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 work for a brighter future. 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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Happy Thanksgiving! WAVS students say “Obrigado!” (Thank you!)

 

Highlights

Latest updates from the Summer 2021 term

 

 Staff celebrated a record enrollment of 434 students and are already looking ahead to the 2021-2022 school year!

Record Enrollment: 434 students studied at WAVS vocational schools last year!

Despite the global pandemic, WAVS vocational schools trained 434 students in the 2020-2021 school year – shattering all previous enrollment records! After taking some time to celebrate, WAVS staff started thinking ahead and set a goal to train at least 500 students in the 2021-2022 school year.

 

The shipping container carrying supplies for the WAVS vocational schools in Canchungo and Bissau arrived during the summer term.

Importing supplies however we can — via suitcases and shipping containers

Access to quality materials in Guinea-Bissau is extremely limited. As a result, WAVS vocational schools often must import supplies using suitcases and shipping containers. Recently, WAVS imported materials including textbooks, computers, welding equipment, a solar panel system, and team t-shirts for school staff (see photo). These supplies will give WAVS vocational schools the capacity to train even more students this year!

School staff show off their new team t-shirts that WAVS recently imported.

Local youth joined in on classes during the summer term when schools were closed because of the rainy season.

Students of all ages enrolled in summer classes

Public schools in Guinea-Bissau close in the summer in part because they lack the infrastructure to withstand the stormy rainy season. Leaky roofs, inconsistent electricity, and flooded dirt roads make it nearly impossible for schools to operate during the summer.

Because WAVS vocational schools are powered by their own solar panel systems and are readily accessible, classes were expanded this year to incorporate youth to support their education through the rainy season. Computer, English, and French classes were filled with students ages 10 to 50 – all of them studying so they can have the opportunity to work for a brighter future.

Around Campus

 

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WAVS staff participated in the annual team training before starting the new school year.

 

For most regions of the United States, summer means sunshine. But in Guinea-Bissau, summer means rain all day, every day. Between the months of July, August, and September, Guinea-Bissau can receive more than 40 inches of rain!

Record enrollment means a reason to celebrate! WAVS staff celebrated a successful school year with a fun day of swimming and singing!

Behind the Scenes

Construction resumes on the Bissau campus

The construction team is back to work on the Bissau campus now that the four-month rainy season is over in Guinea-Bissau. The first classroom building is well underway. In the meantime, heavy machinery is preparing the land for additional construction.

Spotlight

Moisés Júlio CÁ

Canchungo School Director

Meet Moisés

Moisés joined the WAVS school in Canchungo as the school director in September of 2021.

He is originally from Guinea-Bissau and studied abroad in Coimbra, Portugal to complete his degree in Human Resources at Instituto Superior Miguel Torga with a specialization in Project Management.

“I strongly believe that education is the key to success and freedom for everyone, everywhere. By providing education to the communities in Guinea-Bissau WAVS is contributing to the success of those communities.”

Before joining the WAVS school staff, Moises had the ambition of returning to Guinea-Bissau and working for a large organization such as the UN. After learning about the WAVS schools and seeing their impact, Moises decided to join the team and work to give the youth of Guinea-Bissau the opportunity to learn life-changing job skills.

“While I was abroad studying, I had the dream to return and contribute to my country, and now I am living my dream.”

Where are they now?

Read stories about WAVS Graduates.

WAVS graduate: ‘God has given me the power to be a welder’

Nilton, a WAVS School Welding Graduate, is now ready to open his own shop. For [...]

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A vocational school graduate shows that overcoming poverty is complicated, but not impossible

After graduating from the WAVS Vocational School’s welding program, Erickson Sanhá was ready to set [...]

Read More
For this future leader in Guinea-Bissau, life is ‘Fantastic!’

How Vasco’s training at the WAVS School is helping him become one of Guinea-Bissau’s future [...]

Read More

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