Looking out of my window one morning on our base in Ghana, I saw what looked like a large basket floating along by itself along our wall! I soon realised it was on the head of a woman who was going to sell the food she had made in the market. This would give her just enough money to support herself and her family. She used her cooking skills to earn what she needed to live. Then I saw another box floating along – and this was a box with tools in it. This man was going to a building site, hoping to get a day’s work. Many people in Ghana have similar practical skills which helps them earn a living.

In the Beloved missionary school we want to develop the whole child – both academically and socially. At the same time, we want to help our young people find some of these simple practical skills so that, if necessary they can earn their living that way. This is a natural development of the holistic approach which we have adopted in our school.

We have a plan!

So we have a plan for a vocational centre on our base where some of these practical skills can be taught. Our plan is to offer three to four practical skills at the extracurricular level. This will include cooking, masonry, tailoring skills, hairdressing, simple horticulture and others as they become available. We will use members of our church and the local community to teach these skills. This will increase our community engagement and help our local communities to see that we, as a society have to care for the whole child – academically and practically.

The space for the vocational centre is available. Now we need to upgrade it with electricals, fans, better windows and more secure doors, proper lighting and decoration. Then we will add the equipment for the various skills which we are planning to train. As always, prayer will bring us the recourses we need.

It’s not a high-tech vision, nor an expensive one. Fortunately the building already exists so our costs will not be too high. We want to help our pupils see that they can earn a living in modern Ghana and that they do not necessarily need to be academic to achieve this. They need to be assured that they have place in society as valuable as any other career. As they move to higher level of education, they will find more opportunity to develop practical skills. Our job is to give them the desire and show them that it can be done. There is a very practical spin-off. If young people have the ability to earn a living, they are less likely to turn to other and less wholesome ways of living. This is a good project with good potential to help and encourage. I’m looking forward to seeing it in operation at the right time.

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