Sangha is regarded the cultural ‘capital’ of the Dogon. Sangha consists of thirteen quartes, like Ogol Leh and Ogol Dah. In total the Sangha agglomeration has about 25.000 inhabitants. Sangha fulfills a regional function and has multiple elementary schools suitable for the 1st and 2nd phases. The first school in Sangha dates back to 1910 and was founded during the French colonial era. The building had largely fallen into disuse. The roof had caved in and the main beam layer had already been partly replaced by steel beams. SDO has convinced the locals of the importance to start using the school once more. The school had to be fully renovated however, in order to be preserve the historical building for the future. The project was not always easy, because in order to construct the heavy mud walls a mason had to be invited from Djenné. And the original wood, palm wood, with which the roof construction was made, had to come from far away because it could no longer be found in the Sangha region. 
The renovation was realized in an entirely traditional construction style. The walls were repaired where necessary, with the same mud blocks as before. The roof has been fully sloped with mud layers on top of the new wooden roof construction. It was decided to keep the original steel beams. They are part of the history of the school and tell the tale of earlier renovations. The windows and doors were fitted with new steel frames with wooden shutters and doors like before. The classrooms were painted brown on the inside. The floors were renewed. After the completion in 2005 the school looked brand new, and fit to face the next century. Especially the incredibly cool inside climate makes this school very popular building among the teachers and pupils. The quality of building with mud has convinced the inhabitants and local government of Sangha that mud has the future. Unintentionally the renovation of this school has contributed to the fact that building with compressed earth bricks is more easily accepted than a “modern” way of constructing the new schools. The school was fitted with new school furniture upon completion. In 2010 the hundredth anniversary of the first school in the Dogon area was celebrated in abundance. For the occasion a special fabric was printed with the logo of the school. The school is now mostly used as a “Jardin des enfants”, a type of daycare, thanks to its friendly character and cool climate. 
