Thanks to anyone who is still keeping up with our blog! You are commended for your loyalty and persistence. We have done a pitiful job at keeping you all up to date on our progress. But fortunately, we have made quite a bit of progress since our last update in July!
Of course, as some of you may know, Mark and Alex originally intended to complete the project and return to the States sometime between October and December of 2013. However, that has changed in the past few months as it became apparent that more time was needed to see the project through to completion. The good news is that we were approved for funding for the remainder of the project. The other good news is that PPB has offered to send Mark and Alex back to Malawi after the Holiday season - when they will return home to see friends and family - to finish the project.
We have continued to work with the site manager (Magombo) and site foreman (Nelson) we hired back in July and have been very pleased with their work ethic and progress. Moving back the finish date (which is now set for March 2014) is not for lack of trying; rather, the size of the project has dictated the completion schedule.
We have completed the main structure - foundation, beams/columns, walls and roof. What remains are the finishes, plumbing/electrical, and the office building. The impending rainy season has affected our schedule as over the past few weeks we were forced to focus our site crew on external works such as drainage ditches and driving surfaces in order to avoid the work site turning into a mud pit from December through March. However, the past week we were able to refocus the work crew on finishing the interior of the factory building and made significant progress in that regard.
There is still much to do before Mark and Alex return home on December 22. Needless to say, the first 3 weeks of December will be jammed pack!
Of course, as some of you may know, Mark and Alex originally intended to complete the project and return to the States sometime between October and December of 2013. However, that has changed in the past few months as it became apparent that more time was needed to see the project through to completion. The good news is that we were approved for funding for the remainder of the project. The other good news is that PPB has offered to send Mark and Alex back to Malawi after the Holiday season - when they will return home to see friends and family - to finish the project.
We have continued to work with the site manager (Magombo) and site foreman (Nelson) we hired back in July and have been very pleased with their work ethic and progress. Moving back the finish date (which is now set for March 2014) is not for lack of trying; rather, the size of the project has dictated the completion schedule.
We have completed the main structure - foundation, beams/columns, walls and roof. What remains are the finishes, plumbing/electrical, and the office building. The impending rainy season has affected our schedule as over the past few weeks we were forced to focus our site crew on external works such as drainage ditches and driving surfaces in order to avoid the work site turning into a mud pit from December through March. However, the past week we were able to refocus the work crew on finishing the interior of the factory building and made significant progress in that regard.
There is still much to do before Mark and Alex return home on December 22. Needless to say, the first 3 weeks of December will be jammed pack!
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