Beebooks -

Chilomoni, Blantyre

The Beetech building was constructed at the Beehive Main campus, in order to house two of Beehive’s social enterprises; ‘Beetech’ and ‘CoG’. The Beetech enterprise offers a data entry service to assist larger, established companies in digitising historical records and accounts. Many of Beetech’s employees are former students of Beehive’s JPII IT Institute.

“Malawi’s economic growth has not been inclusive partly because it is driven by an underdeveloped agricultural sector, and it does not create enough decent jobs for the rapidly growing number of people joining the labour market.” (‘Malawi Economic Policy Brief’, AFIDEP, 2016)

Building Design

“Our building facility truly reflects who we are and what we stand for regarding the service we provide - great design and high quality workmanship. Every little detail has been thought of and executed.”

(May E. Bikoko, Beetech Manager)

Location

Beehive Main Campus, Chilomoni, Blantyre, Malawi

Type

Office and Workshops

Year of Construction

2017 – 2018

Design Architect

Donn Ponnighaus

Project Architects

Donn Ponnighaus and Keith Banda

Design Engineer

Zedi Nyirenda

Geotechnical Engineer

Zedi Nyirenda

Project Engineer

Hendrix Mgawana

Total Building Area (Approx. GEA)

673m²

Number of Storeys

Construction Cost

256,859,000 MWK
(£260,834 GBP – rate correct as of 25th August 2020)

Cost per m²

381,663 MWK/m²
(£388 GBP/m²)

In order to accommodate a potentially wide range of different enterprises, the Beetech building is formed of a series of six open-plan workshops, set over 3 storeys. Originally envisaged as two-storey, an additional storey was added to the building half way through construction due to the rapid growth of the Beehive enterprises it would house. The building utilises a reinforced concrete frame, in order to achieve wide spans and therefore column-free, flexible workshop spaces. The building is clad externally with Beehive’s site-made Hydraform block system.

Entry to the building is through a double-height lobby, creating an open, light and airy welcome. The void extends through the stairwell to the top of the building, where a large chimney tops the roof, creating natural ventilation throughout. Lighting in the workshops is created through large, regularly spaced windows which encircle the rooms on three sides – electrical lighting is therefore rarely required during the day. Trunking at desk height is present in all workshops, in order to allow for a range of machines and IT equipment.

Social Impact

A sense of oneness and togetherness is fostered in the Beetech family

Catholic Community Support

people are currently employed at Beetech

Job Creation

All Beetech staff undergo security and confidentiality training

Quality Education

There are Work/Learn placements for students who can’t afford college

Supporting the Vulnerable

“It is the desire of every student to get a professional qualification and have experience of real work on the ground. This usually favors students with funds, but for those without it takes a miracle such as this (the Work and Learn placements Beetech offers.)”

(Inncocent Kakangula. Work and Learn Student.)

Beetech provides vital education, employment and internship opportunities for local residents, students and graduates. It currently employs 37 people, the majority of whom are JPII graduates. Beetech offers a Work and Learn program in partnership with Beehive’s JPII IT Institute, which gives young men and women from Chilomoni, who are college-ready but do not have the means to fund their tertiary education, an opportunity to attend JPII and enroll in ICT courses, at the same time as working at Beetech. These students are not only afforded the opportunity to attend college, but have hands-on work experience at the completion of their studies. Beetech further supports the most vulnerable in society, by contributing to the community outreach work at the Mother Teresa Outreach Centre through its surplus profits. Continual learning is encouraged at Beetech and all staff receive security and confidentiality training, to ensure they handle the clients sensitive documents correctly. The Beetech family is encouraged to find meaning in their work and compassion towards one another to create a supportive environment to work in.

Meet The Team

My name is Isaac Lokoma. I work at Beebooks, as the Bookshop Attendant. I joined Beehive in 2016, as a Data Entry Clerk and then in 2019 I joined Beebooks. My role at the bookshop is to sort out all the books, when there is new stock. I also help sell books and make sure the shop is functional to the required standard. My favourite thing about my job is the feeling of working like a Librarian. When I was a kid I wanted to work as a Librarian, so working in the bookshop makes me happy and also I like reading.

Isaac Lokoma

Bookshop Attendant

My name is Edward Thompson Jumbe. I joined Beehive in 2014 as a Guard. In 2015 there was an opening at Beebooks and that’s when I was chosen to be a helper at the bookshop. I was given training on how the bookshop operates by my old colleague. My work is mainly to help customers, making sure they are satisfied and can find what they need. When the shelves are empty I also stock new books and keep the bookshop organised in general. My favourite part about my job is when customers ask me for specific books, then I get to dig around in our stores, to make sure that my customers are happy.