Property developer DBA Deutsche Bauwert AG, headquartered in Baden-Baden, is committing to an international educational project in East Africa. At a charity gala in late September, the company raised 167,000 Euro in aid of the FLY & HELP foundation. The funds will be directed entirely towards the construction of a school centre in the eastern Ethiopian town of Warder, near the Somali border.
The scheme is specifically aimed at children with cleft lip and palate, as well as pupils from low-income families in the region. Alongside free primary education, the educational concept includes targeted speech therapy and psychological support to enable those affected to transition into mainstream schools at a later stage. The local clinic in Warder has a surgical specialisation in these procedures, meaning the educational campus provides a direct functional complement to local medical care.
Planning details and regional integration
The construction project is being developed in cooperation with the German non-governmental organisation Somacare e. V. on a site provided by the town of Warder. To ensure long-term school operations, the complex will be handed over to the Somali Regional State Education Bureau upon completion. The education authority will assume long-term operational management of the facility.
- —Twelve buildings with four classrooms and four dormitory blocks
- —Dedicated facilities for administration and teaching staff
- —Communal areas including a kitchen, canteen and library
- —Fitted with flush toilets, washbasins and an independent well
The architectural design takes into account the extreme climatic conditions of the Horn of Africa region. The buildings are being constructed from durable natural stone, which offers good insulating properties. Generously sized timber windows ensure natural daylight ingress, while specialised ventilation elements in the roof area guarantee continuous air circulation.
Project timeline in an infrastructurally challenging location
Warder is regarded as one of the least developed regions in the country; only in 2026 was the first asphalt road completed there. Construction work on the educational centre is scheduled to start in October 2026. The construction period is estimated at around eight months. Uwe Birk, Management Board member at DBA Deutsche Bauwert AG, highlighted the importance of swift and reliable delivery in close cooperation with local institutions on the ground.
