Our aim is that this building will benefit so many groups from Nkuringo; the support groups such as Team Women, or the HIV group, will be able to meet and expand their work; the school will have an indoor events space; courses and cultural events will be able to be accommodated in a reliable venue; and many more opportunities for community activities.

NECS have been coordinating with Asgario, patron of NECS, and so far, a village hall design has been developed and refined, and the construction costed by a local contractor. The design has been through a few iterations, from an open sided covered space with a small office, a store and loos, to a more weather-flexible, brick-sided building, which includes a hall and a meeting room large enough for a committee or group to sit together.

The cost of the proposed building has been provided as a Bill of Quantities (or BoQ) by the contractor, which details everything from bricks, to nails, to window frames. The BoQ has been checked and compared to building rates in Uganda and the NECS trustees have found it a very reliable costing, this comes to approximately £73 per square metre. Good value for money we think, considering the returns that the space will generate in terms of the opportunities for enriching the quality of village life.

So, there is a plot of land, a design, and a reliable cost estimate – now for the construction. This is where NECS team up with the local contractor, who will progress the design of the structural elements, obtain the building permits and undertake the work, under the watchful eye of Asgario and his team.

The building is expected to take 6 months to build and a start on site in 2024 should be achievable, so please consider any donations worthwhile, which will be of benefit to all generations in Nkuringo who will be able to use this valuable community asset.