Kelene Blake

Visitors thronged the Lady Hochoy Vocational Centre for its Open House on Tuesday, July 4. Open for inspection were the new kitchen and computer room, and on display was the handiwork of students created using the skills they learn at the Centre.

The new kitchen and computer room were almost three years in the making because of the challenges in raising the funds and getting approval to build.

Many groups, as well as corporate and private citizens donated cash and kind. Among those who assisted were the UK Women’s Club, which made a cash donation, and the American Women’s Club, which donated kitchen appliances.

The Loyola Foundation was responsible for the computer lab, which is located in the room where the cramped kitchen used to be. The Open House was to showcase the results of the generosity shown to the Centre and to thank all who helped.

In the new kitchen, Marsly Williams has a lot more room to teach her classes. The kitchen is the workspace where the students are taught kitchen skills – and also where they prepare peanuts for sale.

Children from the Lady Hochoy Home come to the vocational centre from age 16 to learn many skills so they can be self-sufficient and enter the workforce if possible. The Centre’s activities include classes in woodwork, art and craft, sewing, hairdressing, cake icing, bottle recycling and, now, computer use.

Many of the items produced at the Centre are of high quality and orders can be placed at the Centre for their products or services. For example, the centre produces the wooden trophy bases for Trinidad Trophies Limited.

Computer room

Student in woodwork class

Peanuts are sold to retailers. Orders can be placed for beautifully decorated cakes. Even the hairdressing department takes clients on Wednesday afternoons by appointment.

Money from the sale of peanuts and other items, bottle recycling and the provision of services helps in the maintenance of the centre. But there is concern about a possible bottleneck developing at the Centre.

This is because although the students are trained for life in “the outside world” and are given marketable skills, not many jobs are offered to them. Becoming self-sufficient then is difficult.

Students continue to pour into the Centre, but it takes some time before they move on to a job. Teacher Roland Nicholas says things are looking up in that respect, but they still need more support.

Sr Margarita Chan, the director of the centre, and the staff were gracious hosts for the open house as visitors got a glimpse of the valuable work of the Lady Hochoy Vocational Centre.

Students greeted guests with smiles and friendly “hellos” as they busied themselves in their various classes. Well-wishers were able to see them honing their skills and contributors were filled with pride at what was being achieved.