(ANS – Henderson) – The students of Machinist Fitting & Maintenance (MFM) of the Don Bosco Technical Institute (DBTI), as part of their term project, made drum ovens for the families that were staying in the School's multi-purpose Hall for three weeks in April as a result of the floods.

On Thursday, 15th May, they distributed 6 ovens to the Ngalibiu families. During the weekend they distributed them to other families of Foxwood (12 families), Popoliu (2 families) and Tumorora (3 families). These free gifts to the affected families were made possible through the generous support of the Salesian Missions - Australia. 

Mr. Luke Houpere, MFM instructor and Deputy Principal was very pleased when he said “after only 3 months in school, two students could make an oven using two and half drums, within 3 weeks. They had picked up well the safety measures as well as skills in welding, cutting, grinding, polishing and painting”.

Willie Laumanu, one of the proud students said, “while learning, we could make something useful for a needy family. I feel very happy”. Other students were engaged in preparing other gifts of tables, chairs, garden diggers and open fire potholders.

The gifts were distributed on 17 May to the families in the Foxwood area where most of the refuges come from. A delegation from the community had been told to come to the Church of the Good Shepherd on Red Beach where the gifts would be delivered.

They couldn't believe that the students could prepare such good quality tables, chairs and other household items.

The representative from the family had a choice of an oven drum or the choice of four  items, which would make up the cost of an oven drum: a table, a chair, a fire burner and a garden digger. The consultations among themselves, mostly in local dialect, were arguments about the usefulness of each item for the family.

The Carpentry students were very competent in their project of making tables and chairs. The Automotive students had a lot of practice in welding as they made oven after oven from used drums. The 'garden digger' was something innovative: a sharpened flat plate of metal welded on a 4" round hollow pipe, which was the creation of Mr. George Oge, a graduate of DBTI, now the supervisor of the maintenance department of the school.

DBTI is grateful for the learning experience for the students who put in their heart and soul to speed up their projects, working many extra hours, even on weekends.  "Our sacrifice and hard work, can bring comfort to those who suffered much during the flooding", said one of the students who witnessed the smiles of those who collected their gifts.  Another student put it this way, "I wish all my classmates were here to see how much joy our work brought to so many families".

Published 21/05/2014