Education Access
Four students plan a free carpentry course in Lusaka
Yuvan Narayan and three teammates are designing free carpentry training for Chaslife University, a vocational institute in Zambia, with a curriculum that pairs practical skills with literacy and numeracy.
"The tables we eat from, the chairs we sit on and the bed frames we sleep with are all things made by carpenters," they say. In Lusaka, Zambia, they say, the informal economy is booming.
The Chaslife Woodworks Initiative wants to add carpentry to what young people can learn there. Chaslife University is a tertiary institute offering vocational skills, and the initiative is designed to introduce free carpentry training, expanding the programmes the institution already runs.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”
Chaslife Woodworks Initiative, Yuvan Narayan, Vandhanaa, Krish & Abby
The team is Yuvan Narayan, a student at the International School of Lusaka, with Vandhanaa, Krish and Abby. Their project is in the planning stage. Working with Chaslife's founder, they have designed the programme structure and identified the resources it needs, and they have worked closely with Chaslife to understand what students need. The curriculum combines practical carpentry skills with literacy and numeracy, "helping learners build confidence and prepare for employment or entrepreneurship," they say.
"Limited access to vocational education prevents many young people from reaching their full potential," they say. Carpentry, they add, is a valuable skill in high demand that can lead to jobs and self-employment. They say they have seen firsthand what Chaslife does for Zambian youth, and that the project has developed their own teamwork and leadership.
The plan runs in steps. First, a small carpentry block, which will be built and furnished with tables and chairs. Then tools: a table saw, hand saws, measuring equipment and wood. Then, with the university's director, Dr Michael Kabwe, a teacher will be selected, and the course will go through accreditation with TEVETA, the vocational skills board of Zambia, so that students can gain a nationally recognised carpentry certification. Then admissions open.
"Our plan is to start small, then go big, as we want to do it right," they say.