KANU BUILDING; SITE ENGINEER ADDRESSES STUDENTS; TRAINEES RECEIVE CERTIFICATES; DEMONSTRATIONS FOR TRAINEES.




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Background: AFRICAN BUILDING WORKERS HELPING CONSTRUCT NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR THE RULING KANU PARTY IN NAIROBI, KENYA, HAVE BEEN GOING TO SCHOOL AFTER WORK IS FINISHED EACH DAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR JOB. THEY HAVE JUST COMPLETED TRAINING IN THE FIRST-EVER COURSE OF ITS KIND IN KENYA, CONDUCTED BY THREE ISRAELI EXPERTS WORKING ON THE CONSTRUCTION SITE.

MOST OF THE ARTISANS WORKING ON CONSTRUCTIONS IN KENYA ARE REPORTED TO BE ASIANS, AND THE ON-SITE COURSE WAS DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FULLY-TRAINED AFRICANS AVAILABLE FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK.

EACH AFTERNOON, AFTER WORK, THE TRAINEE TRADESMEN SAT DOWN IN FRONT OF A BLACKBOARD AT THE BUILDING SITE AND LEARNED ABOUT BUILDING PLANS, ADVANCED WORK AND CHECKING SYSTEMS, MATERIALS, SAFETY REGULATIONS AND METRIC MEASUREMENT.

THE LECTURES WERE GIVEN BY THREE OFFICIALS OF THE ISRAELI FIRM OF OVERSEAS AND HARBOUR WORKS CO. LTD., WHICH IS CONSTRUCTING THE BUILDING -- THE GENERAL MANAGER MR. YAIR RINKOV, SITE ENGINEER MR. ZEEV BARSEUER, AND GENERAL SUPER-INTENDENT MR. ZVI HEIMLICH.

AT THE COMPLETION OF THEIR COURSE YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) THE TRAINEES WERE PRESENTED WITH CERTIFICATES BY THE PERMANENT SECRETARY TO THE MINISTRY OF WORKS, MR. ROBERT OUKO.

A SECOND COURSE IS EXPECTED TO START ON THE SITE FOR ANOTHER GROUP OF AFRICAN TRAINEES IN A FEW WEEKS.