Aguipade teaches adults job skills in computers, sewing and key-making, and English language skills.

Aguipade’s computer lab has a network of seven Pentium one class desktops donated as surplus equipment by St. Mary’s Exploration, a Denver-based oil company. This ranks Aguipade’s computer facilities among the tops in Guinea-Bissau. There is considerable demand for computer skills in both English and Portuguese and classes are booked months in advance. Classes are taught in operating systems, word processing, and spreadsheets and bookkeeping.

Aguipade also teaches basic and advanced sewing skills. Citizens are eager to learn marketable skills to create cottage industries. Aguipade teaches Bissau Guineans to make clothes and household items to take to local markets and earn an income. We also are creating a group of skilled seamstresses to attract international clothing companies looking to investment for the international export market.

Electricty in Bissau can be sporadic so power for all of our devices comes from a Honda generator. We will need another generator to expand our computer lab and sewing classes. Currently our vocational classes are scheduled based on the availability of the generator. Sewing and computer classes are alternated since we do not have sufficient electricity from our generator to conduct both simultaneously.