Corps Member Ventures Into TVET Programme & Toilet Renovation

A corps member named Udeh John O., KB/16A/2572 serving in Kamba, Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State has concluded a six (6) months Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme on three (3) technical trades/occupational skills area such as: Plumbing and pipe fitting; carpentry and general woodwork; electrical installation, wiring and repairs.

The Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) programme which elapse by March, 2017 was hosted in the workshop for Basic Technology of Government Secondary School Kamba were some basic tools and equipment necessary were made available by the school authority through the enormous support and enthusiasm of the principal towards youth empowerment of the students and other youths within Kamba environment. The corps member and technical trainer disclosed that an average of 30 trainees participated in the programme and for the time being, practiced how to wire a room with sockets, lamps, switches and regulators among other practical exercises on woodwork and metal work.

In addition to the SAED programme, Corps member Udeh John mentioned that he has completed the construction of three (3) water outlets/taps within the school hostels and kitchen to increase the students’ access to good drinking water also used for washing and bathing. This among other projects he said exposed his trainees to the tenets of professional plumbing as demonstrated by him. In the same vein, responding to why he also undertook the renovation of a block of 7-rooms school toilet, the corps member posited that the toilet will provide extrinsic motivation for the students who are very much in need of convenience.
However, he stated that the renovation of the school toilet entailed a general structural work in other to give it a face lift. Other phases of the project included: clearing of refuge, cracking of defective walls; excavation and digging of soak-away; plumbing and supply of water to the toilet and installation of taps; replacement of some parts of the water closet; plastering; casting of slabs; electrification; painting and finishing.

The renovated school toilet was officially commissioned and handed over to the school authority for use on Friday, 14^th April, 2017 while the water outlets/taps were since in use by the students and kitchen staff due to its necessity. The commissioning was carried out by DSP. Dooior I. Solomon - the Divisional Police Officer (D.P.O) of the Nigeria Police Force, Kamba, Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State in the company of his top management staff; the principal of Government Secondary School, Kamba ably represented by the vice-principal administration and some teachers as well as some distinguished sponsors of the projects; corps members / trainees, Kamba-based businessmen and indigenes of great reputation who graced the occasion. I am very grateful to my amiable NYSC Local Government Inspector - Mr. Usman Ashiru for his support and consent though for official reasons was unavoidably absent but was represented by the Corps Liaison Officer (CLO) of Dandi Local Government Area.

Udeh John concluded by encouraging youths and corps members within the environment to consider TVET programme as a panacea to unemployment and participate in his Personal Community Development Service (PCDS) project in other to acquire work skills as a large number of young people leave secondary schools or tertiary institutions yearly only to join the overcrowded labour market without any appreciable job for them because they have no saleable skills and positive work attitudes necessary to enter into employment or to be self-employed.