Skills Training Centre, Livingstone, Zambia

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The project was started in 2017 to provide (mainly) young people with a sound knowledge, to an acceptable level, in a trade of their choice in order to enable them, through that trade, to be self-employed where opportunities for regular employment are rare.

We believe that possession of a trade skill is an important weapon to help break the cycle of poverty in Zambia.

 

The skills offered will be those which appear to be in demand and which the partnership identify as needed in the country.  

To carry out this project Bressay Outreach (BOUT) has linked up with a Zambian charity, Welfare Concern International (WCI) and a plot of land has been acquired in Livingstone. The plot was cleared and planted with marketable crops, partly to start off the training in the horticultural category and partly to start raising funds. The crops did indeed yield $850. A similar project has been started again this year.

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There were 450 applicants for training in one trade or another and we identified tailoring and Information technology as the two trades which we could provide immediately using rented premises and 15 people completed their training in each trade in November. It is intended to start 2 further classes for IT and tailoring in January.

Photos of the graduation ceremony are shown below.

Trades such as Carpentry, plumbing, shoe repairing and welding will follow when we have suitable premises. We have applied for funding for three classrooms and workshops. We have laid the foundations for one building. 

BOUT raised funds in the UK and has contributed over £3000 towards the project so far.

We have put a target of between 3 and 5 years to be self-maintaining.   Income to be derived from BOUT and WCI as well as from the sale of produce and manufactured articles.

 

14 January 2019