2024 Update
St Agnes Vocational Training College
2023/2024 has been another excellent year for St Agnes Vocational Training College at Mtandika, formally known as the Mtandika Trade School. The college continues to be registered with the Tanzanian Government’s National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NACTVET).
The highlight of early 2024 was the establishment of a third main course in Hotel Management, alongside the long established Tailoring and Electrical courses. Tourism has always been a major money earner for Tanzania and it has been obvious for many years that there was a need for training of staff employed in this industry. In fact a canteen block was constructed before Sister Barberina tragically died in 2019, with the intention that a course would be established. Now, with generous donations from sponsors, the Canteen/Classroom has been fully equipped and a teacher employed. So in January the course started with six students. A recent inspection by NACTVET congratulated all involved with setting up the course and the fact that practical work was carried out in the Canteen, which was open to the general public.
The college management remains as last year, with the addition of the teacher for the Hotel Management course, Christina Mwinuka. The Principal is Sister Damiana Kikoti, Vice Principal Shabani Bilaly and Bursar, Sister Restituta Msemwa. The teachers are also as last year, with Shabani Bilaly as Vice Principal and teacher of Electrical Engineering and Engineering Science, Peter Madeba as teacher of English and Communications, Technical Drawing and Life Skills, Yohana Mtagawa as teacher of Computer Studies and Mathematics and Sylvia Mfalamagoha as teacher of Tailoring, Business Studies and Entrepreneurship. The consistency of the management and teaching staff is a great advantage for the success of the college.
In 2023 there were twenty four students, nineteen of the students being on the Electrical Installation course and five on the Tailoring course. Of the twenty four students, twenty one graduated at the end of 2023, seventeen students from the Electrical course and four students from the Tailoring course. All of the graduates already have good jobs.
Electrical graduates already have jobs with TANESCO
Students in their tailoring class
In 2024 there are twenty nine students, eleven on the Electrical course with nine in Year 1 and two in year 2, twelve on the Tailoring course with eleven in Year 1 and one in Year 2 and six on the first year of the Hotel Management course.
Hotel Management Students with teacher Christina Mwinuka
The 2024 Students with the Sisters and Teachers
Computing
On a visit to St Agnes VTC in August 2023, Action in Africa Chairman, Michael Agius, handed over six computers donated by Exsur IT Solutions. These had been uploaded with an Educational programme, Endless OS, by the donor. During the visit computer teacher, Yohana and some of the students were given a tutorial in the use of Endless.
Computer Tutorial
Computers in use
Sport
Outside of the classroom, sport is high on the list of student activity. Prior to the August 2023 visit the younger members of the Agius family had held a sponsored football match in UK and raised £800. The proceeds were used to manufacture and erect two football nets and two netball nets and these were put to good use playing with the Sisters, teachers and students during the visit. In addition Exsur IT Solutions donated the green football kits shown in the photo below. Six footballs were also donated.
Football kits and goalposts
Netball kits and posts
College Rehabilitation
This year there have been several periods of excessive wind and rain and many buildings in the Mtandika area have had roofs ripped off. Luckily none of the college buildings have been affected that badly but minor damage has occurred and several roof panels needed to be replaced and other panels fixed more securely. In addition the roofs have been painted with anti-corrosive paint. There has also been flooding around the college, although damage has been limited.
Flooding around the College buildings
Repainted roof
Crop Cultivation
Also outside the classroom, students have continued to assist in the growing of essential crops, such as maize, cassava, rice, beans, onions, tomatoes, bananas and papayas, continuing the work ethic established by the late Sister Barberina. This year there has again been plenty of rain which has resulted in multiple healthy crops, although unfortunately a small amount of damage occurred to the maize from monkeys, necessitating the erection of fencing around the crop and to the beans and cassava as a result of elephants crossing the nearby river onto college land.
The following areas were planted : 13 hectares of maize giving 84 sacks; 3 hectares of beans giving 21 sacks; ¼ hectare of bananas; ¼ hectare of cassava, although this was badly affected by elephants; ocra giving 17 sacks; 1 hectare of onions giving 30 sacks.
Bean crop
Rice drying after harvesting
Replanted bananas after elephant damage
Onion field showing irrigation
Fundraising
As in previous years, whilst two thirds of the College students pay annual tuition fees of TSh 700,000, about £250 at current exchange rates, ten of the twenty nine College students who are orphans or from very poor families are sponsored by TWOAT [Tadworth Overseas Aid Trust] and four by a private donor. In addition to supporting college students, TWOAT continue to supplement the teachers’ salaries and have also been instrumental in the setting up of the Hotel Management course with support for the additional teacher and students.
In addition to TWOAT’s generous donations, fundraising continues to come from Benevity, the charity arm of the Bank of Canada, as well as many personal donors. In addition proceeds from regular cake and jam sales have provided much needed funds. We continue to receive generous, regular donations from individual sponsors.
All income helps with the general running of St Agnes VTC, as well as the education of three Primary School children, five Secondary School students, three students studying for Degrees at university and two students taking short VETA vocational courses. All of these are either orphans or from very poor families.
Primary School students with Headmaster
Michael and Mary Agius visit the School in August 2023