Four months have flown by, and our students have been immersed in classroom training and hands-on activities as part of their skills training. It has been a few exciting months for all of us at the center.
New teachers were onboarded and trained, the curriculum fine-tuned, and the students outfitted with their new uniforms. Students were randomly placed in four different classes with one of our six instructors in charge of each class, and we see each class taking on a personality of its own.
So, what does a typical day at Amisewaka-DLCC look like?
At the start of every morning and the close of the day, students and staff gather in the Wantilan Hall for a short meditation and briefing/debriefing.
They have their moment in the kitchen, where students receive hands-on training learning everything from making sauces to pastries. They also learn how to serve and speak to future clientele. They spend time in the garden learning how to grow seedlings and make compost from kitchen waste, understanding the worm farm, and harvesting everything from pumpkins to purple basil. The social entrepreneur class saw them going on a field trip to the local traditional market to survey what products sell out early and why.
We aim to produce job creators, not just job seekers. Many of them come from families where the parents have a small-scale industry, and we hope their newfound skills can help their families become more successful in their enterprises.
English language classes are slow, most students have never had to use English before, and their high school English base could have been better. Notwithstanding, in the short time since starting classes, they have gained confidence and are busy practicing their English.
They are all enjoying learning the basics of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, one of the first projects they created was their CV— a good start before applying for internships.
And at the end of the day, the sounds of the Segara Madu gamelan ring through the campus, and students learn the complex rhythms of traditional Balinese music and dance; whether they are good at it or not, the aim is to instill pride in their own culture.
Thanks to our staff and their networks, all our students have found placements at 4 and 5-star establishments in the south of Bali. May they do us all proud!