When I visited Guinea-Bissau recently, I had the opportunity to meet Joseph, a graduate of the WAVS welding program, at his workshop.
His shop sits along a busy dirt road, where people passing by can see his work: metal gates, window frames, and tables. The shop was active as Joseph and his apprentices worked on projects for clients in the community.
What stood out immediately wasn’t just the quality of his work, but the fact that this shop exists at all.
Joseph graduated from the WAVS welding program just last year. Today, he’s already running his own workshop.
He told us that starting hasn’t been easy. Materials can be difficult to find, and every project brings new challenges. But despite that, he’s pressing forward, building something of his own.
“I feel very happy for this opportunity,” Jospeh said. “It’s a challenge sometimes, but I am doing my best and I am grateful for what I received at the school.”
That training is evident in everything he does.
Joseph said he uses the skills he learned at WAVS every day. He’s also helping others learn the trade, passing along the same skills he was taught to the people now working with him.
“I show them how to do it,” he said. “And they follow what I learned.”
In a place where stable jobs can be hard to find, this matters. Joseph is not only earning a reliable income, but he’s also putting his skills to work in a way that benefits those around him.
When we asked how he finds clients, his answer was simple: visibility and trust.
His shop’s location along the main road helps people discover his work. And after completing a job, he asks satisfied customers to recommend him to others. Word of mouth is helping his work grow.
Joseph with a set of shelves he recently completed for a customer.
But Joseph’s story isn’t only about financial progress.
He also spoke about the spiritual impact of his time at the WAVS school, especially the daily devotionals.
For him, those moments became something he looked forward to.
“They were very important to me,” he said. “I would try to arrive early so I wouldn’t miss them. They made me feel more confident and at peace.”
That kind of transformation is at the heart of what we hope every student experiences.
An education at a WAVS school is more than learning a trade. It’s about equipping students to build brighter futures and pointing them to the hope we have in Jesus.
Standing in Joseph’s workshop, surrounded by the work of his hands and the people learning alongside him, it was clear: this is what that looks like.
A year ago, he was a student.
Today, he is building a future with both skill and purpose.
Chris Collins
Chris Collins is Executive Director of West African Vocational Schools, a Christian nonprofit that equips West Africans with life-changing job skills.
