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.