About our project

The Friends of the Lazarus Home for Girls in Bethany (registered charity No. 1075024), has purchased a parcel of land in Bethany and is building a 5 storey accommodation block on it, to be used to house the girls.

The full cost of the project, from buying the land to completing Phase two, will be about £1million.

The land was purchased by the Friends at a cost of £125,000. The parcel of land is approximately 1000 metres square. The building will cost £400,000 to complete and will accommodate fifty girls.

Construction of the New Lazarus Home for Girls

Following the purchase and registration of 1000 square metres of land, which is situated some 300 metres from the existing home, our charity has now appointed a local architect, who has now obtained the necessary local Municipality planning and building control permits.

The home will consist of a 5 storey high building including a basement area, medical centre, kindergarten and skill centre.

The home design is based on individual accommodation, giving small groups of girls’s space to have their own living zone, with en suite shower room.

TV lounge/study/library areas have been incorporated into the scheme giving the home a more family environment.

At present there is no medical centre in Bethany Village. The long-term vision is to engage medical personal so basic medical needs can be met for the children and the local community.

The Skill Centre will become a self-generating project where the older girls will be able to gain skills in sewing, pottery, and painting. This centre will accommodate older girls who have special needs.

Kindergarten is also a self-generating project for the care of local children in the villages around the home. Funds raised will be reinvested back into the project.

There is provision for a separate flat to accommodate visitors and volunteers.

This new home will be eco-friendly with solar panels to provide hot water and part heating. Water conservation will be a major priority. The outside area will be landscaped with provision for vegetable and fruit gardens.

The construction and costs of the new home have been divided into 5 phases:

  • Phases 1, 2 and 3
    Preliminary Design, Design documents for Municipality and associated fees/approval. Design development, working drawings, specifications and bill of quantities for Architectural, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and site landscape design. Excavation work and foundations. This also includes supervision and architect fees, and the total is £77,000.00, which has been raised and forwarded out to the architect.
  • Phase 4
    Construction of the foundations, the formation of the concrete slabs and columns to the full height of the building. Cladding of the building with external stonework. The cost of this is £275,000.00, which at present we are in the process of raising.
  • Phase 5
    Consists of all the internal finishes within the main building. A budget cost for this work is estimated to be in the region of £600,000.00. Please note: costs will have a determining factor of scope and timescale.

Work was commenced on site (Phases 1, 2 and 3) on 26 May 2007

This work involved the clearing of the land, which is situated on a 25 degree slope. In the process of levelling the land 4000 cubic metres of earth has to be excavated and removed from site. This programme of work was completed by mid July 2007. Construction of the foundations and basement concrete slab area followed, and the exterior and interior walls have been rising through mid-2008.

See photos of the construction