In what aims to be an innovative response to the challenges faced by teenagers and young people from needy and vulnerable families, the ‘Jovens de Sucesso’ Citadel is inaugurated this Thursday by the Minister of Public Administration, Labor and Social Security, Teresa Rodrigues Dias.
The infrastructure, located in the municipality of Lucala, in Cuanza Norte, was developed to offer professional and academic training, providing training in the areas of electricity, agriculture, livestock farming, carpentry and beekeeping.
The center will give priority to orphans, young people at risk, those looking for their first job and adults who want to improve their qualifications.
The curriculum is three years long, and a sixth grade education is required to enroll. According to MAPTSS, the program provides young people with “a complete education that values technical work and modern skills needed for today’s market.”
The Cidadela do Lucala has a training capacity for 240 students, 120 of whom will be on an internship basis, and will offer courses in Agriculture, Low Voltage Electricity, Carpentry, Metalworking, Cutting and Sewing and IT.
The infrastructure consists of three student residences, dormitories with capacity for 120 students, a cafeteria, laundry, medical center and media library.
“With a predominantly young population and an economy that is still developing, Cuanza-Norte lacks opportunities for training, professional and academic qualifications. A large proportion of families in the province depend on subsistence activities, family farming and small informal businesses, which limits the socioeconomic development of the region,” says the ministry.
The infrastructure is a public institution supervised by INEFOP, responsible for providing level I and II courses. It was designed under a Presidential Decree, and the construction costs were financed by the Mitrelli Group. The project was carried out by the company China Jiang Sun and its equipment was provided by FOCUS-Education, and lasted 12 months.
The ‘Lucala Successful Youth’ Citadel will be the eighth in the country, after Cabiri and Kakalala, in Luanda, Sacassangeno (Moxico), Mucari (Malanje), Matala (Huíla), Cangola (Uíge) and Bailundo (Huambo).
Since the Citadels began operating in 2008, 4,108 young people have been trained and 2,971 are in training.
