SECOND REPORT FOR MAPPING OF MARKET TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES IN MALAKAL

SECOND REPORT FOR MAPPING OF TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES IN MALAKAL

DATE: 31/03/2011

TIME: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Our team number one started this mapping research going from Malakal vocational training centre to Hi Sousa extreme to Hai Tarawa and the first building activity we found was just 500 meters from our hostel and this was an extension work of a storey building block. I spotted it additionally to the nine spotted areas and named it (J) Extension building work.

Together with the other team mates, we turned southwards and went downwards heading to the mobile phone aerial at Hai Tarawa market and before reaching at mid-point; I located another new construction of a building and spotted it (K).builder were laying bricks and almost reaching the beam levels.

We went to Hai Tarawa market; but there were no technical activities of our choice; except only we found sheet metal and welding workshops available and these are priority number two in our list.
We decided to change ideas and considered to go to the Malakal main market and on our journey; we found two new construction buildings work going and these buildings are opposite to each other.
One of the site is at the western side of the road coming Hai Tarawa and opposite to the house of the Director of Malakal vocational training centre and I spotted it (L) and the other one (M). these two sites and their walls construction has reached to beams.

We proceeded to the market and at the beginning of the shops; I spotted two material stores; opening to opposite directions and then I spotted the first store (N) which inside the store; I saw timber, cement bags and corrugated iron sheets.
The other store opening to the opposite spotted (O); inside the store were timber, cement bags and iron mohangrey.

Lastly we entered the interior of the market and finally found a carpentry and joinery workshop displaying cupboards, tables, wall robes, desks and other small furniture. I spotted this workshop (P) and we decided to stopped our program of mapping. The time was already 12:30 pm
We as a team came back to the lecture hall premises in Malakal vocational training center to write this report as a documented activity already carried.

REFLECTIONS AND OBSERVATION:

The two spotting exercises conducted vided dated: 28/03/2011 and 31/03/2011 respectively;
These activity spotting of the technical activities in malakal is a preliminary stage geared towards researching the way how craftsman do their professional practice within their industrial areas; whether they learned their skills at the workplaces, considering workplace as learning environments or that provided knowledge in educational institution; as Stephen Billett wrote in his book title: learning in workplace; 'This is most potent when the contributions of the school, college or university-based and workplace based components are complementary'.

The two complementary components are questionable; at later stage to come , but at the current spotting activity; My reflection shall based only on what I have seen and observed, locations where I saw the activity and spotted them, how they shall be approach for introductory and acquaint ency process and how we shall build up link or relationship with the members in involved in those activities.
Reflecting all the above as a professional learner ;
I have the following findings as an observation inputs.
1.I observed that the activities carried out in some of my spotted areas were in small scale; these are very minor productions / furnitures very few seen and for the construction activities sites, small maintenance work are being done and hopefully those sites may not take number of weeks to get completed.
2.The craftsmen technical activities were seasonal; in this point I am meaning that, during the wet seasons in this areas, other technical activities definitely stopped by lack of infrastructures that would get in materials from the near by material areas or abroad.
3.The woodwork activities is very limited and I observed this is because the timbers are being imported to the country from abroad and the cost is very high compared to the other local materials such as sand, gravels, stones and bricks for wall construction which are within the near by states or county; also the metal production is within the country and this metal is not so expensive in comparison to timber.
4.As the craftsmen becomes a professional practitioner; he may need to practice his professional skills to earn his living and sustain his own life and unfortunately his carrier becomes a seasonal activity in the area of his origin. For this reason craftsmen are forced to genesis to areas where he sustain his life and earn money for his living. So this becomes a reason that the vocational training center produces good number of craftsmen but they are forced to move away from the area of origin . Because their work is seasonal and can not afford to sustain family living.
5.I am reflecting my observation and connect it to what shall be doing in the next stage which we shall enter to introductory and acquaint ency stage with our clients and as a matter of facts. In the text book written by Donald A. Schon, Title: The reflective Practitioner telling us ' How professionals think in action'. I may think in action of my research very many informations shall emerge out with reflections and observations.

The question may come out that -'Who is the client in this research study?'
So my reflection here will based on the reason of acquiring the professional practice which in the sense that, this practices is for giving services to our clients and in commercial terms clients are customers and clients are the patients in the therapy professional practice according to the description made the professional practitioners.
Therefore to succeed in the research process it may be necessary to build up the relationship between the professional research practitioner and the client in order to interact freely to get clear points.

My this mapping research program the next stage shall be the introductory and acquaint ency activity because other constructions sites are seasonal or minor maintenance may take only few weeks to finish and as such that the spotting reasons may not get realized if time is wasted in completing spotting in the whole areas of Malakal.

REPORT FOR MAPPING OF MALAKAL MARKET TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES:

COLLEGE OF TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION FOR TEACHERS
UPPER NILE UNIVERSITY/MALAKAL

THEME: REPORT FOR MAPPING TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES AT MALAKAL MARKET

This is a report narrating the activities carried out on 28/03/2011 for spotting the craft/trade activities within the main market area. This stage is address as preliminary mapping to observe and document the types of crafts located in that particular position.

OBJECTIVES:

1/ to observe and spot areas where building and carpentry work are seen
2/ to identify the types of local and industrial materials available in the materials yards around the market
3/ to find out the locations /spotted areas available at the market and later consider priorities

4/ to accomplish mapping study programs in the curriculum designed.

STAGE 1:
OBSERVATION, SPOTTING AND PRIORITIZITION OF MAPPING ACTIVITIES:

I started my foot walk from the MVTC -campus through the western street towards the market, passing by st.Joseph Cathedral and opposite the cathedral; I spotted the first site and named it (A) Building maintenance site where already roofing of the building has reached to the fixing trusses and purlins.

I went by the south Sudan hotel premises and to south Sudan relief and rehabilitation commission office and almost reaching to the market; I turned west direction and followed a street leading to the Nile petroleum fuel station and heading to the police headquarters and opposite side there is the Nimuly fuel station and ahead of the station was the commercial center buildings, the mosgues and at the north-western side is the Malakal teaching hospital. At the eastern side of the hospital main door; I spotted building extension work, masons were busy with bricklaying and has reached to a window level and I spotted it (B) extension of medical pharmacy block.

I went crossing to follow the street towards the east of the teaching hospital and north of the hospital; I spotted a storey building house under construction, but work had stopped; I could not understand why workers are not doing work. I spotted it to be (C) construction of a storey building and it has ended at the level of second upper floor.

I decided to come inside the central park, At western side of the main market mosque where I spotted a material yard and registered it (D) material yard for fine , coarse aggregates and red burnt clay bricks.

I entered the trading central mid-point and located a material shop and inside I saw cement bags and on a truck workers off-loading timbers and corrugated iron sheets, fine aggregates filled on the compound and spotted it to be (E) material shop.

I continued to go to the eastern side of the market and before reaching the street heading to the upper Nile University hostels; I spotted a new storey building under construction; and it has reached to third upper floor level; I spotted it to be (F) new story building with three floors.

I continued going towards the UNICEF office and before crossing the street; I spotted the building site which I remembered it to have been visited sometimes back and where I met the engineer -Lagu .I spotted it (G) new building construction at a basement level.

I crossed the street and went to locate a material yard inside the Friday option market and spotted it (H) material yard for fine, and coarse aggregates and red burnt clay bricks.

Lastly i decided to follow the road leading to the airport through the Kenya commercial bank premises and turned to the west and walk some distance to locate maintenance taking place in the office of the International committee of the Red cross and spotted it as (I) building maintenance in the office of ICRC.

It was almost half one (1:00 pm) where I decided to conclude my mapping and consider to come back to Malakal vocational training center(MVTC) to document what I have observed in this preliminary survey.

I have to prioritized this mapping as A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I strategies for stage one preliminary market mapping and decided continue with the stage two at the later date.This stage two shall be Observation and introductory mapping; where I shall meet the concern personnels working at their sites.

I personally give my thanks to our facilitator for assigning to us the task and also thanking my colleagues with whom we planned together for carrying this assignment.

Our group is comprised of the following members:

1. Samuel Imma Romano (right)
2. Joseph Amule Eliyuda (center)
3. Night Clara John (left)

MAPPING TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES IN MALAKAL

ASSIGNMENT-- RESEARCH PRACTICE

Group 1:1.Samuel Imma Romano
2.Joseph Amule Eliyuda
3.Night Clara John

THEME: Mapping technical activities in Malakal
BACKGROUND:

Mapping technical practical activities in Malakal is designed to survey and locate the craft/trade activities being carried out in the area; finding the capacity of the activities and availability of acquiring the equipment, tools and materials used. The type and size of the facilities and the source of that knowledge and skills practice in the area.
The primary aim and objective for the mapping of this technical practical activities is a research practice. That will enable possible knowledge and skills be achieved during the exercise and also finding out achievements and constraints being encountered.
The targeted craft/trades includes :
1. Building construction
2. Carpentry and joinery and
3. Plumbing and pipe fitting trades for the beginning and the other trades shall be dealt with during the other semesters and these trades comprised of:
1.Metal fabrication and welding
2.Auto-mechanic
3.Machine shop
4.Electrical installation
5.Pottery
6.Material sites

The survey methods shall includes: observation, conversation, listening, questioning, photos, videos and sound recorder when permitted to do so.
This is a research practice carried out by the pioneers of college of technical vocational education for teachers of upper Nile University currently running this program at the premises of Malakal vocational training center.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:
This mapping of technical practical activity in Malakal has a purpose for students to know the research practice. Knowledge and skills of conducting the work and the objectives is to find the following data:
1.Identify technical practical activities in Malakal
2.Locate or map the facilities areas in Malakal
3.Find the types of craft/trade practice in Malakal
4.Find the standard/size of the facility
5.Find the equipment, machines, tools and materials use at the facility
6.Find the sources of the knowledge and skills use by the workers ( in an institution or learning at a workplace)
7.Find out the production rate and wages
8.Technical practice carried in companies, organizations in Malakal

RESEARCH METHODS:
This current research method will be used only at it's primary stage and it is use in the same time to meet the objectives of the mapping:

1.Observation ( visiting the site and observe what is happening on the ground)
2.Conversation ( talk to the manager or staff to get what being done)
3.Oral questions ( ask to find what is unknown)
4.Written documentation ( register what is most difficult to keep in memory for documentation later

RESEARCH TOOLS:
Considering the activities and availability responsive ways of approach to the sites or facility; the following could be necessary to use, either simultaneously or single, depending on the acceptance in the facility.
1.Documentation ( Taking main point from the facility authority or staff)
2.Photos ( taking photos during the conversation and oral interviews)
3.Videos ( taking films to satisfy the reader of the findings)
4.Sound recorder ( for documenting statements extracted from recorded oral interviews)
5.Data log ( for data base)

TIME-FRAME:
9:00 AM – 12:00 NOON

LOCATIONS TARGETED
4 Zones ( north-south-east-west)

DATA ANALYSIS
To come out with clear analysis of what had been uncovered in the exercise and what criteria can be done to improved the skills in the industrial sector and this analysis includes:
1.Findings –
The size of the workshop, building site or organization and its organ-graph

The location where it's situated in malakal -northern zone, southern zone, western zone or eastern zone

The trade title is the craft or type of skills being practice

The knowledge and skills practice is the activities found going during the time of visit

The equipment, tools and materials used and the safety rules and regulations applied

2.Reflection – explain about your passed professional vocational practice that you have done and observed others doing, the success and the constraints experience

3.Data analysis table 1:
Findings – set an analytic format for finding out information in responds, practice and experiences in the skills mentioned:

TRADES: The trades means craft disciplines acquired for examples;-

1. Building construction- in the trades several skills are learned and the skills have different methodology of doing it and also the principles of achieving positive results.

Some of these skills for example are:

Brick production- the site for production of clay bricks need the soil be surveyed to find out the suitable site for this purpose.
The elements suitable in the clay includes silica and alumina when mix in their rquired proportions brings a good quality of bricks.
When alumina is more than 75% of the mix; the brick may wrap and form very many cracks; so more silica need to be added; the proportion of silica should not be less than 25% of the mix.

Bricklaying- this is assembling of bricks to form walls that will independent stand firm on its' own. The knowledge and skills of doing the job needs identification of the types of bonds and the principles of bonding.
The tools used in this process of bonding and the knowledge used in handling the tools to bring accurate walls.
The geometrical concepts of setting the wall design. Taking measurements' reading scales, units etc.
setting openings with use of reveals and jambs methods.

Concreting- functional requirements of concrete, materials used for the concrete, types of concrete, advantages and disadvantages and qualities in concrete, curing.

Plaster work- principles of plaster work; types of plaster, preparation of the background, materials suitable for plaster, advantages and disadvantages.

Pointing – functional requirement of pointing/jointing, types of pointing and jointing, merits of pointing to jointing, materials and preparation of the background.

Drainage – functions of drainage system, design of a system, materials used for the construction, advantages and disadvantages of drainage system in sanitation.

Attitudes of the community towards acquiring the skills:

through observing the community in responding to your skill explanations and encouragement; you will summarized if they have interest or not.
The practice experience:
Those skills mentioned above need daily practice and this comes about when you like doing enough in your professional practice and this is what will develop experience in long run in practice.

Experience always comes when you constantly continue to practice skills that can improve more professional practice

Carpentry and joinery

Bench work:
-Safety rules and regulations
-tools and materials used
- Measuring system
- Designs

Joinery:
- Types of joints and applications
- types of furnitures produced

Types of roofs:
- Gable ends
-Hipped roof
- lean roof
Use of roof

wood seasoning:
Methods of seasoning timbers
-natural seasoning
-artificial seasoning
Advantages and disadvantages

preservation
-Types of preservative
- application
-precautions

Plumbing and pipe fitting:
Plumbing and pipe fitting is a trade that deals with construction of water supply system, drainage system, and disposal to treatment plant:

1/ Waste water system is that pipe line which drains used water from kitchen, showers, laundry and disposed it to the final treatment

2/ Soil water system is that pipe system which conveys the solid waste from toilets, urine from urinal and rainwater from the roofs and the ground water from the pavement to the last disposal treatment (septic tank)

3/ the drainage system is the underground foul water system that conveys liquids by gravity through the reposed gradient. Or the pipe line from the buildings to the point of treatment including the inspection chambers and the manholes

4/ plumbing general means dealing with the supply of water from the source to the clients.
These system includes the vertical and horizontal pipe systems and the system can use water pressure for pumping the water for supply.

4.Data analysis table 2: categorical-form analysis
Questions for builders, carpenters and plumbers to evaluate their responds in professional vocational skills:

1/ Are there needs for attending basic knowledge and skills training?
Why, if there is no needs?
2/ If acceptable, what do you expect to learn from the course?
3/ Are the training centers rewarding in terms of improving or learning basic knowledge and skills?
Have you improve your skills?
4/ Are your products earning huge money?
5/ Should new knowledge and skills be added to improve the current curriculum in the vocational center or improve the quality of the out put in the industrial market?
Which are current skills that need improvement?

6/ Have you transfer what you have learned from the curriculum and put them into practice?

7/ Which knowledge and skill do you want to learn?

8/Do the semi-skill workers have an interest in learning in the formal skill learning centers or consider getting skills in workplaces?
9/Why do you prefer learning in vocational centers than learning in workplace?

Reference:
The analysis of cognitive functioning reflecting capacity built up skills- experiential (Gottschelle- 1994)

Mapping Guide:

Stages:
1/ Mapping identified industrials areas and introduction
Prioritizing the sites for future revisits
2/ Revisiting for observation and conversation
To find exactly the technical abilities and share with them your experience as a professional
3/ Revisiting for finding skills applied and sharing oral questions
For finding necessary points and ideas that will be documented and consolidate links with them for continuous communication

Clearification

TVET/UNU means Technical vocational education for teachers(TVET) in upper Nile university (UNU)
the main objective for posting about Technical Vocational Education for Teachers to readers is to draw their attention to know more about this new college opened in the upper Nile University of southern Sudan; the 54th newly born nation in Africa.

The other aim of publishing this post is to encourage my fellow colleagues to understand that team participation is very important as pioneers of the college. and for;

Our lecturers to impact more knowledge on us as we are the foundation of this college, there is a saying by builders,that, code 'a foundation built on a black cotton must be reinforced to carry the load imposed on the ground'. this means that more effort should be exerted on us because, we are going to carry a very big task in improving the vocational training performances in this young nation.
finally urging again my colleagues to keep closer to the lecturers in order to motivate them to give the lectures freely and abundantly with time not wasted.

My Background:
This paragraph would have come first; but never the less.
I am called Samuel Imma Romano,
A southern Sudanese and Sudanese by nationality, age 54
Instructor in building construction section/ multi-service training center/Juba.
A graduate of vocational training, holder of Diploma in vocational training and apprenticeship course.

Experiences:
After graduation in 1982 may 24
I got employment with Norwegian Church aid as Building foreman on 19/7/1982 and worked in several building construction sites until 1/2/1985 and due to the civil wars, work stopped.

On 14/3/1986, I got another employment with Ministry of labor and public service as an instructor and sent to multi-service training center/Juba, until 28/2/2011
During the period with Multi-service training center, I was seconded to work in several training institutions; such as Lainya vocational training institute, Sudan council of churches, Juba technical senior secondary school and had facilitated a lot of seminars on sanitation and brick production to communities around Juba.

Before my admission to this college, my last responsibility was Training manager in the training center; but still taking my skills as instructor in my section. I am a builder by profession.

Today as a student of this college, I could like to urge the readers to give more comments to enable my studies have a meaningful learning objectives and also by getting more comments, it improves my learning capacity and build up my professional performances for my future activities.
wishing you good time for viewing this post.

SCOPE OF STUDIES

Dear readers,
The scope of studies in the universities areas of learning is expanding to the level that should accommodate the demand of the new nation. This may enable rapid development of the South Sudan.
As pioneers of TVET-UNU in Malakal; We need to do as much as possible and also the success of the college base on us as the foundation of this college.
We urge our facilitators to continue as they started with the presentation and surely things may go in the direction wanted.
My colleagues to embark on team study and forged way forward during the period of studies.
there is a saying 'United we stand and divide We fail'
I may be enthusiastic to receive some comments.