Tree planting ceremony at soon to be opened FOCHTA Vocational Training Centre
On July 19, over a hundred people attended a tree planting ceremony held at the soon to be opened FOCHTA Vocational Training Centre. Officiating at the ceremony was our Patron Mr Claude Ho. A total of five trees were planted, one by Mr Ho, with others by the Director of the District Assembly, the Traditional Authority Chief, Chairman of the FOCHTA Board of Trustees and student beneficiary Faines. In attendance were also FOCHTA board members, grassroots committee members, gogoz group leaders, a number of secondary beneficiaries and tertiary student beneficiaries who had come for the occasion from universities in Zomba, Blantyre and Lilongwe. The event’s MC was Golden Baluwa, the head teacher of our VTC. After lunch was served to all, there were performances first by a traditional dance group doing the Manganje Dance. This was followed with a dance performance by students from the Komai Music Group (Komai has been in partnership with FOCHTA since over a year ago teaching music to young students).
A poem was read by Meloryn Spoon who also wrote it.
The patron also made use of the occasion to have a meeting before the ceremony with a group of tertiary students. His aim was to encourage them to help FOCHTA in future. All have signed up to give workshops over the next 6 months in fields they have studied. These shall include Healthcare/Disease Prevention; Land Ownership; Physiotherapy and aspiring to good health; Literacy; Girls Initiative (This has started already); Mathematics; Agriculture; Brickworking, etc.
Because of ongoing problems with our building contractor the VTC did not open on schedule. However, the President of Malawi, on hearing of the establishment of this VTC, recently sent one of his chief deputies, Dr Chanza, to visit the site. He was met by Claude, Mr Baluwa, the Executive Director and Finance Officer. His message to us was that establishing this centre is a huge step for the district. The President is very keen to promote vocational training in the country, and if he is available, he shall be glad to attend our official opening in due course.