We're looking for
Retail Volunteers
As an orphan, Jofrey was identified as a vulnerable young person and offered training. He chose to study sheet metal fabrication and welding after observing several people in his village earning a good living from it.
He completed one year at Basu Bandu Rural Development Association (BRUDA) and returned for an additional year to develop his skills.
The COVID pandemic interrupted his ambitions to establish his own business. However, the association later opened a branch in Bwera, a small town 25 miles from Kasese in Uganda. They asked him to become a trainer in Bwera and establish a metal fabrication and welding training workshop.
Here, he trains five students and fabricates beds, window frames, doors and sewing machine treadles. Jofrey saw a fabricated treadle BRUDA purchased from Kampala and thought he could do better.
Shortly after, he fabricated one which was indeed made to a higher standard. He made two more for the association and several for private clients.
All of the items produced by the training workshop are sold and the proceeds contribute to Jofrey’s salary, the workshop’s running costs and small allowances for the trainees.
He is thoroughly enjoying his current role and would ultimately like to start his own business.
Jofrey continues to train students and fabricate treadle sewing machine bases for BRUDA.
Besides his work at BRUDA, he also does other metalworking jobs to supplement his income. As a motivated and high-quality fabricator, he has built a successful business.
He has been subcontracted to Albert Valley Vocational Institute for Karugutu (AVVIK) to fabricate their sewing machine bases.
With great pride, Jofrey now uses a full-face auto-darkening mask provided by us instead of the unsafe sunglasses he had been using.
Jofrey has saved the money he made through welding, fabrication, and training, with plans to build a house in his village.
His metalworking business has been doing so well that it has enabled him to buy two fields and cultivate cocoa as a cash crop. He has saved enough money from both to build a house.
Jofrey’s success highlights the profound impact vocational training has had on his life. Along with practical skills, he has also acquired language skills, and now speaks excellent English. This is a significant achievement given that he only spoke his local language in 2022.
As for BRUDA, they have now moved from their rented office and workshop in the town of Bwera, on the border with Congo, to a small town about five miles away in a hard-to-reach location. Here, BRUDA have been able to purchase a small plot of land and have built an office and a small training workshop.
After talking to the team, they shared that Jofrey personally funded the costs of the new workshop construction. While the scale of the help Jofrey provided to BRUDA was considerable, it is normal for former trainees to help others either financially or by continued education.
Retail Volunteers
Sign Up for our newsletter and information about our work in Africa and in the UK.
Phone Number: 01494 775220
Email Address: admin@workaid.org
Address:
The Old Boot Factory
71 Townsend Road
Chesham
Buckinghamshire
HP5 2AA
Registered Charity: 1041574
The Office
Monday – Friday
9:30am – 12:30pm
1:30pm – 4:30pm
Tool Donations
Monday, Wednesday & Friday
9:30am – 12:30pm
1:30pm – 4:00pm
The Workaid Shop
Thursday, Friday & Saturday
10am – 4pm
The Hub
Monday & Tuesday
10am – 3pm
Phone Number: 01494 775220
Email Address: admin@workaid.org
Address:
The Old Boot Factory
71 Townsend Road
Chesham
Buckinghamshire
HP5 2AA
Registered Charity: 1041574
The Office
Monday – Friday
9:30am – 12:30pm
1:30pm – 4:30pm
The Workaid Shop
Thursday, Friday & Saturday
10am – 4pm
Tool Donations
Monday, Wednesday & Friday
9:30am – 12:30pm
1:30pm – 4:00pm
The Hub
Monday – Tuesday
10am – 3pm
Phone Number: 01494 775220
Email Address: admin@workaid.org
Address:
The Old Boot Factory
71 Townsend Road
Chesham
Buckinghamshire
HP5 2AA
Registered Charity: 1041574