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When we were negotiating the contract with MultiServicios, one point our Supervising Engineer Luis Mendoza made was the importance of regular meetings. The contract specifies that meetings be held every two weeks, and this is one of the reasons the construction is progressing so smoothly. On the meeting days, the supervisory team meets first with Alvaro Novoa, who oversees the project on the part of the FAJB staff and with Katie Brugger, who is the overall director of the project. This gives the team a chance to air problems and concerns in advance of the meetings with the contractors, and to ensure that Alvaro and Katie are clear about what will be discussed in the meeting with the contractor. The contractor meetings are led by Luis, and have served to improve the working conditions at the job site, and to keep everyone informed not only about what has happened in the last two weeks, but what to be expecting and planning for in the coming weeks. The meetings are a crucial part of the success so far of the project.
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It is hard to believe how far the construction has advanced at the one-month point; photos provide the evidence.  The offices are cement block construction, and it is exciting to see how fast the walls can go up! Another member of the Fundación family who is a part of this project is Architect Kiara Olivas. The preliminary architectural plans were done by a firm in Granada, but Kiara and Engineer Luis Mendoza took those initial plans and created the architectural and structural plans that are being used by the contractor, MultiServicios. It is always a pleasure when Kiara visits the construction site. In addition to the contractors, MultiServicios, of Rivas, we have an independent supervisory team working for the Fundación, made up of two scholarship program graduates and one current engineering student. The three are always on the job site, checking that the work of the contractors is done in accordance with the plans, and that the materials purchased match what was in the project bid. Engineer Luis Mendoza, Engineer Kenneth Avendaño, and Jordan Marin are working hard to ensure that we have a building to be proud of. The Annual Meeting of the US Board of Directors took place on Saturday, January 18. The day before, members met with the Nicaraguan Board to tour the work site. The foundation footers and columns are larger than would be required for a one-story building because we have the plans to add a second floor in the future. This is part of the plan to use this property to help sustain the Fundación by creating rental properties to generate income. The plan for the future second floor is to build apartments. The steel rebar columns were built by hand, and the force require to bend the ends to attach to the footers was incredible; you can see in one of the photos below that it took two men and a special tool to achieve it. Foundations of the Foundation. As we watch our new offices being built we are mindful of foundations. Foundations are what give a building stability and strength. Fundación A. Jean Brugger’s founding premise is that education provides the foundation for a better life for individuals and their families, and that education is the foundation of a prosperous, sustainable society. We are proud to say that 5 of our current or former scholarship students are part of this project. Engineer Aurora Perez is working for the contractor, MultiServicios, as assistant engineer. Henry Sevilla, who is close to graduation as a Civil Engineer, is doing his internship with MultiServicios. Engineer Luis Mendoza, Engineer Kenneth Avendaño, and Engineering student Jordan Marin form the Supervisory staff, who will assure that the procedures and materials match the construction plans. In addition, architect Kiara Olivas did a lot of work on the plans during the design process. We feel that the skill these young people are bringing to the project is a mark of the success of the scholarship program and of the university system of Nicaragua. And it is a fulfillment of one part of the dream for this project, that our graduates would be part of making the dream a reality. |
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May 2020
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