Vocational Training Centre Principal Appointed
FOCHTA is please to announce the appointment of Austin Kambalame as Principal of the VTC. Austin is a former FOCHTA beneficiary who obtained his degree in B.Sc - Irrigation Engineering from the University of Malawi. Austin is the youngest in a family of eight children. Because of his good grades in primary school, he was selected to study at the selective St Patricks Catholic Secondary School. However, around this time, his mother passed away and his father left the family. He was left almost unable to complete Form 1, until he managed to secure a bursary from FOCHTA. Thereafter, in secondary school, he was always in the top ten of his class. Later, through the help of FOCHTA, he was sponsored for his university education by Australians Lynne Oldfield and John Flint obtaining a degree in Bachelor of Engineer - Irrigation at the Bunda College of Agriculture. He then offered his services to FOCHTA as a volunteer and was later tasked with the role of student liaison officer for a whole year. During this period, FOCHTA was very impressed by his performance and even sponsored his motorbike license lessons.
With the opening of the VTC in November 2015, he had been asked to help in the planning of the running of the Training Centre. The Board of Trustees in February 2016 decided to appoint him to be the Centre’s Principal. His duties include the planning of courses, budget-making, recruitment and supervision of staff and students, addressing to the needs of teachers and students and seeing that the Centre is running smoothly.