wfn.org | Africa U. to Break Ground for Dorm

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3082 notes).

Note 3082 by UMNS on July 24, 1996 at 16:33 Eastern (5612 characters).

SEARCH: dormitory, Africa University, residence, groundbreaking,
Kleist, Kennedy, foundation, grants
Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT: Linda Green                           368(10-31-71){3082}
         Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470             July 24, 1996

August groundbreaking set for seventh dorm 
and engineering facility at Africa University

by United Methodist News Service

     MUTARE, Zimbabwe -- United Methodist-related Africa University,
here, will break ground in August for construction of the seventh
residence hall, an engineering facility and a chapel.
     The new 60-bed dormitory is the second residence hall to be
funded by the Kleist Family Foundation, a Florida and Ohio-based
charitable organization. 
     The bulk of the funds to build the new student residence hall -
- the largest on campus so far -- has come from Peter and Eleanor
Kleist of Fort Myers, Fla., and chief executive officers of the
foundation. The couple made a grant of $500,000 to Africa University
in June and a 40-bed dormitory for women students was built with
half of that grant.
     Following the July 3 dedication of the Peter and Eleanor Kleist
Hall of Residence, the Kleist family committed the remaining
$250,000 to the construction of a second residence hall.
     "This commitment from the Kleist family came at the perfect
time as we are now facing a critical situation," said John Kurewa,
Africa University's vice chancellor. The school's student population
will more than double in August. More than 200 first-year students
already have paid deposits to reserve their places in the various
degree programs.
     The newly-completed Kleist and Kennedy (funded by Jonas and
Odette Kennedy of Bennettsville, S.C.) residence halls boosted on-
campus student housing to 240 beds but the University's total
student population may exceed 400 with the 1996-97 intake. For the
first time, university officials are encouraging local students to
commute from home or look for other housing in the area.
     In an effort to speed up meeting the need for student housing,
Africa University is adopting a new three-story design for its
student residences. The move to a three-story structure pushes the
price tag for a residence hall from $250,000 to approximately
$400,000 but it will accommodate 20 additional students.
     The construction of this facility marks the beginning of a busy
capital development period for the University.
     Steve Ngoma, an architectural technician and quantity surveyor,
joined the university staff as director of physical planning. He
will supervise all building and renovation projects on the campus.
     The university plans to build four staff houses each year with
continuing assistance from United Methodist Volunteers in Mission
(UMVIM). Mission workteams helped complete temporary housing in 1992
and finished a staff house this spring. 
     With Ngoma's skills on hand, the university wants to keep staff
house construction going year-round. University officials anticipate
that construction on campus would be speeded up with continued
assistance from UMVIM and local efforts.
     Groundbreaking on an agricultural engineering facility is also
expected to take place in August.
     A German organization, the Protestant Association for
Cooperation in Development, (EZE), is supporting the development of
the department of agricultural engineering in the faculty of
Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR). The organization made a
grant of $740,000 to Africa University for building and equipping
the agricultural and engineering facility. The building plans
include heavy machinery workshops, an inspection pit and classrooms
for training students in farm equipment use, handling, maintenance
and repair.
     "In most of the countries we draw students from there's a
skills gap when it comes to proper equipment use and maintenance,"
said FANR dean Athanasius Mphuru. "We import our equipment in Africa
and bear the cost of expensive service and replacement parts, often
from outside the continent, because of inappropriate use, handling
or poor maintenance," he said. 
     Africa University has been offering basic courses in
agricultural engineering using the workshops at Mutare Technical
College, but the new facility will allow the university to admit
students who want to specialize in agricultural engineering.
     Another building project planned to begin in August is a
university chapel.
     The Kwang Lim Methodist Church of Korea is honoring its
commitment to build the chapel with the transfer of a gift of $1
million to cover construction costs. The chapel will be the focal
point of the campus. It will be built at the base of a hill behind
the United Methodist Cross and Flame on campus.
     Work on the chapel will begin after the contractor completes
the university sports field in early August. The earthworks were
paid for by a donation from Myers Park United Methodist Church,
Charlotte, N.C. The church wrote Africa University into its five-
year $4 million capital campaign to give the initiative an outreach
component and raised $100,000 for Phase One of the institution's
sports complex. That phase includes soccer fields, basketball,
tennis and volleyball courts, and a running track.
                               # # #

     Information for this release is taken from news releases by
Andra Stevens, director of information for Africa University.

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