arrived at the Mombasa city center and cannot wait to start building the Maggie at Ratna Square for Close The Gap Kenya tomorrow!
Day 1
First boots on the ground
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There are very good vibes hanging around at the Close The Gap Kenya compound. Everything was well prepared as our materials were nicely stalled next to the working area. Maggie newcomers Florence and Koen proved their added value to the team already, but also met the African sun on their head while working in open field. No sweat, no glory, said Maggie! Anyways, like always, the week starts ahead on schedule. Fingers crossed that we can continue this pace. Stay tuned!
#mgtm #educationforall #innovation #construction #kenya #mombasa
Day 4
Today, 10 pics chosen by Matthias, so it will be a slightly different approach and particular result.
After a lazy Sunday, we were back on site to proceed full speed with closing the roof, filling the walls, insulating, and so on. We had a lot of helping hands (local volunteers and workers), local contractors bringing sand and insulation. We were even delighted by a visit of the honorary consul of Belgium in Kenya and beloved husband of Marleen De Temmerman, Lou Dierck!
The Maggie Team was later invited for an architectural visit to their very impressive apartment.
See ya!
Day 5
A day of inside work ... finally.
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Instead of 40 degrees on your head, “only” 30 in the shade. The very high humidity stays the same though 😅. It feels like whatever you drink is flowing immediately back out again 🤪. Finishing the insulation, inside ceilings and so on. The end is near !
Day 6
Last finishings
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Jasper of @belorama_frameyourspace arrived to help with placing their homemade @reynaersalu doors. Our wall team of local Mombasa youngsters, is halfway in filling the walls with sand and insulation.
Tomorrow a wrap up and some cleaning. Almost ready for a weekend of rest and the big opening on Monday.
Day 7
Starring Deaf our hotel doggie.
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After a relaxing weekend we still owed you pictures of our final building day last Thursday. Some finishing of the sand walls, the AC system to offer nice cool classrooms where people can work concentrated instead of fighting the constant heat, window sills, a wooden stair and some cleaning up. So proud of our team (local and visiting) that build a sustainable, long lasting infrastructure of 100 m2’s in only 7 days with electricity, climatisation and wrapped with the best insulated walls of all Africa (I guess :) so energy consumption for the AC stays as low as possible (and maybe later powered by solar!). Ready for the big opening later today ! #mgtm #mombasa #kenya #educationforall #innovation #teamwork
Day 8
Official opening
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On Monday, the Maggie was officially inaugurated by our Belgian ambassador Peter Maddens and professor Marleen Temmerman during the start of the Pwani innovation week 2022 in Mombasa. A lot of interesting start ups showed their innovations inside our Maggie innovation what made us double proud ❤️. The end for us as a building team and the beginning for @swahilipothub and @closethegap_kenya to start using the Maggie and continue making impact for young local entrepreneurs. We wish them all the best !
#mgtm #impact #innovation #startups
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Special thanks to Maggie top volunteers Koen Verleyen, Maxim Lannaux, Karolien Peeters, Florence Vermeersch, Benjamin Denef, Matthias Mattelaer & all of our partners
Day +
Updates
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Maggie is ready for the business pitches tomorrow by young local entrepreneurs to the government of the Netherlands
Curious about all the activities that took place last year in the Maggie?
Click here for the report, thanks to our local partner Close the Gap Kenya!
