29 July 2020.

With generous support from Irish Aid, our distance learning programme has been helping our trainees keep up with their studies at home. Feedback and participation has been very encouraging, with trainees happy to be able to continue their training.

Video lessons continue to be produced by our Training Team and loaded onto electronic tablets, which are distributed to trainees to be shared in small groups.

“Moving our lessons from the classrooms onto videos and tablets has been an opportunity for us to learn and develop, rising up to the challenges created by the pandemic,” explains Patrick Mwamba, Build It Training Manager.

“We use our lesson plans to identify key elements of our training that can be delivered remotely, and have produced eight sets of videos so far. Everyone learns in different ways and it has been a big change for our young trainees, but they have responded with enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn.”

Trainees are asked to complete tasks which are marked by the trainers. Telephone interviews are used to discuss the assignments and gather feedback on video content.

The tablets also include information and guidance around COVID-19 to help keep our trainees and their families safe.

Once the trainees have finished, the Training Team follow them up at home to collect the tablets so new lessons can be uploaded.

It has been a challenge ensuring all trainees are provided with access to training materials, mainly due to the geographical spread of trainees and their movements within their communities. Our trainers have been visiting some trainees and their parents within the local communities to help overcome this.

As training at the Centre for Excellence begins to resume at reduced capacity, our trainees will continue to be supported with distance learning materials.