Building a Nursery School in Limpopo, South Africa

Later this year, I’ll be travelling to Limpopo, South Africa to help build a nursery school as part of a live community project in partnership with Education Africa and students of the University of Nottingham.

The project - the Malesa Day Care Centre - will provide safe, shaded classroom space for young children in a rural community where access to early years education is limited. The design has been developed by a talented university student and will be built by a team of volunteers using simple, robust construction methods and locally sourced materials.

This isn’t just about constructing a building - it’s about creating a space where children can learn, play and grow in a safe and inspiring environment.

As an architect, I’m incredibly passionate about hands-on, socially impactful work. I’ve been involved in this live-build initiative for several years, and this phase will see us deliver new classroom space, improved facilities and much-needed infrastructure for the school.

All funds raised will go directly towards:

Building materials (timber, roofing, finishes)

Essential infrastructure (including kitchen and shaded outdoor areas)

Tools and equipment for the build

Every donation, no matter the size, genuinely makes a difference. A small contribution can translate into real, physical materials on site — timber beams, sheets of roofing, classroom doors.

Thank you so much for supporting this project. It means a huge amount — to me, and to the community we’re working with.