Mavis “Ms Emily” Munnings, is a 62-year-old resident of Savannah Sound. She is currently a carpentry trainee at the Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI). She moved to Eleuthera in 2001 and from 2005 developed her craft as a local straw artisan on Eleuthera. Last year she attended a BTVI and One Eleuthera Foundation sponsored event and after her experience there, she decided to enroll into the CTI program.When asked if she enjoyed learning carpentry at CTI Ms Emily stated, “Very Much! When I started, I worked with a young man, Mr Gary Delancy, and I have since built bed frames, bedheads and desks on the premises of CTI.”
Ms Emily’s motivation for signing up to CTI has been based on her passion to continue to learn and grow. It is a true testament that you can learn new skills at any age. She shares that she has always been open to learning new things and she first found out about CTI, through a workshop put on by the One Eleuthera Foundation. It wasnt long before she decided to take it to the next level and sign up for CTI.
CTI has changed her thoughts in many ways. Ms Emily has always had goals of opening a small resort on the island. She shared that her plans are still there and being at CTI she feels that she is better able to understand what would be required and is better equipped to accomplish this goal in the future. Ms Emily described her experience at CTI as an eye opener. She went on to say “I am now more aware of the needs of a lot of persons on Eleuthera and have gotten to know a lot more about the younger generation on Eleuthera.”
She was very proud to share that through the computer literacy classes at CTI she has learnt how to use the computer. “Before CTI, I couldn’t even turn on a computer. I am now able to turn it on myself and have learnt keyboarding.” CTI is more than just skills training. CTI trainees also improve their basic math and english skills through literacy and numeracy classes, which is hugely important for any persons life. Ms Emily shared, ” The numeracy and literacy programs are helping to improve my way of thinking about things. Its opened my mind to things like the BGCSE exams as well as education generally.”
Ms Emily described just how rewarding an experience CTI has been for her thus far. “Through CTI I have been able to meet different types of people and most of all can say I’m building things myself in carpentry.” She is grateful for the experience at CTI and it has opened her mind to a new way of thinking. Through CTI, all trainees were also able to complete a certification course in the Ministry of Tourism’s BahamaHost Program. “For me the BahamaHost course was a truly amazing experience as well.”
When asked what she wanted to share with anyone who doesn’t know what CTI is, in her words, “CTI is a wonderful program. It is something that Eleuthera really needs and is really good that One Eleuthera Foundation has done a program like this. It provides persons on Eleuthera with a second chance. It is a good opportunity. CTI does not leave anybody out, they don’t discriminate and is a good program for those who are good with their hands and for those we are not as academic it gives them an opportunity to still strive in life.
To find out more about CTI and how you can get involved check out CTI’s facebook page: www.facebook.com/CTIEleuthera as well as www.facebook.com/oneeleuthera