September 2021 Update
Dear Friends,
Flexibility is a primary operating principle that, with or without COVID, VESA is becoming adept in practicing. The trip planned to Liberia in August 2021 was canceled owing to a required COVID test in Monrovia that would have disrupted the work schedule in too impractical a way. It turns out, cancelation was best.
It was decided to use the canceled dates of travel to hold two strategic VESA Summits. One for the VESA Board of Directors, the other for VESA Mentors. Much work was accomplished. Primary within the Directors Summit was the focusing of VESA’s Vision in the next 5-10 years. You will see these updates soon under a future vision page.
Our VESA Mentors, five at present, are those volunteers who direct teacher training on the ground in Africa. Though additional volunteers join with mentors to teach and train Africans, it is the Mentors who define the work to be done. This Mentor Summit provided our team great progress toward building out a Mentor training certification, and developing the mentors as course researchers, teachers, and instructors. The time afforded workshop opportunities for each Mentor to build a curriculum, prepare a lesson and then teach one subject they were not previously familiar with. This mentor workshop not only served to develop our mentors and the VESA andragogy, but it additionally replicated for us what our African counterparts face when they have to develop new courses with restricted research resources. In this way, VESA’s four mentors were limited to using Wikipedia in this exercise to research a subject they had little to no knowledge of in order to create a short course. A great deal was learned including real empathy toward what our African brethren are being asked to undertake.
In the meantime, the Solar Power Station Project for BMI achieved full funding! All praise to our Father who guided resources to flow toward this goal. The Board approved the release of funds to BMI as needed. The planned install will take about two weeks and begin in October. Praise our Creator.
The two BMI Capstone teams continue to work on their projects. Video interviews with teams were provided in August in lieu of VESA’s cancelled trip. Team A or "Muyamaih" (in Vai meaning "We will do it") is working hard to develop a palm kernel processor utilizing the skills they’ve acquired through their vocational training. The second team, Team B or "Kpomann" (in Kpelle meaning "help me") is also developing a palm kernel oil extractor. Both teams are using different approaches to crack the kernel for oil extraction. Each has constructed an impressive prototype. The teams will be evaluated within the bounds of the Capstone Project Challenge when VESA representatives travel to BMI for graduation, likely December or January. The Capstone Project Plaque will then be awarded at that time. It will include the winning team’s picture and a metal plate memorializing the team and team members’ names for all future capstone competitions at the school.
Much work still lay ahead. Please ask yourself if the Lord could use your talents and skills as a Director, Mentor or Volunteer for this work the Lord is doing.
May the Lord bless and keep you,
Bruce