Trades Knowledge a Gift to the Community

While most people were digging out the camping gear and water toys in preparation for summer, Todd Green, was getting ready for a very different adventure.

The SAIT automotive service technician instructor spent his summer vacation teaching, but instead of a state-of-the art automotive workshop, picture an open-air thatched roof structure. And, replace SAIT’s automotive service technology students with a group of seven eager farm workers in Mozambique.

“I heard about this opportunity through a presentation that was given to my students. Rick Cogbill, a writer for Canadian Technician magazine, came and spoke to one of my classes about how to tie trades training into missionary work.”

Mercy Tech Mission

After hearing about the work Cogbill had done in the East African country of Mozambique with Mercy Tech Mission, Green was eager to learn more.

“It made me realize I could really make a difference by sharing the knowledge that I have as an automotive service professional. I do that on a day-to-day basis here at SAIT, but this was the opportunity to do it on a global scale.”

The Mercy Tech Mission is a faith-based non-profit organization that partners skilled professionals from all walks of life with community-based projects, primarily in Third World countries.

Once Green committed to go to Mozambique with the missionary organization, Cogbill and he began to work out the logistics of initiating an automotive services educational program at the ASAM missionary farm where they would stay for four weeks.

Hungry for Knowledge

Green made the 20 hour plane trip to Mozambique on July 28, taking with him a laptop and some key tools he knew he would need. Once the jetlag had dissipated, he began classes with his new students. The classes were conducted through an interpreter since Portuguese is the main language spoken in the country. They began each day with three hours of theory and spent the rest of the day doing hands-on training.

“Basically, in the afternoons we took a look at the farm equipment that was broken and taught them ways to fix and maintain the equipment.”

Green says one of his first big wins was getting a three-ton truck to start.

“During the first few days I was there I saw about 30 farm workers surround the truck that goes into town each morning. They were push starting it – and they had to do this every day. So, I knew exactly where our lessons were going to start! I’m happy to say we got the truck up and running so that it would start with the turn of the key. It was all about sharing automotive knowledge with them so that they can eventually fix these vehicles themselves, and perhaps even go out and make a living as a mechanic.”

Green taught his students automotive maintenance every day for four weeks. He says it was rewarding to see how eager they were to learn.

“Initially they were a bit quiet in our lessons, but once we got going I could see they were motivated to learn and were hungry for the knowledge we were providing them.”

Working with the students and seeing their progress was the highlight of Green’s trip.

“I shared my automotive knowledge with the students, but they changed me for the better too. I came back a different person with more of a global perspective.”

A Gift to Share with the Global Community

This new outlook will serve Green as he resumes his teaching role at SAIT.

“I’ll be able to share the experiences I had in Mozambique with my current students in the automotive services program. We can talk about examples of resourcefulness and the importance of preventative maintenance when it comes to older vehicles. But, what I especially would like to get across to my SAIT students is that our knowledge in trades is a gift that we can share with the global community.”

Green says he hopes other automotive service professionals, or trades professionals in general, will continue to go to Mozambique to give back and work with the students. He has plans to go back in a couple years time.