Hope Skills Centre
Hope Skills Centre opens up more opportunities for secondary school leavers to progress and provides further hope for the future.
In Malawi, vocational education is limited; there is a great need for local post-secondary training. Only three per cent of the population have the chance to attend university or college, and fewer from rural day schools.
Hope4Malawi has built and is developing a multifunctional training centre to create more opportunities. Hope Skills Centre provides training, work experience and social spaces for students and visitors and is a lifeline for school leavers.
The centre equips local secondary school leavers with the skills needed to start businesses, work in trades, or gain employment and enables them to develop their character and faith.
Since opening, with the first phase of building work completed in 2023, the centre has quickly become a community hub where local people can also upskill through additional education and training.
Educational & practical training skills courses
Educational and practical skills training courses and programmes at the centre cover a broad spectrum of needs, from students who require basic skills to complete job applications to those looking to start businesses.
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Specifically, the skills centre is developing vocational training courses to assist with sustainable rural and subsistence living in:
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Nutrition and Health
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Subsistence Crop Farming
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Animal Husbandry
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Environmental Protections
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Water and Sanitation-Hygiene
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Building Safer Houses
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Village Mechanics, Plumbing, Carpentry and Electrics
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Textiles
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Subsistence Farming as A Business
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Additional Income Business
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Starting and Running a Business
Youth Development Programme
Hope4Malawi’s one-year Youth Development Programme aims to develop school leavers in three ways:
Character Development
For young people to develop life and leadership skills and to pursue further academic education, enabling them to become mature adults and influencers in the community.
Spiritual Development
Building Christian character and faith in young people so they become lifelong disciples of Jesus.
Vocational and Business Skills
Empowering young people to generate a secure livelihood by developing:
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Subsistence living skills.
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Academic and vocational skills for employment.
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Business skills to provide supplementary income or run a thriving business enterprise.
Higher education and skills training can significantly improve prospects and earnings potential.
Work experience placements
The Youth Development Programme includes two days of work experience placements each week.
Students have a choice of tailoring, supporting our literacy programme in primary schools, assisting with the Ufulu health and wellbeing programme, farming using compost, planting trees, being part of a building team, and welding.
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Juliana is on a tailoring placement. She says, “I can do things I was not able to do at first. I can make school uniforms and table mats, as well as sanitary pads and bags for school learners. I’m enjoying it.”