STEM is all about creativity, exploration, experience, skills, analysis, decision-making, motivation, inspiration, flexibility, curiosity, teamwork, communication, sustainability and being ready to respond to real world challenges. In Angola, such challenges include water pollution, food production, recycling, and renewable energy, all of which are tackled through the STEM programme of activities, field trips and experiments. One of the biggest challenges in STEM teaching is helping pupils grasp basic concepts, whether in mathematics or science, which is where practical sessions are essential.

ADPP Angola’s STEM project is making great progress. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education and INFQE (National Institute for Teacher Training) and with funding from Esso Block 15, the project aims to improve the quality of STEM teachng in schools. Quality lessons are ensured through theoretical and practical  training of in-service and pre-service teachers, STEM teaching manuals, and the provision of science kits including microscopes.

Teacher Training Schools Mutu Ya Kevela, ADPP Luanda, Marconi and Dom Bosco, ADPP Polytechnics Zango and Ramiro, and around 30 mostly primary but also lower secondary schools in Luanda are participating. Despite the disruption to education caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, training and lessons continued during the revised academic year 2020-2021, and have got off to an excellent start at the beginning of the new school year this September. 

The development of experiments or practical lessons requiring easily acquired materials, as in the lessons on the volume of irregular shpares at school 3052.

At School 3117, Grade 6 pupils learned about the importance of clean drinking water and conducted experiments in water purification

6th Grade pupils at School 3117 played an active role in learning about numbers and operations.

School 2031 students got to grips with the study of electricity in their physics lesson by creating circuits.

During September, 5th Grade pupils at School 3048 had a wide selection of materials to work with when they were studying geometry,

Students at school 3117 working with numbers and operations

With limited access to vocational training, money to earn and families to take care of, it can be difficult for young women to become entrepreneurs. The past couple of years have been particularly challenging due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Women in Action” projects aim to help women create their own small sewing business and, importantly, the projects provide extended support to help women succeed.  Currently operating in Cabinda, Luanda and Benguela, the projects provide 6 months of skills training, followed by an incubation period. During incubation, women can access sewing machines to help them start production and save for their own machine. They get help to open a bank account and gain a sales licence. Joint marketing initiatives are organized, and sometimes women just need moral support. 

In August, we caught up with some graduates from the courses to hear about their business plans. 

Watch the video here

Women in Action

We are aware that in addition to the exercise of our profession as teachers, our presence has a double effect, as we are still far from seeing gender issues being overcome, we work in a mostly male environment and we can feel it daily, either through our students, or through teachers. We can say that in our province and in our country there is still a long way to go towards gender equality.

As group teachers, we approach the issue of gender in a transversal way, that is, guiding our students both in school and after school work, as well as in carrying out actions directly directed at girls, considering the guidelines of the school program.

We feel that many of our students do not have enough information to make good decisions about sexual and reproductive health, in this regard we have addressed different topics such as: sexuality, culture and gender, dating, menstruation, fertile period and safe sex, self-esteem, ITSs, drug use and consumption among women, among others. In addition to the topics covered, we support our students in the distribution of tasks which were previously typical female tasks. Today it is possible to see our male students perform the same tasks, as well as girls performing typical male tasks.

Our presence in the daily work at school has also contributed a lot, we know that our work has taken the discussion about gender outside our school gate, either in our school practice, or in the primary schools of our province through our trainees. For us it is very important to take and address the gender issue in all schools, especially that the debate continues in the communities because we think it is very important to take the issue far beyond school walls to deal with families and the whole community, unveiling taboos and clarifying positions and constructions of misconceptions. It is in this way that we, through the contribution of our partner BP, approach gender across the board through the training of teachers at the ADPP Teaching School, Benguela.

Women supporting women: A Girl from Kasseque is Today a School Director
My name is Emília Siyovoca Moco, I am 32 years old, and I was born in Bairro do Kasseque in the municipality of Benguela. I am the second daughter of 13 children. I did my professional training at intermediate level at Teacher Training School ADPP Benguela, previously known as ADPP School of the Teachers of the Future, Benguela.
When I finished lower secondary school, I stopped studying because I couldn't get a place in any school in the municipality of Benguela to attend 10th Grade. This period of my life was particularly difficult for me. That year, as I couldn't get a place at school, I decided to look for a job. I talked to my friend and got a job as a housekeeper, where I worked for 9 months. With what little I was earning, I was able to help cover my family's food expenses. The following year, still eager to get a place to continue studying, I heard about ADPP. The next day, as I really wanted to study, I decided to look for the school. I walked about 10 km on foot until I reached it, and I was given a pamphlet with all the necessary information on teacher training. I went home and told my father about the course and, as he has always supported my education, it was not difficult to convince him of my decision. I completed 9th and 10th Grade in what is considered annex classes, after which I had access to teacher training. I really wanted to be a teacher, so fulfilling this wish for me was a victory.
In my final year of training, which involves long-term teaching practice, the school board proposed that I undertake teaching practice at the very school where I was studying. They had been impressed by my performance during 1st and 2nd Year. I accepted and the year went very well, ending in exams and graduation. I then participated in the public tender for teachers in Benguela, was awarded a teaching job and started working as a rural teacher in Balambi village, in Monte Belo Commune in the municipality of Bocoio. Two and a half years later, I received a visit from the TTS ADPP Benguela school board, praising the work I was doing as a primary teacher, and proposing a position at TTS ADPP Benguela as a 1st Year core group teacher, which would involve travelling with the students during their three-month study trip. I accepted the challenge and transferred to TTS ADPP Benguela, where I worked as a teacher for four years. I traveled by bus with the students to neighboring countries: Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. And then I received another offer from ADPP, this time to become director of ADPP Polytechnic (EPP) Benguela, which is where I am currently working.
My professional life was greatly influenced by many women at ADPP Angola, all of whom in different areas and different positions. They are without doubt the reason for me being the strong and determined woman that I became. Difficulties encountered on the way helped me to face life from a different perspective. That is why I am a woman who supports other women because we need each other to build a better country and a better world, where women and men move forward together.

Eu, Adelaide Pedro Armando Fernandes, sou estudante da Escola Polivalente e Profissional da ADPP Zango desde 2018. Estou no Curso de Assistente de Energia, um curso com pouca aderência de estudantes do género feminino.
Confesso que no princípio foi difícil me adaptar como estudante do Curso de Assistente de Energia, mais quando transitei para 8ªClasse, em 2019 comecei a despertar gosto nas actividades práticas que fui aprendendo ao longo das caminhadas. Hoje, eu já faço instalações internas e externas, sei resolver um corte circuito, graças ao apoio que recebo da escola. Hoje sou uma estudante finalista da 9ªClasse. Me sinto segura a dar continuidade do curso de eletricidade do ensino médio até ao ensino superior.
Projecto Fogareiros Melhorados, depois do surgimento da pandemia que está abalar o mundo todo, é bem verdade que as escolas ficaram paradas cerca de seis meses sem funcionar por causa das medidas de contenção do Covid-19. Quando recomeçamos o ano lectivo no mês de Outubro, encontramos um projecto de soldadura na escola. O Professor Oliveira e o Director Wanda introduziram o Projecto Fogareiros Melhorados dentro do sistema de ensino da Escola Polivalente e Profissional, para dar suporte a disciplina de Serralharia, onde eu pessoalmente aceitei levar outro desafio no meu processo de ensino e aprendizagem. 32 colegas do meu colectivo e minha turma, todos eles do género masculino iniciaram com fogareiros melhorados. Eu não aderi no início embora tendo dentro do programa curricular a disciplina de serralharia. Por causa do medo da rebarbadeira, das fagulhas e com medo de se queimar.
Com apoio dos professores comecei a frequentar as aulas teóricas e práticas. No meu primeiro dia, esteve a praticar como trabalhar com a rebarbadeira, eu quase deitava no chão porque aquilo estava a me faz tremer todo corpo e tinha muito medo de me cortar! Através das aulas persistentes e forte apoio dia pós dia, o medo foi acabando e hoje eu realizo cortes em vários tubos e chapas sem medo de me cortar, porque durante as aulas teóricas nós aprendemos técnicas de evitar acidente e sobre segurança no trabalho.
Quanto ao processo de soldadura, também o desafio foi maior, não sabia soldar. Eu tinha muito medo das faíscas da soldadura, graças ao Projecto Fogareiro Melhorados, eu hoje consigo soldar, embora o processo da soldadura requer mais paciência e bastante tempo para atingir o nível estável no que toca a qualidade de soldadura.
Por tanto, hoje eu Adelaide Fernandes, consigo realizar cortes e soldar graças o apoio moral que recebo todos os dias por parte da direcção da ADPP EPP Zango e a ideia é de aperfeiçoar mais e tornar-me uma profissional para servir na minha província.