SHENZHEN,China,Nov. 19,2024 -- X Foundation has announced a significant partnership with the Dream Building Service Association (DBSA),signing a plan to embark on a project to enhance the infrastructure of educational institutions,providing African children with more stable and improved access to education. The initiative is expected to contribute to sustained economic growth,technological innovation,and comprehensive social progress in the region.
X Foundation Partners with Dream Building Service Association to Rebuild Schools in Kenya’s Mathare Slum
DBSA is a non-profit organization that focuses on the survival and development of children in impoverished areas worldwide through education,social research,and community support. Annually,DBSA recruits volunteers to assist with education and the construction of schools in Mathare,Nairobi's second-largest slum,home to 600,000 people in less than three square kilometers. Despite problems with overcrowding,residents see education as a key to escaping poverty. However,since mid-March 2024,severe rains and floods in Kenya have destroyed many schools in Mathare,severely impacting educational facilities.
As part of the reconstruction plan,X Foundation will fund the rebuilding of three schools,concentrating on the design and enhancement of key educational facilities such as classrooms and libraries. The construction will utilize durable reinforced concrete to ensure structural integrity and safety. Additionally,the schools will feature quality finishes that not only provide aesthetic value but also contribute to a conducive learning environment.
In collaboration with international charitable organizations like DBSA,X Foundation is committed to advancing basic education for children in underprivileged areas of Kenya. The foundation seeks to replicate and promote the successful outcomes of its public welfare campus projects in China. Since 2023,X Foundation has partnered with the Education Technology and Sports Bureau of Xunwu County in China's Jiangxi Province,to support rural schools by building libraries,fostering a conducive reading environment,enhancing teachers' reading guidance skills,and organizing reading activities. This initiative has provided rural children with access to quality reading resources,effective reading methods,and the cultivation of good reading habits,making reading a fundamental aspect of rural education.
During this process,Keyu Ji,a student from the Shenzhen Senior High School Group International Division (SID),participated as a volunteer in the library project. Ji was involved in collecting ideas,sketching initial designs,and actively participating in the construction of the library,which was inspired by her design and officially opened in April 2024.
In her quest for design inspiration,Ji studied numerous design cases,drawing significant influence from the architectural philosophy and practice of Diébédo Francis Kéré,the 2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate.
"Kéré once said 'Good architecture in Burkina Faso is a classroom where you can sit,have light that is filtered,entering the way that you want to use it,across a blackboard or on a desk.' His work,rooted in and serving the community,demonstrated architecture's mission to meet the actual needs of local people." Ji expressed her belief inspired by Kéré that architecture is not merely an aesthetic concept but exists for humanity.
As an architecture student,Ji has realized through her volunteer work that design can significantly enhance people's lives. She intends to continue contributing her design expertise to the African project as a volunteer with X Foundation. "I am excited to collaborate with everyone to promote educational public welfare in Africa while respecting nature and celebrating life sustainably," Ji said.
With support from young and talented volunteers like Ji,the X Foundation aims to explore a sustainable and replicable effective public welfare model through its practices in China and Kenya. The foundation aims to connect with more socially responsible entities,taking on social responsibility and creating sustainable social value.