Fantastic news – Sara, Gabriela, Melissa and I have just got funding approved for the construction of the greenhouse. It has been an interesting experience, a bit of luck, and some good grace and we are now well on the way to the construction of the greenhouse.

An update.

Initially the girls in charge of the project, Sara, Gabriella and Melissa went to ask for funds for the construction of the greenhouse after our return to school, from both the high school (of which they were now a part) and the middle school (of which they were a part), but unfortunately funds were not available for the project for this year.

Following this dismissal we were walking to visit the school engineer, Diego Arias, to ask for his advice, when by chance we bumped into Carolina Chavez, our school Alumni Officer. During this brief interaction it became apparent that whilst we were looking for funds for a school greenhouse, the 5K Verde Run, was looking for an environmental project to fund from proceeds of the previous years 5K race.  Essentially, the 5K race committee wanted to fund a sustainable project based at the school and was looking for ideas, and bumped into the right people at the right time!

We immediately asked what sort of budget was potentially available and with this in mind went to see Diego Arias to ask what could we potentially construct with this budget in mind.  Diego Arias and the girls went around the campus to see potential ideas, and we came upon an old metallic frame that was covered in plastic and used as a general store for our maintenance department. This was measured and it was decided that this might well be the correct size of greenhouse that would fit into the space that we had thought of.

A meeting with Diego Arias, Mathilde Guzman & Carolina Chavez, representing the 5K fund, and myself (representing the three students and the Don Simón coffee club) met to discuss whether this project could be approved.

It has been decided that the 5K Verde fund will fund the cost of the metallic structure and its erection.  Levelling of the land and additional labour will be funded through the maintenance department, and the Don Simon Coffee Club will fund the purchase of anti-trip netting and its installation, and cement and gravel, plus look for donations to help with the cost of the raised beds that will be put in the greenhouse!