Construction of the new Grieg Foundation-financed school in progress
29th of July marked the start for the construction of the new school for 400 pupils in Malakialina. When Grieg Foundation recently chose to offer financing to the project, we could almost instantly initiate the building process. The reason that we made this project a priority is discussed HERE.
Approximately 300 workers stood ready with their shovels. They were not allowed to start digging until the Vise Man of the village had performed his formal ritual on a carpet in front of the build site. The timing was, according to malagasy tradition, carefully chosen. Monday 29th of July at 09 am should be a excellent time to start the work, with the best prerequisites for all matters related to this project. The build site had been measured and marked earlier so that the workers could dig their way along the lines of the compact soil. The ditches create the fundament for the walls, which will soon rise with bricks made from our own brick machine.
MWL organizes and stands responsible for the construction. With our local experience and knowledge we can conduct such projects cost effective, with high quality and focusing on the long term, and also with commitment and dedication from the local community. Also this project is directly linked to our extensive plantation operations in the same area, and is a good example of how funding and business play on the same team and complement each other in the aim for sustainable projects.
The school will be finalized before the rainy season starts this fall. You can follow the progress on our project pages.
Click images for larger view.
