We’ve endeavored to help Beehive to grow a huge training capacity so that young people in Chilomoni can gain employment skills and vocational qualifications. One of the most successful training enterprises that’s grown over the past ten years is the St John Paul II Leadership and IT Institute (or JP2 for short!) Here’s a short story of how JP2 can set a young person on the path to long-term, life changing employment…
By Caroline Denny- Malawi Volunteer April 2018
For Augustine Mwamadi, the dream has come true and it is the JP2
college that has made it possible. Augustine left school with a good
pass in his Msce, he wanted a career but really had no idea what to do
next. It was a friend who told him about the ICT courses at JP2 and
encouraged Augustine to sign up. So in July 2015 Augustine left home,
moved to Chilomoni and started the ICT 2 year course. Working hard
Augustine discovered he loved IT and particularly enjoyed graphic
design and programming. He learnt how to develop his creativity with
the design but also enjoyed the challenge of programming. The next
step was to find a job but without experience it is difficult. But
Augustine was fortunate to be offered an internship with the marketing
department at Beehive. This happened in April 2017 before the end of
the course and was an ideal opportunity to put the skills he had learnt
into practice in a business environment. June 2017 saw Augustine finish
the course and take up a full time position with Beehive. This involved
redesigning the website and creating a variety of marketing materials
using his new skills. At graduation Augustine was awarded the
Innovator Award for the work he had done so successfully. News had
spread of Augustines abilities and in April 2018 he was headhunted for
a job with Dovetale, a marketing company in Blantyre. ‘ I never
dreamed I would have a job doing something that I so enjoy, ‘It is
Beehive that has made this all possible. Thanks to JP2 for all the skills I
learnt and the opportunities I was given. I am now an award winning
graduate with a job.’
