Yei Technical Training Center (community development)

CARPENTRY AND JOINERY DEPARTMENT.


The department started with 20 students in march 2008 and 3 students dropped out which bring the number to 17 who have persevered to the end .
Zacheous and onesmus said that what makes them to work very hard and learn is because they come from very poor families and want to improve their skills in carpentry and joinery to earn a living.
Zacheous said that all his brothers are drivers and mechanics and he really wants to develop his own skills different from all his family members.





Most of learning here takes place by doing since 80% of the coverage is practical and 20% thoery. this is partly because most of the students do not read and write and therefore doesnot benefit them at all to spend alot of time in class because they are more interested in the skills. This was also partly affirmed by the students when they told me that thay prefer being in the workshop working than sitting in class.

It is so because most of students cannot read and write which probed the administration to introduce adult literacy of English, maths, social studies and business skills. The business skills taught here are to help the students know how to market their products after produce. This adult literacy is in three forms;

1. form one for those who have not had any education at all.




2. form two for those who attained a primary leaving certificate




3. form three for those with an ordinary level certificate and above.

There are no female students in this department and an instructor said that the females are discouraged to join this field because most of the work is done manually. Similarly all the instructors in this department are males and this may be one of the reasons why there are no females in my understanding.

In my observations, these students continue to learn with their colleagues even in absence of an instructor which is a good practice.

Reflections

• Training in vocational institutions is still handled negligently and this makes the products incompetent to some extent.


• The nine months' training is not good enough to produce candidates for the labour market in South Sudan. This is because when one looks at the products at the end of the training, i would think that there is alot to be done to improve.

Alpha Unisex Beauty saloon.

The practices in this saloon include;

• Hair braiding


• weaving


• trimming


• treating


• pedicure and manicure

Most of learning in this saloon is by doing because the workers have not undergone any formal training. when i inquired about any students coming to be trained, i was told that the people around donot enjoy working very much and that confrimed an observation made that most of the workers in the saloon are ugandans.

Reflections

• The quality of work offered in this saloon is not the best and due to lack of quality trainig, adresser has spent alot of time handling one client.
• The environment around and in the saloon is not clean enough to attract clients to this saloon.
• Customer care is still lacking for example a client has to sit of the floor to be plaited and keeps there for a very long time.
• The saloon has only one dryer which makes clients to wait for long hours to wait the former clients to dry their hair and this is abit inconviencing for those who do not have alot of time.
• The way chemical is applied to clients' hair is unprofessinally done and this spoils their hair.
• The blades of the shaving machine are not changed frequently and the machine is not sterilized before use which is abit risking for the clients.

An instructor at Yei vocational training centre works with his students as they come up with items for their end of year project work. This facilitates learning in away that all the students were are motivated to work very hard to attain what is expected of them.

YATC graduands in the new dinning hall

Some of the grandaunts of the 12th batch of students who completed and graduated in their three months courses of basics in agriculture. The students said that the training they have got will help them train others although it was very hectic given the short period of training.

Meeting with the principal of YATC

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Mr. Edward Salah is the principal of the agricultural training center. He trained in Bukarasa Vocational training center in Uganda and got a diploma. He also mentioned that the instructors and facilitators at the center have undergone short training courses at Uganda Management Institute in Uganda, Baraka vocational training college in Kenya and Bukarasa agricultural training centre in Uganda.

He mentioned that the centre emphasizes practical work to quicken the process of adoption since the program is intensive. The center looks at the situation in the field and does capacity through the short courses offered. The center also offers specialized courses for two weeks and one month basing on the interests of the beneficiaries. The center is targeting government workers and those working with several agricultural organizations or county departments and not yet vey open to all the members in the community. Emphasis for intake is put on people who have reached ordinary level (secondary four) but also those from the intermediate school like secondary one and two can be considered. The center also focuses on those who cannot understand English vey well and coaching is offered at the college in Arabic language.

He also mentioned that the instructors need to become more professional and welcomed the initiative to uplift their standards since all the trainers have undergone a similar training to that of their students. He also mentioned that the local community is very interested in their produce like the eggs, potatoes among others.Mr. Edward Salah is the principal of the agricultural training center. He trained in Bukarasa Vocational training center in Uganda and got a diploma. He also mentioned that the instructors and facilitators at the center have undergone short training courses at Uganda Management Institute in Uganda, Baraka vocational training college in Kenya and Bukarasa agricultural training centre in Uganda.

He mentioned that the centre emphasizes practical work to quicken the process of adoption since the program is intensive. The center looks at the situation in the field and does capacity through the short courses offered. The center also offers specialized courses for two weeks and one month basing on the interests of the beneficiaries. The center is targeting government workers and those working with several agricultural organizations or county departments and not yet vey open to all the members in the community. Emphasis for intake is put on people who have reached ordinary level (secondary four) but also those from the intermediate school like secondary one and two can be considered. The center also focuses on those who cannot understand English vey well and coaching is offered at the college in Arabic language.

He also mentioned that the instructors need to become more professional and welcomed the initiative to uplift their standards since all the trainers have undergone a similar training to that of their students. He also mentioned that the local community is very interested in their produce like the eggs, potatoes among others.

Programs Offered.

The center started in 1999 with a primary objective of improving agricultural food security and nutritional knowledge and skills of south Sudanese agriculturists but had now included diversification and elements of Agro-business.
This is offered through three different training programs offered for an intensive period of three months. These courses include;
· Basic agricultural training which involve; agronomy, agro-forestry, Nutrition, participatory agricultural extension, principles of live stock production and appropriate technology.

· Specialized agricultural courses which involve; poultry, diary cattle and goats, small scale food processing, fruit production, tree seed and nursery management, bee keeping, piggery, environmental protection, farmer group development and cooperative development.

· Participatory agricultural courses which involve; participatory project planning, participatory project needs assessment, gender issues, food security management, project cycle management, organic farming participatory extension and environmental protection.

YEI AGRICULTURAL TRAINING CENTRE (YATC)

Introduction

The Norwegian people’s Aids(NPA) project has been involved in agricultural training for the farmers and extension workers since 1995 in different locations of south Sudan.

The project had established throughout the years over 22 farmer training centers at payam level in Yirol, Rumbek, mvolo, Terekeka, Kajokeji, Marobo, Lainya and Yei from the equatorial state and Twic east, Duk,Nyirol, Wuror, Ayod (jangolei state),Longichuk, Maiwut, Maban and Baibetin the upper Nile state.NPA in collaboration with other organizations came up with atraining program as an umbrella to the farmers training centers hence the establishment of Yei Agricultural Training center.