West African Vocational Schools

WAVS vocational schools employ 17 staff members from the local community where the schools are located. These teachers, like Kalu, are all invested in helping equip the next generation in their country.

WAVS is turning 21! Our birthday is a celebration of you. Thank you for your continued support, service, dedication, and generosity. It has been an incredible journey and we look forward to working together in the years to come!

Members of the One Student that give monthly not only help cover the cost of tuition for students, but also help provide them with the materials they need to practice their trades. Learn more about the One Student community at wavschools.org/one-student

Guinea-Bissau borders the Atlantic ocean and has an intricate shoreline of low coastal planes. Amongst the shores of Guinea-Bissau are 90 islands ran by a matriarchal tribe. Learn more about the country where WAVS works at wavschools.org/about-guinea-bissau

Open house! During the fall term, students from CIFAP, another vocational training center, came to visit the WAVS school to check out the schools’ welding program.

The WAVS schools are continuing to work with community leaders to help fight COVID-19 any way they can. Recently, WAVS school graduates helped to build hand washing stations that were used throughout the country to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The 40 foot-pedaled handwashing stations were built in a joint project with UNICEF and will be used in the Gabu region in various schools and hospitals.

The fall 2020 term saw the highest enrollment in years at the WAVS Canchungo campus. A total of 99 students enrolled just in the first term of this school year, which is the most students who have enrolled in a single term in the last four years. Thank you to the One Student community who helped cover the tuition costs for 74 of these students. To learn more about One Student and how you can give opportunity every month go to wavschools.org/one-student.

WAVS school teachers spend hours outside of the classroom preparing lessons and even meeting with students one-on-one. At the WAVS schools, it is important to not only invest in the students’ lives, but also into the teachers’ lives, as well. At the end of each term, the schools take time to do specific training with staff.

One Student is a community of monthly givers who believe in a world where everyone has the opportunity to work for a brighter future. Give opportunity One Student at a time at WAVSchools.org/one-student.

Rosa grew up facing a life of certain poverty. But Rosa dreamed of studying English so she could pursue a professional career in international diplomacy. She even worked at a local rock quarry, breaking rocks by hand to earn enough money to cover her tuition fees at a WAVS school. Without the help of a One Student member who kept the tuition rates affordable for Rosa, there was no way she could have enrolled. After graduating, Rosa used her new skills to teach English at a lo...cal high school. Her next step is to study international relations. Rosa said: I knew that if I worked hard, I could achieve my dream of an education and a future professional job. You can give more students like Rosa an opportunity to achieve their dreams by joining One Student. And today, your monthly gift goes even further. Thanks to a generous donor who has pledged $10,000 in matching funds, the first 20 people who join One Student by November 24 will have their monthly gift doubled for the first year! Learn more at WAVSchools.org/one-student.

You’re invited to join the One Student community, a group of people who are making a huge impact in the lives of students at the WAVS Schools every month. And we are excited to announce that a generous donor has pledged to MATCH your gift for the first year! The first 20 people who join One Student before November 24 will have their monthly gift doubled. Join today at WAVSchools.org/one-student.

This term, the Canchungo campus is equipping 48 new French and English students with life-changing job skills. Guinea-Bissau is a Portuguese-speaking country, but English and French are the business languages of West Africa. Those who are fluent in English and French are able to get better-paying jobs in the government and business sectors. Thanks to the monthly donors of the One Student community, tuition is affordable for these students at less than $10 a month.... For more information about the One Student community, visit wavschools.org/one-student.

The WAVS Schools are already 4 weeks into the fall term! This term, the Canchungo campus is training 32 new students in Computer Basics. Technology is revolutionizing Africa, but a lack of basic training has left a shortage of skilled workers who can do clerical work on computers or qualify for government jobs that require computer skills. Students in the computer course learn about the basics of a computer, how to type, how to use Microsoft Office, and how to use the Intern...et. Thanks to the monthly donors of the One Student community, tuition is affordable for these students at less than $10 a month. For more information about the One Student community, visit wavschools.org/one-student.

Foundation work is now underway on the new Bissau campus! The rainy season delayed some of the construction, but construction crews pressed on. The goal is to finish the first classroom building by April 2021. Visit wavschools.org/the-yearbook to learn about other updates concerning the WAVS Schools!

One of the projects the welding teachers and interns worked on during the summer was remodeling the awning that extends from the welding workshop. The previous awning was made of wood and grass. A lot of the work that is done by the welding students is done outside the workshop under this cover. Visit wavschools.org/the-yearbook to see what else students and staff were up to this last quarter!

The newest version of The Yearbook is here! The Yearbook gives a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of teachers and students through stories, photos, and videos that we compile each term for members of the One Student Community. Check out what happened during the summer term! Teachers remodeled their classrooms when the school was closed and classes were able to resume with restrictions in place.

Thank you to the 250+ guests and volunteers who joined from all around the world on Saturday, October 10, to make Dine-In & Discover West Africa 2020 | Virtual Celebration such a memorable event. You helped raise more than $120,000 to equip West Africans with life-changing job skills! Even though we were all scattered in different locations this year, we came together for one night as a community of people who believe in creating a world where everyone has the opportunity to ...work for a brighter future. You engaged with questions and comments during a live Q&A with a WAVS School director, you gave generously and bid on fun auction items, and you shared your photos of gatherings with friends and family at small watch parties held all over the country. We loved your photos, by the way! You can view all of them here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/

Thank you to the over 250 guests who joined us at Dine-In & Discover West Africa 2020. It was great having people from all over join in and participate. Feel free to tag yourself and your friends in the photos.

Last Monday marked the start of the 2020-2021 school year at the WAVS Schools! This year, Canchungo campus will be equipping 19 new welding students with life-changing job skills. Thanks to the monthly donors of the One Student community, who cover most of the costs of training programs at the WAVS Schools, tuition is affordable for these students at less than $10 a month. For more information about the One Student community, visit wavschools.org/one-student

As you shop #AmazonPrimeDay, don't forget to set West African Vocational Schools as your charity of choice on Amazon Smile. With every purchase you make, Amazon donates a percentage to WAVS to help equip young men and women in Guinea-Bissau with life-changing job skills. wavschools.org/amazonsmile