EP Church Vocational Center (Women's Resource Center)

 


This writer found a pleasant surprise at the EP Church Vocational Center, known to us as the Women's Resources Center.  It is known locally as the Hoffmann Vocational Institute. Granted, the spelling is not the same as mine, but it is pretty cool to see your last name on a building whose mission is so close to my own.  Some of you may know that I am an educator who has been focusing on career development and vocational skills in my career.  

We visited the Vocational Center for less than 30 minutes at the end of a very long drive back from Kpando. It was an unexpected addition to the day's schedule.  Our original plan was to visit the center on Monday, but they were on a school break and didn't resume classes until Tuesday. To accommodate our schedule, the young women stayed in classes past their 3pm dismissal time.  They sang their alma mater song for us and we offered a donation of baby kits and feminine products.




Our delegation was delighted with their work. The center is open to young women, mostly aged 18-25, some who will soon be mothers.  The motto is empowerment and self-reliance. They develop job skills such as sewing, cooking and catering, bead making, and batik cloth making, as well as entrepreneurship and business management.  They also take parenting, home economics, and personal care classes. The mission of the EP Church to "bring light where there is darkness" is well represented by this mission. 

Recently, contributions from the many churches and donors that support our missions sent funds to purchase cooking equipment and tools to expand the culinary arts and catering program. We were shown the freezers, gas stove tops, pots, appliances, and utensils that have been purchased. A building for culinary arts classes is under construction, pending sufficient funding. 

Although we were tired and hot and dusty when we arrived (I had been asleep in the van and missed the text message alerting us to this change in plans), we were energized by the enthusiasm and initiative of these young women and their educators. 








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