It all starts with the foundations...

Submitted by Marcel Stieber

Kpong Airfield is always under construction. Not a month goes by without some progress being made on some building on the site. Our newest undertaking for construction is the new Agric Building next to the 4 hanger bays. This building will be for all things agricultural. That means mowers, tractors, and tools will all be kept here, maintained, and otherwise cared for in their own area separate from the delicate aircraft. Once completed, the building will be a perfect place to work on the equipment out of the sun and store them under protection from the elements to prolong their life.

After some typical difficulties with labourers who did not labour and concrete that did not mix itself, we have finally seen some excellent progress on the foundations in the past week. The crew is now under careful oversight from our skilled Master Craftsman, Mr Solo, who is an amazing man that can do drawings and construction plans in his head, complete with dimensions! You can see the pillar bases and the wall foundations have been poured and over 500 6-inch blocks delivered ready for construction. With a lot of work and a little bit of luck, we will hopefully see the completion of this building in the coming month once funding for the roof and electrics are finalized.

Many buildings in Ghana are built without proper foundations or materials, often due to haste or lack of funding. Some of the recent building collapses in Accra show how critical it is that we build safely and carefully, especially when lives are at risk. At Kpong Airfield, we are especially aware of our construction methods and always make sure it is done right the first time. If funds and time do not allow us to do it right, then it does not happen then. Safety always comes first, and it all starts with making the right foundations.