#Reported by Innocent Mvundula#
For the very first time in Malawi, construction industry has embraced girls and women for their contributions and achievements to the nation’s development.
Culturally, the country in general regards girls and women as not fit to lead the construction industry. Contrary to this belief, Choice Construction Company has opened a new chapter in leading many players in the industry.
Choice Construction is a Malawian bona-fide company established in 2008 but made strides in 2015. Currently the government of Malawi through its ministries has trusted the Local owned company in unlimited category with a number of big projects such as construction of 10 school blocks in Lilongwe, under MESIP, New Infection Disease Unit in Zomba, new infection Disease Unit at Mzuzu hospital project and also carried out Rehabilitation works at Bingu National Stadium in readiness of the region five tournaments just to mention few.
Currently, Choice Contruction is in its course of constructing the Lilongwe Water Board’s new offices in Area 23, in Lilongwe city.
The company through its Managing Director Daniel Makaula has given our girls a benefit of doubt and a platform to show case their expertise regardless of gender.
“At Choice Construction Company we have been convinced that girls learn technical work very easily and fast as compared to boys, girls never argue much but rather concentrate on what they are learning. At Area 23 site we have more girls and women working as plumbers, carpenters, steel fixers, electricians and brick layers and labors compared to men. With trust we have also for the first time trusted a young lady to lead the whole big project as forelady.” Makaula explained.
Avantmalawi visited some of the sites to appreciate the progress of the work where it caught up with some of the girls working there, they did not hide their satisfaction but rather commended the Company’s Director for the precious and golden opportunity given. “It is a great challenge which makes us happy, working at heights similar to men, a thing we could perceive as best suits men than us, this means anyone can undertake any challenging work at construction site regardless of gender.” the girls added collectively.
“We are planning to have a site which will be done by ladies alone for the country to admire the beautiful works done by our ladies. We request the TEVETA to introduce construction engineering programs in the country’s technical colleges to groom more local engineers rather than importing expensive labour into the country just to engineer construction of simple structures that we could do on our own, in so doing we are creating more job opportunities to our youths.” Makaula added.
Choice Construction has been spotted on the local scene sponsoring musicians in the country on several big events, and also sponsoring air tickets to 12 women, accommodation for chinsapo sweet melodies choir trip to Dodoma Tanzania to learn more about music as part of cooperate responsibility and has also constructed a church, drilling 5 boreholes and distributing 600 bag’s of maize to 600 household for the local community at T/A Chamba in Machinga.