The construction starts
It took less than a week, after we received the good news of the funding by the W.P. Schmitz Foundation, and the first excavators and trucks rolled into the otherwise tranquil Taha. Where there was previously green scrubland has been a lot of activity since the beginning of May. It is dug, concrete mixed and bricked.
The outlines of our future school can already be seen from the foundations. Those were raised at record speed, just in time before the beginning of the rainy season. Latter almost postponed the start of the construction work until September, because it is important for the foundations that the ground is dry, so that there is no consequential damage. But we were lucky and the next steps are not dependent on the weather except that a construction break must be taken in the case of rain.
The first stage in the construction of the toilets was just as crucial, because an approximately two meter deep pit had to be dug for it, which of course should not be filled in by the rain. But here too the critical point was exceeded, because the hole had already been bricked up with concrete blocks. The next steps are to continuing the work on the footing of the building, to fill and level the base area with a total of three layers of earth or gravel and to pour the floor plate.
Management of the construction site is entrusted to the local company Modi constructions, which convinced us with a very affordable offer and already has extensive experience in constructing school buildings. The rapid progress in construction is evidence of its efficiency. In addition, an independent engineer who was hired as a supervisor certified that the work was of high quality. So we are confident that the construction will continue to go so smoothly and satisfactorily and will keep you up to date.