Women’s Training Centers of Chilesso and Camundongo

Update on the Dille/Dunbar Fund support in Angola

Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola (IECA)

The implementation of Women’s Training projects continues on track under the care of IECA’s Department of Social Assistance Studies and Projects (DASEP), with major involvement of the coordinators of the Chilesso and Camundongo Centers.

The Chilesso Mission Training Center staff consists of a coordinator and six trainers.  During the first half of 2009, 46 students were registered and are studying trades there.  The Camundongo Mission Training has a training coordinator and four trainers, with 36 students enrolled.

The most recent financial gifts have been used to purchase training materials for students, utensils for the kitchen, school supplies, mattresses and bedding, table linens, chairs, lines for the gas stoves, gas cylinders, basins, buckets, chalkboards, thermal bowls and bottles, sewing machines and supplies, water tanks, freezers, dishes and glasses, as well as many other items.  These items help provide for the physical needs of the students and contribute to the training of enrolled students from various parts of Bié Province, an area with high levels of illiteracy among its residents. 

Plans for the near future include building a kitchen at the Chilesso Mission where they have already prepared the place and they will also enhance the mosaic floor of the Women’s Training Center that was built in 2005 – 2006.  The Camundongo Mission has already cleaned up the debris from the old school home which will be rehabilitated to serve as the school.

The Camundongo Mission is at work providing a glasses project giving assistance to a variety of adults and not just those showing very low vision for reading.  This project is designed for three optical technicians and is not only helping people in the Camundongo Mission, but also people from other municipalities and missions.  The technicians have received 300 pairs of glasses and, to date, they have served the needs of 126 persons, using 42 percent of the supplies received.