****** ****** WEST AFRICAN VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS DESCRIPTION & PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES DESCRIPTION OF WAVS

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1 ****** ****** WEST AFRICAN VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS DESCRIPTION & PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES DESCRIPTION OF WAVS Updated March 2014 West African Vocational Schools is a nonprofit based in the United States that works hand-in-hand with local leaders in Guinea-Bissau to offer job-training and economic development programs in one of the world s smallest and poorest countries. Guinea-Bissau is a largely overlooked part of West Africa struggling with poverty, drug smuggling and human trafficking. WAVS believes education and job training are long-term solutions to these challenges. The WAVS School, which is attended by 60 to 100 students at any given time, is run by an all-guinean staff and offers classes in computer basics, auto mechanics, welding, sewing, English and French courses that are in demand by people in the community and are designed to help young men and women acquire marketable job skills. We invite you to find out more about WAVS at Students celebrate after receiving their diplomas in June 2013.

2 WAVS ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE West African Vocational Schools is a 501(c)3 non-profit registered with the Internal Revenue Service in the United States (EIN ) and with the Secretary of State in Washington State, USA. Its governing body is its Board of Directors, which oversees the WAVS staff. Funds raised by WAVS USA are used to support the work of WAVS Guinea-Bissau, a non-governmental organization based in Guinea-Bissau. The two organizations work closely together. WAVS Guinea-Bissau reports in detail all financial information regarding the funds provided by WAVS USA. WAVS hopes to work with its local NGO partner to expand on the success of the WAVS School in Canchungo. It also hopes to open additional vocational schools in strategic locations in Guinea-Bissau. MORE ABOUT THE WAVS SCHOOL The WAVS School, which opened in 2007, is the main project supported by WAVS. The school is located in the rural town of Canchungo, which has a population of about 40,000. The school has nine teachers, four guards, a janitor, and an administration staff. Most students who attend the school are either in high school or are in their mid-20s to early 30s. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds and include young women from nearby villages, high school graduates frustrated by the lack of vocational training they received in their public education, and underemployed young men who want to learn how to repair cars so that they no longer have to rely on odd-jobs to provide for their families. Several of the former English students now work as English teachers at the school. The computer and language courses are attended by a mixture of men and women. So far, the auto mechanics and welding courses have been attended exclusively by men. The sewing course, which is currently being restructured, was attended exclusively by women. Since January 2012, the school has graduated more than 150 students. Many of our students have been able to either find a job or improve their job prospects. One student who finished the computer course began working for a small computer shop in town. An auto mechanics student began working at a workshop on the outskirts of Canchungo after he graduated. And yet another student got a job at the local high school where he uses his new computer skills to keep track of enrolment data. Many of the women in the sewing program have begun using their new skills to repair clothes for family members or to sell clothes to others.

3 LOCATION OF THE WAVS SCHOOL The WAVS School is located in the town of Canchungo, about 70 kilometers northwest of the capital, Bissau. Auto mechanics course DESCRIPTION OF WAVS GUINEA-BISSAU S PROGRAMS As Guinea-Bissau develops, the number of vehicles in the country has increased. But few people in Canchungo know how to repair cars well. To help meet this need, The WAVS School started an automechanics course with both theory and practical components. Students learn how to fix cars and are encouraged to recruit their own customers after they graduate. Many vehicle owners in the area come to the school to have their cars repaired. Part of the repair service revenue goes to the school and part of it goes to the students and teachers who repair the cars. Tuition for the course is 5,000 CEFA per month.

4 An auto mechanics student practices on a truck. The auto mechanics department head, Martinho (center), gives a lesson in vehicle electrical systems to students. Welding and metal works The WAVS School s welding and metal works program started in October 2012 in response to a growing demand for skilled welders and metal workers in Guinea-Bissau. The program has shown many initial signs of success. Even though it was a new program and was launched in a rural community, 10 students enrolled in the nine-month course in its first year and studied at the WAVS School for six hours each day. Another 10 students enrolled in The students receive a combination of practical, hands-on welding experience

5 and classroom instruction. The instructor issues exams once a month to ensure that the students are progressing both in the theory and practical portions of the course. Following the course, the students are assigned to a four-month internship with an established welding businesses. The students use their skills to produce metal grills, charcoal stoves, windows, chairs, cabinets and even rodent traps. They also repair the vehicle frames and bodies. The welding course fits well with the school s auto mechanics program. Students and staff from both programs work closely with each other on many projects. Some revenue is generated to support the program by charging for customers welding projects and selling items created by the students and instructor. Tuition for the course is 5,000 CEFA per month. A sampling of the doors and chairs constructed by welding students.

6 A student prepares to weld together a window frame. A student displays the metal grill he welded. Welding instructor Cirilo (center) demonstrates how to use a vise.

7 A welding student measures the space between bars on a metal grill. Chairs welded by the students.

8 A chalkboard with instructions and designs by the welding course instructor and students. A metal storage shelf constructed by the welding students.

9 Welding students display their tools and supplies at the WAVS School (Canchungo, Guinea-Bissau) Computer course Technology is revolutionizing Africa, but a lack of basic training has left a shortage of skilled workers who can do clerical work on computers, operate Internet cafes, or qualify for government jobs that require computer skills. Students in the WAVS School s six-month computer course learn about the basics of a computer, how to type, how to use Microsoft Office, and how to use the Internet. These are all skills that will open the door to better-paying jobs. Tuition for the course is 13,000 CEFA per month.

10 Computer instructor Mardeque (standing) gives a lesson on using Microsoft Word. Language courses Guinea-Bissau is a Portuguese-speaking country, but English and French are the business languages of West Africa. Those who are fluent in English and French are able to get better-paying jobs in the government and business sectors. The WAVS School started its English program in February 2011 and its French program in January All of the current English instructors were originally students in the English program. Tuition for the course is 5,000 CEFA per month.

11 Belinda, a former English student who began teaching at the WAVS School, gives a lesson in numbers. English students study while in class. Sewing course Women in Guinea-Bissau rarely get a chance to rest. They work from dawn to dusk to provide for their families, often scraping by with few resources. But those who are able to start their own business become financially independent, lessening the burden they face every day. For this reason, the WAVS School offers sewing classes for women who want to learn basic and advanced sewing skills. The program is currently being restructured to provide a higher level of training for students. Tuition for the course is 2,500 CEFA per month.

12 Sewing students display their work. ExtraCredit (the WAVS Guinea-Bissau micro-loan program) Trained youth who want to start a business find it difficult to access credit, especially in rural areas. Participation in informal credit markets often relies on social networks, which many young people may not have had time to develop. Guinea-Bissau s micro-finance industry is in its infancy and access to bank loans is restricted to those with wealth. For these reasons, WAVS Guinea-Bissau has implemented a micro-loan program called ExtraCredit. The program was introduced in 2012 and in its first year, all three borrowers paid their loans in full. The program is currently in the middle of its second round with 16 borrowers. Asbera, the owner of a small shop in Canchungo, benefited from receiving a micro-loan.

13 SolarJobs program Please see supplemental report about the WAVS SolarJobs project. A young girl in Guinea-Bissau reads using a Firefly solar-powered light that her parents recently purchased from the WAVS SolarJobs program. This solar panel is very important, it really helps us, says her mother. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES There are many opportunities for partnership between WAVS Guinea-Bissau and other organizations interested in supporting vocational job training and economic development projects. Here are a few specific partnership opportunities: Vehicle repair services The auto mechanics program at the WAVS School serves many customers in the Canchungo area who need their cars repaired. This gives students a wide variety of experience and also generates revenue for the school. The school is open to partnership opportunities with organizations that are looking for a reliable source of auto repair work. Fabrication of furniture and other items for partner organizations The welding and metal works program at the WAVS School has a good reputation for fabricating a wide variety of items for customers. Similar to the auto mechanics program, this service allows students to experience different types of work and also generates revenue for the school. The items that the workshop can produce include, but are not limited to: tables, chairs, doors, gates, charcoal grills, stools, window frames. WAVS is open to partnership opportunities with organizations that need furniture or other items

14 for their offices or projects. Summer camp opportunity The WAVS School offers special two-month courses during the rainy season in July and August to students who want to learn a specific skill in a condensed time-frame. The school is flexible when it comes to the time-frame and content of the rainy-season courses it offers. It is open to the possibility of partnering with UNICEF or other organizations that are interested in hosting short-term job training courses or summer camps during the rainy season. Construction funds for a second school WAVS Guinea-Bissau recognizes that there is a critical need for vocational training in many parts of the country. We are currently researching the possibility of constructing a second school in the country. Because WAVS USA is a small organization with a funding base of mostly individual donors, there is a significant need for funds to help cover the cost of the construction of the next school. The first phase of the construction, which would include a 4-classroom building and two workshops, is estimated to cost $100,000 USD. Funding for Phase II of the SolarJobs program Please see the supplemental document about the SolarJobs program and partnership opportunities. Funding for New Entrepreneurs Program The New Entrepreneurs Program is meant to help give our graduates the equipment and tools that they need in order to make use of the job skills training they received from the WAVS School. The biggest challenge our graduates face after graduating is a lack of equipment and tools. In the Guinea- Bissau economy, which is mostly informal, skilled workers often must bring their own tools to a job. For this reason, our auto mechanic and welding graduates are at a great disadvantage if they do not have their own tools. Our computer graduates, meanwhile, don t have any laptops to continue to practice or use the Microsoft Office programs they learned in our classes. For this reason, the New Entrpreneurs Program will seek to provide our graduates with the tools and equipment they need to succeed after they leave the school. We will use funds for this program to give the graduates of the auto mechanics, welding and computer courses the opportunity to purchase equipment at heavily-subsidized prices. The tools and equipment will be purchased either in the U.S., Europe or locally in West Africa, depending on the quality and availability of local tools. This program will direclty benefit the young women and men who graduate from our computer, auto mechanic, and welding courses. They will have the ability to immediately put to use the skills they learned

15 at our shcool and will not be held back by a lack of equipment needed to perform jobs. This will help them earn a livable income for themselves and their families. WAVS Guinea-Bissau will contribute to this program by providing the education and training that the students will need in order to make use of these tools. We will also manage the purchasing, distribution and monitoring of the equipment after the graduates recieve them. Fully sponsor a teacher The high-quality instructors at the WAVS School are the most critical component of the school s programs. For those who are interested in sponsoring a teacher s position at the school, WAVS offers a teacher sponsorship program with varying levels of commitment. Those interested in sponsoring a teacher can give anywhere from $50 to $500 a month to help fund a teacher s position. To find out more about the program, please visit Funding for a pickup truck There is very poor transportation infrastructure in Cachungo: There are no paved roads other than the road leading out of town. The streets are pot-holed and are in serious disrepair. During the rainy season, the pot holes turn into muddy pools. The school staff s primary vehicle is a 1985 Suzuki Samurai imported from the U.S. more than five years ago. The vehicle is in constant need of repair. An additional drawback is that the Suzuki has no space for hauling goods or material. The school administration has requested a pick-up truck to replace the Suzuki.