After pouring more than 10,000 cubic feet of reinforced concrete, the foundation is done!
Now it’s time to call in the block masons.
For the last several months, our contractor has been excavating, constructing concrete footings and foundation beams, laying down pipes and electrical installations, and pouring slab. Now, the new training center is finally starting to take shape.
This 16,000-square-foot facility at the WAVS flagship campus in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, is scheduled to be completed by early next year. The training center will allow us to expand the WAVS welding program (which has already trained more than 100 welders over the years) and launch new programs in carpentry, metalwork machining, and solar technology – skills that are in high demand in Guinea-Bissau’s economy.
With four training labs, two classrooms, and men’s and women’s restrooms, this facility will have the capacity to serve up to 200 students each year!
Thanks to the generosity of so many donors over the last several years, this vision for a modern training facility to equip the next generation of West Africa’s leaders will soon become a reality!
To get an idea of what the building will look like once it’s complete, take a look at this 3D walkthrough.
In the meantime, the students in the WAVS welding program have been getting real-world, hands-on experience fabricating the security bars for the perimeter wall on this 28-acre campus. Below, you can see photos of their work and the first section of the wall complete with the security bars installed!