Alex Reddaway
Vice-President LC Edinburgh for IAESTE
I study Structural Engineering with Architecture at the University of Edinburgh. As this degree inevitably leads to a career in a consultancy (design office) when the opportunity came along to combine both contracting (site work) and travelling I jumped at the chance.
IAESTE placed me in Accra, Ghana to work as
a site Engineer under Hawkrad Construction
Ltd. I mainly worked on government funded
school projects; this is a photo of me setting
out on a site in the Eastern Region.
I mainly helped mark out the site, sight the
masonry work and monitor the built product
with respect to the drawn plans.
The most rewarding aspect of the work was the
transition from being considered useless (as I'm
female) to being accepted as part of the team.
The builders adopted a label for good work as
being ‘approved by the white lady'. It was all
relatively tongue-in-cheek but they did at least
make an effort to involve me!
I lived with a host family in the suburbs of Accra
who looked after me very well! I tried all the
local cuisine and was taken out to the beach and
to meet all my family's friends.
I'm still in contact with my family in Accra, which
just goes to show what a positive experience it
was.
