90 young people from the towns of Bafatá and Gabú have started vocational training in Civil Construction at the Industrial Training Centre (CENFI) to strengthen their professional skills, promoted by the Nô Sidadi Nô Futuru project. The training comprises four intensive courses in the areas of Basic Construction, Solar Electricity, Plumbing and Metalwork.
The 600-hour intensive course began on 15 April this year and lasted three months. Before the official start of classes, a briefing session was held to inform the trainees about the conditions of the course and to sign the terms of commitment. The trainees received a grant that covers all the costs associated with the course, including enrolment fees, tuition fees, manuals, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and work materials. They also receive a monthly allowance for food and transport.
The Nô Sidadi Nô Futuru project – implemented by IMVF and financed by the Fund for Regional Stabilisation and Development in Fragile Regions (FRSD) in ECOWAS Member States – aims to upgrade local social infrastructure, with the main objectives being to improve access to drinking water and health for the population by rehabilitating and expanding the drinking water network and modernising the Bafatá and Gabú Regional Hospitals, as well as improving local governance through spaces for dialogue between local government and the population.
In addition to improving infrastructure, the project also invests in strengthening the professional skills of the residents of the cities of Bafatá and Gabú. To this end, vocational training was offered.
The opening ceremony was attended by the project coordinator and the CENFI management team, who welcomed the students and introduced the teachers. During the course, the governor of the Gabú region, Elisa Tavares Pinto, visited the trainees to find out more about the course and to give them words of encouragement. The students are currently in the practical phase, applying the knowledge they learnt in the classroom.
This joint effort between IMVF and the local communities promises not only to improve basic services (water and health), but also to create and strengthen local capacities, contributing to the sustainable development of the cities of Bafatá and Gabú.
