SAVE A CHILD

Vocational Center

OUR PROGRAMS

The following is a snap shot of the programs that will be in place at the Throne Room Orphanage and Educational Center Vocational training program. The academic program will be based on the Ministry of Education national curriculum and will show that our school will be fully accredited, follows the nation’s standards, and administers the tests required for elementary through high school. The Center will help each child identify possible areas of interest, and assist him/her acquires the necessary skills.

Auto Mechanics

The initial auto course will be introductory/fundamentals of the various auto systems - the brake system, steering system, wheel alignment, etc.  This intermediate course in the curriculum is designed to provide a solid foundation that serves as a base for more advanced study.  Advance courses in be introduced in due course.

TROEC hopes to make live automobiles available during the training to enable the children actually see/touch the various components and systems described during classroom lectures.  That will give them opportunity to demonstrate parts of the automobiles and their functions.

Art and Pottery

There will also be an arts class for those students interested.  The course would include painting/drawing, framing, woodcarving, basket weaving (from rice stalks, reeds and rattan when possible) etc.  The pottery teaches how to make clay pots, vases/planters, bowls, plates, etc.  Glazing, firing, and other more advanced aspects would be introduced.  Sculpture and ceramic making will also be introduced in due course.

Agriculture

The course will entail the basics of agriculture - is the production of food and goods through farming. At this initial stage, the children will be introduced to organic farming.

Counseling

An urgently needed part of the orphanage program is post-traumatic counseling. This is especially true for enrollees taken for the streets and children who were orphaned due to the latest fighting. Many of the children have witnessed the brutal killing of parents, siblings, friends, and relatives. A good number of them have seen active combat and lived in refugee camps. Some have experienced rape and other types of abuse. A certain level of counseling will be offered to the children. Such an effort would entail significant financial resources to pay psychiatrists and psychologists.

Office skills

The classes of Office Skills Training will include Typing and Information Technology.  Computers and electronic typewriters are needed for the practical courses.

Culinary Arts

The first area of emphasis for the culinary arts program is teaching the students about the relationship between food and nutrients, growth and the maintenance of good health.  Using a very practical approach, the course will entail the importance of a balanced diet amongst others. Also the teaching of the business aspect of home economics will be included in the course. 

Beauty School

The initial classes are introduction personal care – basic skin care (mainly cleansing and moisturizing and nail care) and hair care (shampooing and conditioning, overview of necessary products, cutting and styling).  Hair braiding will also be part of the hairdressing course.  As more equipments/materials become available, courses on chemical hair relaxing and hair coloring will be added.   Advanced aspects will be included in due course – e.g. makeup, facials, etc.

Craft and Dress-Making

The crafts and dress-making training course will concentrate on making crafts and clothes.  Selection and care of fabrics will be introduced.  The courses are designed to teach the basic skills necessary to make clothes for men, women, children and decorative items – dressmaking and crafts are a good market for skilled artisanship. Embroidery, weaving, crocheting doilies and knitting will also be introduced.  Products will include high quality batiks making, home linens and décor (pillowcases, doilies, curtains, quilts, table cloths, crocheting, embroidery).

Building construction

The vocational training will include building construction, a field with career possibilities.  The children will learn various aspects of the building industry – masonry, plumbing, electricity, carpentry/woodworking, etc. Sierra Leone presently needs many hands to rebuild/reconstruct it - a country affected by war.