(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco Vocational Training Center, located in Dodoma, Tanzania, can build a new multi-purpose hall thanks to donor funding through Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The center is among the oldest vocational training centers in Tanzania and currently serves close to 1,700 students annually with both long and short courses.

Despite the availability of spacious classrooms, the center does not have an area that can hold all students together for one joint activity such as examinations, graduation ceremonies, morning talks on rainy days or even youth programs. Currently, the center utilizes outdoor space for such events, but it is limited, especially during times of extreme weather.

With the funding, Don Bosco Vocational Training Center will now be able to build a space that will meet the needs of the student population. The new multi-purpose hall will serve as space for training and recreational needs, as well as sports and other indoor recreational activities for the youth oratory and animation programs. In addition, the center will be able to conduct examinations, particularly national examinations. National examinations require specific standards provided by VETA, such as ventilation and distance from desk to desk.

Further, the new hall will provide the center with a permanent area to conduct ceremonies including graduations, assembly, morning and evening talks with students, and youth animation programs. This will enable the center to save costs that were directed toward the procurement of tent services to accommodate events. The money saved will be utilized toward funding ongoing educational initiatives for the students.

Once constructed, the multi-purpose hall will also create income generation for the center. The space can be rented out for weddings, meetings, conventions and conferences. There is a great need and high demand for rental spaces such as this.

“We are appreciative of our donors who have helped the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in Dodoma build a much-needed space for students and school activities,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions. “Not only will the new hall serve an important educational function, but it will also help raise the revenue needed to support programming and sustainability.”

Don Bosco Vocational Training Center provides 12 major courses which are VETA certified including electrical installation, plumbing and pipefitting, masonry and bricklaying, motor vehicle mechanics, lathe work, IT/secretarial, tiling and terrazzo, tailoring and dressmaking, carpentry, and joinery, welding and fabrication. Once students successfully complete their coursework, they have a wide range of career prospects in front of them.

In Tanzania, 67.9 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. While the country has seen some economic growth in tourism, mining, trade and communication, the number of Tanzanians living below the poverty line has marginally increased due to rapid population growth. In some regions, up to half of the population struggles to meet the cost of essential food and shelter and other basic necessities like clothing, health care and education.

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Photos courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

UNICEF – Tanzania

Salesian Missions – Tanzania