Welcome to The Yearbook
As a One Student member, you’re part of a community of people who are creating a world where everyone has the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families. To celebrate this exciting work, we’ve created The Yearbook. At the end of every three-month term at the WAVS Schools, visit The Yearbook to see your impact up close.
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Highlights
Latest updates from the Summer 2020 term
The first classroom building at the Bissau Campus is under construction
The rainy season delayed some of the construction at the new Bissau Campus, but construction crews pressed on and the foundation work is now underway. The goal is to finish the classroom by April 2021.
A peek inside one of the English classes at the Canchungo campus.
The WAVS Schools reopened with Covid-19 prevention measures in place
On September 14, the government allowed all schools in Guinea-Bissau to reopen, including the WAVS Schools. WAVS enacted extra protocols, such as wearing masks.
Students who were enrolled in the winter term earlier this year had their classes cut short because of the government shutdown. In September, they returned to the school to finish up their courses.
Thanks to One Student members, school staff remained on payroll all year so they could prepare for the school’s reopening.
The walls used to be different colors in most of the classrooms. Now all of the classrooms match.
Staff and teachers were busy improving the campus before students returned
Staff and teachers took the lead on keeping up on the maintenance and improvements at the Canchungo campus. The teachers held a planning meeting to collectively decide how they could redesign their classrooms and got to work. They chose to repaint the classrooms along with the desks and chairs so that the classrooms would look great when students could return to classes.
Around Campus
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During the summer term, the welding students were able to continue working on projects and their courses so they could complete their 2019-2020 school year. They will be able to graduate in January 2021!
Guinea-Bissau has a hot, humid, typically tropical climate, with a rainy season that lasts from mid-May to mid-November and a cooler dry season occupying the rest of the year.
This year they had some of the heaviest rain in years! Here is a picture of the road that goes from Canchungo to Bissau.
One of the projects the welding teachers and interns worked on during the summer term 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.
A view from in front of the welding workshop facing toward the WAVS School Canchungo campus. The welding workshop is across the street from the other classroom buildings.
The new metal and zinc awning structure was completed and is providing shade and shelter for the students while they work. It is quite an upgrade from the previous one.
Construction crews dug a hole for the septic tank, which will connect with the classroom building under construction at the Bissau campus.
Foundation of the first classroom building at the Bissau campus.
Behind the Scenes
A message from Lili, the WAVS School Director at the Canchungo campus with an update on students being able to finish their Winter term classes and the school starting its new 2020/21 school year in October.
Spotlight
Lino
WAVS School Welding Student
Meet Lino
Before enrolling at the WAVS School, Lino was working as an apprentice with commercial vehicles, but an apprentice salary wasn’t enough income to support his family. When Lino heard about the welding program at the WAVS School he enrolled so he could develop his welding and technical skills.
During the week he lives in Canchungo and goes to school and on the weekend he goes back to Bula (a town about 45 minutes a way) to see his wife and children. Getting to Bula is no easy feat, to head home Lino has to walk 15-20 minutes to pick up public transport, often having to wake up early to make sure he catches one of the minivans. These vehicles don’t have seatbelts and lack air conditioning so the windows are down letting in lots of dust kicked up as you drive the often unpaved roads. You are also often crammed in with other people and possibly animals that are inside on laps or strapped to the top of the roof. For Lino, this sacrifice is worth it though.
After he graduates, Lino plans to open his own shop which will allow him to provide for his family and community in Bula.
Where are they now?
Read stories about WAVS Graduates.
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