My last day of business took me about 45 minutes out of town to an Vocational School that has received CanAssist support for a number of projects including, latrines, water catchment, kitchen and fuel efficient stove, boarding units and most recently some computers.
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| Offering a wide range of programs. |
This was my first visit to the school and my expectation was to see students sitting and learning about computer technology. I saw that but I also saw so much more. As their sign can attest they offer training in a wide range of programs, from technology, to Early Childhood Education, to hairdressing and tailoring, to mechanics and electrician training. I was impressed to learn that all student groups are getting access to the computers and each group reports that the technology is helping them to learn in new and varied ways. Students get theoretical teaching from qualified instructors, hands on learning and computer learning. This multimodal approach leads to deeper understanding. I met Ronald, our associate and his project manager, Peace, who gave me a full tour of the facility.
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| Nancy, Ronald and Peace |
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| Automotive Class learning about 2 and 4 stroke engines. |
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| Hairdressing School |
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| Tailoring Class |
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| Catering class. The students were elsewhere having French lessons. |
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| Catering Kitchen. |
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| Practical Learning for automotive students. |
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| Rain catchment funded by CanAssist |
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| Computer skills class. |
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| Generator funded by CanAssist to allow classes to continue during power outages. |
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| School kitchen funded by CanAssist |
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| Fuel efficient wood burning stove. Uses up to 80% less firewood. |
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| Latrines |
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| Small poultry unit on site. |
At the top of the rise (the school is built on a bit of a hill) there was a small ECE Classroom where teacher candidates can work and get practical experience. I happened to have a jar of bubbles and a few wands in my bag and the kids were delighted when I pulled them out. Like kids anywhere, I blew the bubbles and they tried to catch and break them. The peals of laughter was music to my ears. Ironically, I gave my iPhone and my second camera to Ronald and Peace, asked Peace to make a short 20 second video and asked Ronald to make some still shots while I was immersed with the children. They did but unbeknownst to me they both experienced some technological problems and by the time they were discovered the moment was gone and the kids had gone back into the classroom. This has been an ongoing dilemma this trip. Photography is not my forte and when I pass off the technology to my African friends they are often unfamiliar with it and in the moment there is no time to teach.
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| Nursery School Class |
Rather than make the 20 second clip that I requested, Peace made a two minute video which eventually filled up my camera. "It went black", she said. I thought ok but then I realized that in addition to the black screen with the storage full message the entire movie was black. Something seemed to be moving and I saw little bits of myself and then it dawned on my that the blackness was caused by her finger placed inconveniently over the lens.
Ah, I still have the stills on the other camera I thought. "Did you get some?" I asked Ronald. "Yes", he said, "but next time you should get some bigger." I wasn't sure what he meant until I got home later. He had the zoom on the whole time and none of the shots depicted the whole scene. Rather they were all close-ups of children's faces, most out of focus. But I did find one that showed both bubbles and a relatively clear face as well as a video clip that projected the voices. If I put them together I can trigger the memory. And of course, these are small problems, relatively speaking. The best memories live on in my mind.
https://youtu.be/S9QppfBeVwQ
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