Feature: Chinese-funded vocational school trains skillful youth in Anogla

National anthems of Angola and China echoed on Friday in the multi-function hall of the Chinese-funded Centiennial Vocational School at Kilamba Kiaxi in southern Luanda, which for the first time recruited female Angolan students to study hotel management for the new school year since the school was established 12 months ago.

"I am so glad and honored to get a chance to study at the school, " said Rosa Vitorino Biombo, a 17-year-old girl from Luanda who joined 15 other Angolan girls to study hotel management, adding" we pledge to treasure this opportunity and cooperate the school to learn what is good for our town and the nation, we know the school helps children from the most disadvantaged and needy families, helping us to become professionals to enter the market for skilled labor".

At the opening ceremony, Rosa joined other girls and 52 Angolan freshmen in singing the English song "you raise me up" and performing folk dances to celebrate their first day at the school. The boys would study at the electrical and mechanical engineering departments of the school.

The day also marks the graduation day for another 51 Angolan students who finished their one-year study at the electrical and mechanical engineering departments, the most needed skills in the post-war reconstruction process which began in earnest in 2002 when decades of wars ended in the African country.

All the 61 graduates have signed work contracts upon graduation with companies operating in Luanda, including Citic construction, said Vice Director of the school Han Fei.

The school was located at Kilamba Kiaxi, a new satellites town of Luanda which was constructed by China's Citic Construction company with an investment of 3.5 billion U.S. dollars from the Angolan government as part of its nation-wide social housing program.

The school was the first Chinese-funded vocational school in Angola and provided free employment training and boarding for youths from the age of 16 to 24 from the most disadvantaged Angolan families, and all fees and accommodation were solely sponsored by Citic Construction.

The school was also supported by the Angolan and Chinese governments and was inaugurated on May 8, 2014 by Angolan Vice President Manuel Domingos Vicente and visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, said Mayor of Kilamba Kiaxi Joaquim Israel Marques.

The mayor thanked the school and its sponsor Citic Construction for providing vocational training to Angolan youths, particularly enrolling Angolan girls, to improve the quality of the labor force of his town and help to bring down unemployment rate in the country.

The official said he hoped the school would continue to introduce best Chinese teachers and skills into Angola as part of personnel exchanges to promote bilateral friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Liu Guigen, General Manager for Africa of Citic Construction, said his company entered the Angolan market in the year 2006 and currently, apart from the Kilamba Kiaxi project, was actively involved in the post-war reconstruction process of Angola, and was building thousands of houses and basic infrastructures in other provinces under the Angolan social housing program.

"We will continue to sponsor the Centiennial Vocational School in Luandal", said Liu Guigen, "It's part of our efforts to share growth and development dividends with the Angolan people and to pay back to the Angola society". Endit