Lilongwe … Construction in Malawi seems strange, mysterious – even dangerous to the westerner.
On the way to Blantyre we saw the most unbelievable site off to the right. A new office building is under construction, and a combination of flimsy “sticks and poles” seems to be clinging to the outer walls of the structure. A closer examination indicates the “sticks and poles” are actually the scaffolding used by the construction workers while building the structure. Brent Gourley, a recent visitor from Indiana asked, “How in the world does this flimsy structure hold itself up, let alone allow the workmen to move easily along its framework?”
This same type of construction scene is also seen with a much smaller two-story home on the north side of the city. In fact this method of construction is so common that Malawians do not even take notice. How in the world does this remain standing? Here are a few views of the construction method followed by a closeup view that answers the question – “how does this building remain standing?”:
