Observation in the Welding section

The instructor in the welding section working with three students in the metal sheet bending machine, he shows them how to bend the sheet on the machine and allows them to continue working alone. The two students hold the sheet metal size of 2 meter long and 20 cm width, while the third student adjusting the machine. During the work one student take the lead start giving the other two students the instructions on how the work should be done.
On the other side of the workshop a group of five students talking to the instructor regarding their last practical saying they want the instructor to explain to them how they should complete their work.
A another group of students are cutting a square bar to be use as a window frame for the metal cabinet.
At 9:10 when the generator was operated, the students in the workshop start working and the work start moving, some students engaged in welding of sands for a house, and the other working with different work.

Malakal _ VTC basic section

Instructor at the basic section explaining to the students in side the workshop the new practical. This is the third practical for this group of the basic students

Dialogue with three instructors in basic section

Dialogue with three instructors in basic section.

The names Anticlockwise

- Abdel Azim the head of the section
- Omot _ Instructor
- Pyite _ instructor
- Daniel _researcher

First Year Students at Malakal Vocational Training Center

Students at the basic workshop

First Year Students at Malakal Vocational Training Center

The student at the mvtc started their basic training at the basic training workshop on the 1st of September 2008 for a period of 6 month. The number of the students is 74 students are divided into four groups each group consist of 16 students.

Group A & B are in the Fitting workshop. In this workshop they are trained to do the basic fitting (filling, drilling and riveting). They have to do work in the bench for a period of three month.

Within this period they learn the following

1- Basic safety
In the basic safety the student are taught to follow the safety procedure during the work and to develop safety practice in their daily working with the hand tools and machinery.

2- Hand tools:
The instructor teach the students by demonstrating to them the different types of hands tools and their use. Some examples of the hand tools are files, hammer, hacksaw …etc. this training is one to three days.

3- Practical
The students are given three practical within the period as following
1- Hexagonal shape
2- Engineering shape
3- Joining shape

Reflection on data collection in the field work at MTC Juba

The Multi Service Center (MTC) in Juba is one of the operational vocational training center in southern Sudan. The center has been established on 1976. Mr. Ohide is the director of the MTC during our meeting with him in his office he tell us about the different activities in the center. The center has been reinvented by the international labour organization ILO and after that all the activities are supported by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) beside the equipment donated.

JICA has played a big roll in creating the one year curriculum for the MTC with the collaboration Nakawa VTC in Uganda.

The MTC is running short courses training for one year in eight different trades companied into two big building, the workshop number one consist of four trades, metal sheet and fabrication, machine shop, Auto – machines, and refrigeration and air conditioning.
The workshop number 2 consist of four trades general electricity, plumping, building and construction, and carpentry.

We have been introduced by the deputy director for training programs to the head section of electricity department Mr. Taban.

After we inform Mr. Taban with our purpose for the visit, we asked him to allow us to attend the theory class.

The number of the students attended that lesson was 10 students out of 14 students. The instructor Mr. Joseph lauko was teaching the class planning of the electrical connection and materials cost estimate. During the lesson he has used many good illustrations to enable the students to understand what he was teaching them, he draw a room in the board and he show the right place to allocate the switch and the control panel.

The instructor was talking to the students the whole period of the lesson about 1 hour without giving the students a single chance to ask any question or to say what they know about the subject, during the lesson I make observation to the class and I found that three students in different corners of the class were sleeping, the two students whom I sited beside them were busy with writing another subject on their notes.

After the lesson the students went to the break and that was around 11:00 AM I used this chance to talk with the instructor about the lesson, I mentioned to him that the lesson was very will done and me personally I have understood what he was teaching in the class. Then I introduced my self to him and the purpose of our visit, and then he introduced himself to me.

I asked him Mr. Joseph how many students do you have in the electrical workshop, he said they were 20 students, 6 students leave the school for unknown reason, at the moment there are 14 students, four are absent, among the absentees 3 students are working and the other one takes his son to the hospital.

Then I asked him what was his intention for that lesson. He said he wanted the students to know how to calculate for the materials and be able to draw the plans for their work, to achieve this goal he present the lesson in the way that students can understand what is being taught to them that is why his using illustration form the surrounding to let the students imagine the real situation at the workplace.

Then he want on telling me that after he finish the O level (secondary school) he did one year course in the filed of general electricity in Nakaw VTC, Uganda.

I asked him to tell me what is the system of education that they have at the MTC, he tell me that the training period is divided into three terms, each term consist three month and half, Then in the second term the students go for industrial practice for a period of one month, according to him he feels that this period is not sufficient for the students to obtain good skills during the practice he think if the students are given three month for the industrial practice will be better.

I talk to group of students under the tree during the break, after I introduced my self to them they also tell me their names. Then I tell them that I want to learn from them they have to tell me what they have learned today. One of the students started talking this student is call Taban he told me that he learned how to setup a plan for his work, and he stated that without a proper plan I cant estimate the materials. Another one said “the instructor was over talking” then asked how do you want him to teach in the class, another one answered “he should give us a chance to express our self” then I said how. He want one saying “he should ask us if we understood the lesson or no”.

More to come in part 2 of this article

Development in South Sudan in my Own View

When I read the summary of the book “ The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Illand So Little Goodby William Easterly” I found that what he has described is really what happening in the ground with donor’s funds. It true that the successful investment is on Health care some time.
I would like to mention one of the most successful project in according to my own view. An NGO in Malakal Upper Nile State is running two projects one of this projects is to produce a clean water. They have established filtering stations along the river Nile, three water stations have been made so far, with a good quality and pure water.
Even though it is not possible to connect each house with a water pipe, the organization established water distribution points and the water is pumped from the river to the filters and from the filters via pipes to the different points in some areas around Malakal town in order to enable local people to have the access for the clean water this project works fine and at least three areas has around 12 water points.
The second project is making privet and public toilets in different areas around the town.
Due to these efforts I notice that during the outbreak of cholera this year a few number of people have been affected compared with the two last years. For the simple reason that a reasonable number of people have the access for clean water and toilets. But what I am not sure about is the sustainability of these projects because this NGO will soon or later leave.
Is this effort recognized by the local government? Where is the role of the local government and the local people? Who is going to take care of this water stations in term of fuels supplies to run the generators to pump the water from the river to the filters? Who will clean from time to time the public toilets? Who will carry on the maintenance for the water pumps, pipes and the toilets?

I think the government may take over the projects if it has the feeling (ownership) that such projects are for them and should be own and maintains by them. Or the local communities can take care of it if they really feel these projects are for them, then, the next question is how to let the local government and the local people have or develop the ownership?
Back to the question who will carry on the maintenance? I have been asking myself this question for the simple reason that there is no plumbing or water and sanitation section at the (Malakal Vocational Training Center) MVTC. This is the challenge for the vocational centers in Southern Sudan or maybe it is an opportunity who knows.

Form the development point of view it is important that people should have the access for clean water, good health care and education. If the donors want this projects to be sustainable, they have to work hard in the capacity building of the local people and they have to a sure there are skilled people who will carry and maintains the projects during and after the contract of the project is over.
From the above mentioned examples. In my local area such projects meets the need of the local communities and help the local government by allowing them to handle some others issues. But what I think is important it is not enough just for the government to sign the deals with donors only. The role of the government should be furthermore than that.
The local authorities should be asked for the plans that grantee the sustainability of such projects after the end of the donor’s contracts and the government have to work side by side with the NGOs or donors until the project is handled to them.

The local people need to be involved in such project this may be in form of labour or any form of involvement direct or indirect. From my experience I remember one of the project that a project for cleaning the town and opening the channels for the water. This project it works before and during the rain season it was run by one of the international NGO and partnership with youth local NGOs, in which the local people were involved to work by themselves to clean the town. This project was called food for work i.e. you work and at the end of the day you are given food items and it works fine many people were involved in this activity.
Conclusion
The government should be involved direct or indirect in the development projects that are funned by the donors, this will enable the government to contribute with the ideas on how they want this projects to be implanted and it will let the government follow up the projects in regular bases. When the project is over the government will be ready to take over the projects.

Local industries, companies and people should be trained and engaged the such projects, this will enable them to contribute effectively in the implementation of the projects and it will raise their leaving in creating job opportunities.

Daniel Ruben Oct 2008

Education and Skills

Roads

Clean Water and Health Care