With academic classes recently completed at Suubi Secondary School for the year, the students are now able to participate in their chosen vocational classes, on a full time basis. The skills they have learnt throughout the year in their various fields; metalwork, carpentry, knitting, tailoring and bricklaying, will all be fully utilised as they gain hands-on experience, in real life scenarios over the next couple of months. It is exciting to think that every area of the vocational department is now hard at work, producing items that will be needed for the upcoming 2018 school year.
The metalwork students are currently busy making extra bunks for the students that will be joining the school and staying in the dormitory in 2018.
The students were very eager to help unload the steel for the new bunks when it arrived.
Under the watchful eye of their welding instructor, Fred(R) they were soon joining the first pipes of the bunk frames.
The importance of taking exact measurements was highlighted to the students.
A recently made vice stand is now certainly being put to good use as student cut the required pipe.
The support poles for each of the mattress bases were next to be welded in to place.
The welding team were all very satisfied when the first of the bunks was all put together. Welding joins will now be grinded down and bunks will be painted before being added to the boys dormitory area.
The carpentry team are also busy on their own project right now; tables and chairs for the new library. The materials for this were purchased from a fundraiser inspired by one of this years volunteers, Karin. Her felting teacher, Lis Biset, holds an end of year exhibition for all of her students each year, donating the money raised to a different charity each year. With Karin having told her all about her experience at Suubi SS and the need for books and furnishing to go in the planned library, Lis, her students and exhibit attendees were more than happy to see their money go toward this.
Students were also keen to unpack the timber when it arrived.
Carpentry students have been busy planing all the timber pieces in readiness for producing the tables and chairs.
Knitting students are busy refining their skills before the 2018 intake of students arrive. As soon as enrolments are finalised, measurements will be taken and the current knitting students will begin producing the jumpers for their new counterparts.
Going over written instructions and hands on practise are both important as the knitting students await the orders for jumper for the 2018 students.
A lot of concentration is required as casting on begins.
Knitting instructors, Betty and Kizito, who previously learnt their knitting skills with the Suubi ladies at Suubi Centre, have been passing these skills on to Suubi SS students. They are now carefully watching over them to ensure the quality of their work is of the necessary standard to produce jumpers to be worn by future students.
The tailoring team is also hard at work. They will also be involved in making uniforms for next years students in the new year, but are right now busy learning to make laptop and iPad bags that will sold in Australia. With an order having been placed to return with TeamMED volunteers in January, the timing is perfect. The sale of these items will provide the tailoring students with an income that they will then be able to put towards their school fees.
Students listen intently as they learn the new skills from their instructor, Karim.
They then practise on inexpensive materials
before moving on to putting foam inside the actual fabric and going on to produce the actual bags.
In addition to the vocational subjects, students have also busy in the school gardens. The plants are thriving and will be harvested for everyone to enjoy in the not to distant future.
Students have been busy weeding, mulching and watering and will soon reap the rewards of their efforts.
We are all also eagerly awaiting December 24th when work will begin on the foundations of the new classroom block. This will see the bricklaying students hard at work too!
So as you can see, Suubi SS students will be putting all of their vocational skills to VERY practical use over the holiday period. What a wonderful outcome. We look forward to keeping you up to date as everything progresses.
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