Safe classrooms
Well-designed learning spaces that give pupils and teachers room to work effectively.
Sustainable school infrastructure
Safe, practical places where children can learn
We work with schools and communities to improve classrooms, water, sanitation and climate resilience as part of longer-term whole-school improvement.
Building for learning
Infrastructure that supports the whole school
Good infrastructure creates safer, healthier and more inclusive schools. We connect buildings and facilities with teaching, safeguarding, attendance and long-term school development.
Water and sanitation
Clean water and dignified toilets that support health, attendance and safeguarding.
Climate resilience
Practical choices that help schools cope with heat, heavy rain and changing conditions.
Local ownership
School communities help shape priorities and plan for care, maintenance and future use.
Designed with communities
Built to last
We start with the barriers a school has identified, then work with communities, local authorities and technical specialists to develop a practical response.
- School-led priorities developed with the wider community
- Local engineering, materials and skills wherever appropriate
- Safe, inclusive and environmentally responsible design
- Maintenance and local ownership planned from the outset
A joined-up approach
More than bricks and mortar
Infrastructure matters most when it removes barriers to learning and becomes part of a wider plan for improvement.
Classrooms and learning spaces
Safer, brighter spaces can ease overcrowding, improve concentration and support better teaching.
Explore whole-school improvement →
WASH and safeguarding
Reliable water and dignified sanitation affect health, attendance, privacy and the experience of girls in school.
Read about girls’ education →
Community-led development
Communities are partners in identifying priorities, overseeing work and supporting facilities over time.
Explore rural primary education →A lower-impact building choice
Why we use interlocking stabilised soil blocks
Interlocking stabilised soil blocks—usually shortened to ISSBs—are made by combining carefully selected soil with a small proportion of stabiliser and water, then compressing the mixture in a block-making machine. Unlike conventional fired clay bricks, they do not need to be baked in a wood-fired kiln.
Where the local soil and engineering design are suitable, ISSBs can offer strong, consistent walling with less mortar, less material waste and lower transport needs. The approach also allows a school community to contribute directly to the build: locally available soil, sand or aggregate and water may form the core ingredients, while community members can help with sourcing, block production, site preparation and construction. These contributions are agreed locally and combined with paid skilled work, technical supervision and appropriate safeguarding—not treated as a substitute for fair employment. The result can strengthen local ownership while building practical skills and income opportunities around the school.
At Midia Primary School, ten young people received construction skills training and the school community committed to caring for its new facilities. Read the Midia project story →
Working with HYT. On many of our ISSB projects, Haileybury Youth Trust (HYT) supports the block-making and construction work and trains community members in practical ISSB building skills. This helps deliver high-quality, climate-friendly school infrastructure while leaving useful knowledge and experience within the community after construction is complete. Learn more about HYT →
Right material, right setting. ISSBs are not automatically better for every building. Soil composition, stabiliser dosage, compaction, curing, foundations, roof overhangs and protection from moisture all affect performance. African Revival therefore uses technical assessment and local engineering oversight rather than applying one material everywhere.
No kiln firing
Avoiding brick firing removes the demand for firewood during block production and the smoke associated with traditional kilns.
Local materials
Suitable soil can often be sourced close to the project, reducing transport while keeping more activity in the local economy.
Efficient construction
The blocks lock together accurately, which can reduce mortar use, speed wall construction and limit avoidable material waste.
Comfort and durability
Well-made earth blocks can provide useful thermal performance and durable walls when correctly designed, cured and protected.
Construction in action
See how a school takes shape
Our project footage follows practical work from locally made materials and early construction through to completed classrooms and sanitation facilities. Watch ISSB block-making at Awindiri, and explore more stories from our school projects.
Baguya Primary School
A short visual record of change at a school supported through infrastructure work.
View project storiesImproving sanitation
See how practical school facilities can support health, dignity and safer attendance.
See current updatesHelp rural schools create safer places to learn
Support practical improvements shaped with schools and communities—or talk to us about funding a classroom, sanitation or climate-resilient school project.
