Classes are out for two weeks and it is time to tackle the school kitchen problem. We really need a whole new cafeteria and kitchen building but we do not have the funds at this time. So we will begin with a new outdoor cooking area, a more modern version of what is locally known as a “bush kitchen” and eventually we hope to attach a whole new cafeteria to it!
The photos above show the roofed in area where students were preparing and cooking meals. The concrete “oven” at one time was used to bake bread but the interior is rusted out and has not been used for many years. Students have been cooking meals on an open fire on the ground. This situation has led to several problems, too much smoke in nearby residences and classrooms, a continuous search for firewood and a growing rodent problem.
The photo above is of the kitchen woodpile which is directly across (right photo) from the storage cupboards for the root vegetables that are often donated to the school cafeteria. As you can see only a small part of the area has a concrete floor and it becomes very muddy when it rains.
At this point, we are planning to build a new concrete side wall, a larger concrete floor, a built-in concrete barbecue and cooking area, and an outdoor sink. We have designed a small roof and chimney above the cooking area to capture the smoke and hopefully direct it away from the nearby houses. Job and two other students, Jimmy and Clovis, are going to spend their vacation tearing down this area and building the new structures.
In the future we would like to renovate the inside kitchen which has the remains of the original cupboards from 1980! The whole building is in disrepair but a closed in ceiling, fresh paint, new kitchen cupboards and a gas stove would really help!
We are so grateful to Faith Assembly, Orlando, for purchasing the new chest freezer for the kitchen. Thank you so much! All gifts, great and small, are so appreciated! The project number is still 5619!
Vision for Vanuatu 
