On August 31, 2024, the two-year motorcycle mechanics course organized by Garage Italia in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, will officially conclude. This project, over the past two years, has demonstrated how training can become a true engine of social change.

With the new course starting on October 1, 2024, new young people will have the opportunity to embark on a journey that not only teaches a profession but also shapes the individual as a whole.

During these two years, Garage Italia has offered its participants much more than just a mechanics course; the training has been diverse, covering various disciplines from mechanics and bodywork to IT, literacy, and even art.

Thanks to the multidisciplinary approach and the daily dedication of our local staff, the young participants have not only acquired professional skills but also learned essential life lessons. Garage Italia has become for them a true school of life.

One of the keys to the project’s success has been the extraordinary team that has worked tirelessly to support the participants.

In the photo accompanying this article, we can see some of the pillars that made all of this possible: Bruna Montorsi, affectionately nicknamed "the indomitable" for her inexhaustible energy, Zoungrana Béatrice, the literacy teacher, Simpore Rachida, daughter of Marie, our Distance Sponsorship program coordinator, and Achille Kafando, an external collaborator who brought his valuable contribution to the project.

Each of them played an essential role in providing not only technical skills but also emotional and moral support to the participants. Thanks to this team, Garage Italia has become a safe haven where young people could grow not only as future mechanics but also as conscious citizens capable of contributing to their community.

Now, with the upcoming course on the horizon, we are ready to write a new chapter in this project, welcoming a new generation of students and continuing to offer them concrete opportunities for a better future.

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Another two-year training period at Garage Italia concluded on August 31, 2024.

Ten out of twelve students successfully completed the second year of training. Unfortunately, during the 2023-2024 year, two students who had completed the first year dropped out due to serious financial difficulties. Both were withdrawn at different times by their host families, who encouraged them to seek precarious jobs to contribute to their household income.

The two students who joined in October 2023 followed the training consistently and will return in October for the second year.

Biennium Report

The course concluded with a small celebration, giving us the opportunity to reflect on the two-year period.

Thanks to the daily presence of an educator, we were able to continuously monitor various aspects of the school’s life:

- the students’ technical and professional progress;

- their dedication and commitment to their work and all proposed activities;

- their individual and group sense of responsibility;

- interpersonal relationships between peers, towards teachers, and clients.

The bi-weekly presence of a psychologist, who also coordinates the staff, allowed us to manage the many relational, psycho-social, and family issues the students face. These students come from extremely challenging backgrounds: street children who survive through makeshift means, without any social protection, often with little or no schooling; IDPs (internally displaced persons), uprooted by terrorism; and children from Pissy Quarry, also known as the "hole of hell," an enormous slate quarry where mainly women and children work in appalling conditions.

In this context, we consider it a great success that the vast majority of students completed the two-year program. This success is also due to the numerous social inquiries conducted by the educator and psychologist to address the various family and social challenges.

Intern S., who stayed at Garage Italia for four years, will be replaced by a student (Y.) who successfully completed the two-year program. Y. is a displaced youth from a northern village who has shown great professional and interpersonal skills as well as responsibility in his work. He will remain at Garage Italia as an intern and assist the head mechanic.

The activities offered at Garage Italia (motorcycle mechanics, bodywork, IT, literacy, and art) provide not only professional opportunities but also cultural enrichment, fostering greater social integration.

The students who completed the program have already contacted various mechanics or body shops to begin their internship year and will continue to be supported by both the educator and the psychologist.

We believe that offering breakfast and lunch daily at Garage Italia serves as an important incentive for consistent attendance and has contributed to the project’s success.

Future Prospects

We are currently recruiting new students, who will begin the course on September 1, 2024.

We plan to maintain the existing training sectors with their respective trainers: the head mechanic, who provides daily training in motorcycle mechanics and bodywork (welding and painting), will be supported by an intern; a literacy teacher (two days a week); an IT specialist (one day a week); an art teacher (one day a week); an educator (daily presence); and a psychologist/coordinator (two days a week).

We aim to continue offering breakfast and lunch to the students, another significant incentive for regular attendance.

In addition to the current training programs, we plan to introduce a new sector: given the growing development of photovoltaic installations, we want to integrate a training program in the installation and maintenance of solar panels, as well as the construction of metal supports for the panels, which are in high demand. This will require specific training, which means additional financial resources for the trainer and the necessary materials. We are relying heavily on the generosity of our sponsors to continue this important project and to modernize our training offerings, adding further job opportunities and future prospects for our students.