- Primary School
THE PROJECT TAKES SHAPE
Education is the focal point for the Mapon Foundation. This human right is essential for equal opportunities in such a disadvantaged district as Lumbu-Lumbu. That is why this location was chosen, to create a demonstration project for setting up a school complex in a deprived area. The challenge was to build a primary school in just four months and in time for the new school year in 2011. This challenge was met successfully. Given the very tight deadline, one could even call it an ‘exploit’. The project started with the purchase of the Matata Ponyo Mapon family house and nearby plots. In early May, the walls of the first buildings went up in a spot where there was just vegetation three months before and where poisonous snakes reigned supreme. Moreover the old type of dwelling was kept on site, to remind pupils that education can help you break free from a deprived environment. In September 2011, the primary school welcomed its first pupils.
Education: Free and high quality.
Attendance: 267 pupils including 133 girls.
Success rate: 86.4%
Infrastructure: 18 classes.
Staff: 13 teachers.
Enrolment: 77% from Lumbu-Lumbu.
Special feature: 4 hours of English.
- Secondary School
THE PROJECT EXPANDS
Having completed their basic education, the young children can continue their studies in the new secondary section. The 2015-2016 school year included 87 pupils in four classes: two first-year classes and two second-year classes. The 2016 new school year marks the arrival of the first children to have completed all their education in the primary school at the Mapon school complex. This year, the secondary school offers two sections for the third-year pupils: a mathematics and physics section and an industrial technology section. Calling on this high-technology, this second option will underpin the education of future students at the Mapon University. Thanks to this original course, pupils leaving the Mapon secondary school will not have to do a foundation year at university, which means they have an advantage over pupils from other schools.
Attendance: 90 pupils including 29 girls.
Infrastructure: Six classes (2 in first-year, 2 in second-year, 2 in third-year).
Staff: 10 teachers.
Special feature: Two sections: mathematics/physics and industrial electronics.
- School Library
A LIBRARY FOR ALL
The school aims to be a leader. The Mapon Foundation’s goal is to give pupils modern books that meet international standards. Pupils will carry these books with them from their first year at school through to their teenage years. The books will help with pupils’ self-development. Managed by a librarian, this library has more than 3,000 books in French and English. It is accessible to the pupils at the Mapon school complex at all hours of the school day, and even outside of the school term.
Opening hours: 08:00 – 16:00.
Shelving: + 3,000 books.
Staff: Two librarians.
Registered users: 383 (students, teachers and staff members)
Special feature: Books in French and English.
- School Canteen
FEEDING EACH CHILD
The Mapon Foundation is well aware that schoolchildren’s social background can result in inequalities, and above all their access to healthy and regular meals. So each pupil at the school gets one meal a day, served at 12.30 after the last class. The Foundation focuses on providing diverse food. The overall aim is to provide everything that pupils need to grow, develop and stay concentrated in their classes. As a result, no pupils drop out from the Mapon school complex.
Food: Healthy, varied and balanced.
Source: Produced locally on the ‘pilot’ school farm, on Ile Mitandi.
Distribution: + 400 meals daily.
Staff: Four assigned staff in the kitchen.
Special feature: One meal guaranteed every day for each pupil.
- Sports Complex
ENCOURAGING SPORTING ACTIVITY
Sport is essential for a pupil’s development. The Mapon school complex offers several sports facilities for young people to play a sport of their choice: football, basketball, handball, volleyball and tennis. They are supervised by a sports coach. The CS Mapon also offers many activities outside of school hours, run by specialists. In the medium term, it would like to develop matches and inter-school fixtures.
Accessibility: Only for pupils of CS Mapon.
Sport played: Basketball, handball, volleyball, football, tennis.
Infrastructure: Three pitches with one for football and two for multi-sports.
Timetable: Four hours a week.
Staff: One coach.
- Mapon University
THE UNIVERSITY COMPLETES THE SCHOOL COMPLEX
A brand-new facility, this engineering centre will offer everything required to carry out complex technological tasks for national and international industries. The Mapon Foundation intends to make this facility a hub capable of meeting all the challenges faced by the scientific community. It also aims to turn the facility into a leading African technologies university of international standing, with a focus on creativity and innovation. Interdisciplinary and willing to tackle environmental challenges, the Mapon University will open its doors in time for the academic year starting in October 2017.
Faculties: Basic sciences Information technology Engineering sciences Economics (master in economics)
Length of study: Five years + one foundation year.
Capacity: 3,500 students
Infrastructure: 6,000 m2, 21 lecture halls, one auditorium, eight workshops, two laboratories, two computer rooms, one library, etc.
Teaching staff: Three permanent teachers, three senior researchers, four assistants.
Special feature: Pupils of the CS Mapon are exempted from the foundation year.