john's jogle
John Wilmut is walking again for poor children
In 2012 I walked from Lands End to John O'Groats in support of education for poor children in Sierra Leone and elsewhere. Now I'm on my way back and, from June to late August this year, I will again be walking in support of the work of Christian Aid, but this time from John O'Groats to Lands End
Mohamed Sesay, age 28 (pictured right in his new workshop)
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“I left school at the age of 12 after both parents had died. To continue schooling I was taken care of by a distant relative. But I was not interested in schooling because I thought it would not bring fast money. At the age of 18 I decided to work with a Lebanese man who owned a private mining company. At the company, I worked as a labourer where I earned a daily wage of two thousand five hundred Leones (approx.. Eur 0.50) but I was not entitled to any mining proceeds.
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In terms of how my life has changed, I was one of the beneficiaries of the youth skill training project which has brought some changes in my life in terms of knowledge and eventually economic empowerment. What helped me most was that after the training, I decided to continue apprenticeship with a renowned electrician who helped me to qualify and be confident to work independently. I have worked for private companies and individuals persons. With the income I take care of the basic needs of my family. With the increase of electricity in Koidu city I am expecting to have more jobs opportunity and to earn more money. I would have been a drop out if I had not learned this job.”
An earlier project of a similar type provided training for over 200 young people in similar craft areas. A post-training survey revealed that the project had a hugely positive impact on the lives of beneficiaries. Here are a couple of personal responses to that experience.
Aiah Komba, aged 22 (pictured above in blue with young men he now assists with technical training)
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“I am 22 and hail from Nanyanhun Gbane. I attained fifth form but did not continue school because my parents could not afford to pay schools fees for five children every year including myself. Being the eldest child to my parents, I decided to go back to my village where I was engaged in mining for nearly four years of hard labour. I suffered endlessly without any gain or profit from the mining activities. In fact my life was becoming miserable and in danger as I took to smoking.
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When I heard of the NMJD youth skills training project I was encouraged to register and after few days of orientation by the various tutors, I entered for the refrigerator mechanic component where I gained knowledge and skills in air conditioning of all types, repairing of compressors, electrical installation, fuelling of gasses and freezer repairs. After the training I chose to stay with my boss to be better qualified for the job. Today I have been trained and qualified as a refrigerator mechanic. I consider myself one of the happiest youth in the district because my effort has not gone in vein. With the training acquired, I earn money almost every day and I no longer depend on my parents or the mining pit for survival. As a result of the change in my economic status, my child attends a private school and I take care of other basic family needs such as housing, medicare and feeding. One of the benefits of the trade is that it has exposed me to dignitaries and different parts of country. Besides, I have started saving some amount every month to equip myself better at higher institution of learning.”
Sierra Leone was still recovering from a bloody civil war when the Ebola outbreak reversed much of the socio-economic progress made over the previous decade. The epidemic has had a devastating impact with almost 13,000 confirmed cases and 3,900 recorded deaths and it is still continuing. Whilst employment rates are returning to a pre-Ebola level, two thirds of households continue to be food insecure and Sierra Leone remains near the bottom of the Human Development Index at (183/186 countries) with over 60% of the population surviving on $1.25 or less a day.
For young people, Ebola has had a particularly grave impact. Before the outbreak it was estimated that up to 70% of youth in Sierra Leone were unemployed but this percentage has risen as a result of the outbreak. With schools and educational institutions closed for almost a year and many businesses shut down, young people have become increasingly disengaged from work and personal development opportunities. Youth unemployment was a key contributing factor to the civil war, so it is imperative that young people are now supported in gaining the skills and experience needed to secure employment and to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.
A proposed project will enable young people to undergo vocational and entrepreneurship training in Kono district, eastern Sierra Leone. Kono is a diamond rich region and many young people are engaged in artisanal diamond mining. But, without large capital input, securing a sustainable income from this laborious job is difficult. Many have dropped out of school early to work in the mines, sacrificing their education and future skills development. Women and girls work in and around the mines in supportive functions such as carrying food and water, but some are turning to commercial sex as an additional source of income. The lack of meaningful employment opportunities is resulting in increasing levels of anti-social behaviour, crime and gender-based violence.
With many young adults in Sierra Leone lacking a formal school education, Technical Vocational Education and Training offers a real opportunity to develop new skills and expertise. A new project will work with a select number of vocational training centres in Kono district to deliver high quality vocational training tailored to the needs of young people and the current job market. They will be enrolled in vocational training courses of their choice and will receive training in business entrepreneurship as well as in literacy and numeracy.
The project will be a partnership between the Network Movement for Justice and Development (which is a reputable and well-respected national NGO in Sierra Leone with extensive experience of youth empowerment work), Christian Aid and other local and national stakeholders. It will have key strategic objectives of
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improving competencies in areas of ICT, electrical installation, auto-mechanics, auto-electronics, welding, carpentry, refrigeration and driving
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providing practical learning opportunities in agriculture crop production for young people in rural communities
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boosting literacy and numeracy skills
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developing basic knowledge and skills of business creation, human relations, project planning and management.
Young people will be enrolled in existing local vocational training schools that already offer high quality training and support to apprentices. Ongoing monitoring of these licensed centres and of the young peoples’ experience at them will ensure that the quality of education is being delivered to a satisfactory standard. The project will work to build the capacity of the selected vocational training centres; this element of the project will have a long-lasting impact on the quality of training available. New training manuals will be designed and their use supported.
The most active and dedicated young people in each field of study will be encouraged to form their own small-scale business enterprises and will then, in turn, support the training of others, ensuring the sustainability of the project. Training materials such as manuals, flip charts and stationery will be provided to each trainee. Field trips will be organised for trainees to learn more about their chosen field and to build networks.
The sustainability of this project rests on the strong and mutually beneficial partnerships formed with local government, local community organisations and private sector stakeholders. It will demonstrate that rural young people can be given a brighter future and hope through vocational training. It is hoped that the government will then see the need to scale up the number of vocational training schools and support those currently providing vital training to young people.