Grieve Massa is Build A School Manager for Malawi and he keeps busy overseeing projects and working with local communities. Here’s a typical day for Grieve as he runs operations…
Early start for me, tea to get me going and then into Lilongwe to meet a builder.
I discuss the availability of cement with our contractor and then off to the bank.
Money has come from the UK and I sign off the cash with our accountant. As usual, the queues are long in the bank but I’m soon on my way.
Meeting with a group of village elders. We discuss the needs of their community and drink some more tea before agreeing to submit their feedback to the office in the UK by email.
Back to the quantity surveyor’s office and a quick check over some material prices. By working with the Department for International Development we get discounts on some materials as we are registered as a charity in Malawi too.
Phone call from the UK. I update them on progress for some foundations and email through a quote on roofing materials.
Meeting with the DFID representative to discuss progress on a double classroom block being built to DFID specifications.
More tea (Malawi tea is great!!) and then back to my wife and children at home- a full day again.
Urrghh! Paperwork. I put my documents in order and put my receipts together for Richard Chatamabala (our accountant here in Malawi) to process at the end of the month. Definitely tea time…