Beni, 18 January 2011 – The Vocational Training Centre of Beni re-opened its doors on 18 January during a ceremony that took place in the presence of several local administrative officials and representatives of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO).

Located in the Nepalese battalion camp, the Centre provides nine-month training sessions to individuals comprising all levels of education. Students are divided between two classrooms recently rehabilitated by MONUSCO troops.

The vocational training centre was inaugurated by an Indian battalion in 2007, and has since been maintained by the successive MONUSCO battalions deployed in the area. Its main objective is to provide training to demobilized elements of the armed groups, widows, orphans, displaced people, as well as other underprivileged members of the population of Beni.
Since its establishment, the Centre has trained numerous young men and women in areas such as carpentry, masonry, sewing, but also in subjects like English and Information Technology (IT). The current training session is likely to receive some 150 persons to be divided between English and IT classes, alternating on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Speaking on behalf of his peers, a student representative expressed his gratitude to MONUSCO and to the Nepalese battalion for their support over the years. Using an old saying, he declared: "Give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. But, teach him how to fish, and he will never go hungry."

Just before the symbolic cutting of the ribbon, Brigadier General Chandi Prasad Mohanty, MONUSCO North Kivu Brigade commander, said he was very pleased about the opportunity for the Congolese youth to acquire new skills through this modest contribution.

A number of local administrative authorities as well as MONUSCO's military and civilian officials attended the ceremony, including the Commander of the 14th Nepalese battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Jitendra Jung Karki, the Commander of North Kivu Brigade, the Mayor of Beni, the chiefs of Mulekera and Ruwenzori communes, the Head of MONUSCO Office in North Kivu, and several chiefs of sections of the Mission.

Moussa Demba DIALLO/MONUSCO