MEET DEWAINE
“My name is Dewanie Laudat. I am eighteen years old, single and have no children. I live in the village of Coulibistrie, Commonwealth of Dominica. Before attending the SkYE /CALLS training, I attended the Isaiah Thomas Secondary School and graduated in November 2020. “My dream for the future is to have multiple jobs.”
POTENTIAL FOR INVESTMENT
Dewanie applied to attend Dominica State College for further studies but did not meet the requirements. Nevertheless, a lecturer at the College, Mr. Leslie, saw his potential. “Mr. Rawle Leslie told my mom about the UKaid programme at CALLS in Portsmouth.” He helped pave the way for his entry into the training conducted by the Centre where Adolescents Learn to Love and Serve (CALLS).
Dewanie, who is now a recent graduate of the Agriculture and Fish Processing courses travelled 11.5 miles daily to the CALLS training center supported by UKaid. Part of the funding allows trainees to receive a daily stipend to subsidize transportation costs so Dewanie and his classmates could attend regularly.
Dewanie proudly continues his story about attending both components: “During the Agriculture training, I learned how to sow seeds properly, how to thin out seedlings, the parts of the seed, and plants, and the importance of how to prepare the soil before planting. At ‘One Mile’, which is our demonstration plot, we practiced how to hold young plants when transplanting them. I also got some experience of driving the tractor while on internship. During the fishing course, we attended the Fisheries Complex at Bioche, where we learnt about different types of fishing nets and fish pots, and observed the smoke house and some fishermen setting pots in the sea.”
OUTSTANDING INTERNSHIP REPORTS
CALLS trainees at the BIOCHE FISHERIES learning about Fish Pots. (Dewanie extreme right, wearing purple shirt)
Dewanie was excited to have a one-month internship at the Government Chinese Agricultural Mission and later at a private institution called Seedling Plus. He excelled during these internships and only the COVID-19 situation prevented him from being retained and employed permanently.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
When asked about how the training opportunity changed his life, Dewanie remarks, “The difference the course has made in my life is that I have been able to start my own business selling seeds and seedlings. I love agriculture on the whole and my dad is getting some support from me when he is going to his farm. I can keep my own records; do my own labelling; I’ve gotten my food handlers permit. And I know how to serve customers right!”
Dewanie intends that his experiences on the SkYE training programme will help him to grow his business further to expand to fish processing and, later, to become a producer of organic fertilizer.
FACTS
The Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) is a four-year, UKaid funded programme to provide certified skills training for 6,000 disadvantaged young people, including those challenged by disability, in four Eastern Caribbean countries: Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines. The Programme will develop a more productive and inclusive workforce in sectors with good economic growth potential.
SkYE is supporting national training authorities and training providers to make systemic improvements to the development, delivery and quality assurance of technical, vocational education and training (TVET) in the four focus islands through targeted capacity building.
