The Request to Rehabilitate
Mzuzu Technical College
Background:
Mzuzu Technical College is located in the City of Mzuzu in Northern Malawi,
Central Africa. The people of Northern Malawi are generally subsistence
farmers and very poor. There are few opportunities for young people to
break out of the cycle of poverty unless they can gain saleable employment
skills.
The Mzuzu Technical College caters for both residential and day students in
their late teens or early twenties. The College has a total enrollment of
approximately five hundred students of whom about three hundred and sixty
are boarders. There is an equal distribution of male and female students with
many female students enrolled in courses not traditionally associated with
females, such as carpentry and motor mechanics.
The courses include carpentry, motor mechanics, building trades, electrical,
secretarial and accountancy training. Courses in plumbing and refrigeration
will be offered for the first time in 2009. (See the attached Programme for
details.) These courses offer students useful life skills which will help to
improve their quality of life as well as give them a life long income. See
Courses Programme for 2009. At the end of their course, which is certified by
the Malawi Department of Education, each successful student is given a kit
with which to begin their trade.
The College is administered jointly by the Diocese of Mzuzu and the Malawi
Ministry of Education. The Ministry supply and pay the staff while the Diocese
owns the College and is responsible for its’ maintenance.
The Technical College has over a period of time been quite badly vandalized,
especially during the struggle for democracy in Malawi. Strong steps have
been taken by the current College management to ensure no further
vandalism or theft occurs. The College management has also identified and
prioritized renovation and refurbishment work that is required to revitalize the
College and improve the living conditions of student boarders.
Renovation and Refurbishment Programme:
The Mzuzu Technical College renovation and refurbishment program will
commence with the renovation of Lubinga A Hostel. This hostel for male
students requires extensive repairs to its’ ceilings, windows, doors and
electrical installations to make it a pleasant and safe environment for
students.
On completion of the renovation of the hostel, systematic monitoring by staff
will be maintained to ensure any theft or vandalism is immediately addressed.
A maintenance programme will also be implemented to ensure the building
remains in first class condition for future generations of students.
During the renovation program the hostel will remain unoccupied to ensure
the rapid progress of the renovation work. The timely completion of the work,
once started, is thus imperative. As indicated in the attached Action Plan it is
intended that work will commence in January and be completed by early
August.
The specific renovation tasks to be undertaken include:
All renovation and repair work will be undertaken by Second and Third YearCollege students as part of the work experience component of their courses.
The College Tutors will supervise all student work to ensure that all building
code requirements are met.
Fr John Ryan will do all the purchasing of materials and will personally deliver
the material to Mzuzu Technical College as it is needed. He will further check
that all work is done in accordance with the plan.
Click here for the first document presented to St Helena during August 2008.
Mzuzu Technical College
Background:
Mzuzu Technical College is located in the City of Mzuzu in Northern Malawi,
Central Africa. The people of Northern Malawi are generally subsistence
farmers and very poor. There are few opportunities for young people to
break out of the cycle of poverty unless they can gain saleable employment
skills.
The Mzuzu Technical College caters for both residential and day students in
their late teens or early twenties. The College has a total enrollment of
approximately five hundred students of whom about three hundred and sixty
are boarders. There is an equal distribution of male and female students with
many female students enrolled in courses not traditionally associated with
females, such as carpentry and motor mechanics.
The courses include carpentry, motor mechanics, building trades, electrical,
secretarial and accountancy training. Courses in plumbing and refrigeration
will be offered for the first time in 2009. (See the attached Programme for
details.) These courses offer students useful life skills which will help to
improve their quality of life as well as give them a life long income. See
Courses Programme for 2009. At the end of their course, which is certified by
the Malawi Department of Education, each successful student is given a kit
with which to begin their trade.
The College is administered jointly by the Diocese of Mzuzu and the Malawi
Ministry of Education. The Ministry supply and pay the staff while the Diocese
owns the College and is responsible for its’ maintenance.
The Technical College has over a period of time been quite badly vandalized,
especially during the struggle for democracy in Malawi. Strong steps have
been taken by the current College management to ensure no further
vandalism or theft occurs. The College management has also identified and
prioritized renovation and refurbishment work that is required to revitalize the
College and improve the living conditions of student boarders.
Renovation and Refurbishment Programme:
The Mzuzu Technical College renovation and refurbishment program will
commence with the renovation of Lubinga A Hostel. This hostel for male
students requires extensive repairs to its’ ceilings, windows, doors and
electrical installations to make it a pleasant and safe environment for
students.
On completion of the renovation of the hostel, systematic monitoring by staff
will be maintained to ensure any theft or vandalism is immediately addressed.
A maintenance programme will also be implemented to ensure the building
remains in first class condition for future generations of students.
During the renovation program the hostel will remain unoccupied to ensure
the rapid progress of the renovation work. The timely completion of the work,
once started, is thus imperative. As indicated in the attached Action Plan it is
intended that work will commence in January and be completed by early
August.
The specific renovation tasks to be undertaken include:
 | Replace doors and locks | |
| Install security doors | |
| Repair lockers and replace locker doors | |
| Repair windows and replace louvers where required | |
| Repair ceilings | |
| Repair tiling in the shower room | |
| Repair plumbing where required | |
| Repair or replace electrical fittings and lights where damaged | |
| Repair roof and fascia board where required and paint | |
| Paint throughout the interior of the building | |
| External paving and drainage to be repaired where required. |
All renovation and repair work will be undertaken by Second and Third Year
The College Tutors will supervise all student work to ensure that all building
code requirements are met.
Fr John Ryan will do all the purchasing of materials and will personally deliver
the material to Mzuzu Technical College as it is needed. He will further check
that all work is done in accordance with the plan.
Click here for the first document presented to St Helena during August 2008.
Rehabilitating Mzuzu Technical College
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