Sankuru Vocational Training Centre

The Sankuru Vocational Training Centre is located in Kole, in a remote region at the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There is no running water, no electricity grid, and transport infrastructure is extremely limited. Materials and equipment are brought from Kinshasa mainly by river, a journey that can take several months upstream along the Lukenie River.

These conditions led to a design based on locally available resources. Earth is excavated and processed on site to produce the adobe blocks that form the main building material. Imported materials are limited to what is strictly necessary, while construction techniques have been developed to be mastered, maintained and reproduced locally. The project also includes its own infrastructure, particularly for water supply and storage.

The centre will provide training in masonry, carpentry, joinery, plumbing, electrical installation, tailoring and catering. From the outset, the Sinfonia Foundation envisioned the construction of the centre itself as part of the educational process: future masons and carpenters build their own training centre under the guidance of experienced professionals.

The construction site therefore becomes the centre's first place of learning. Skills are transmitted directly through practice, using materials and techniques adapted to the local context. The objective is for this knowledge to be reused and disseminated throughout the region.

Construction is currently underway.

Adobe
Timber construction
Water management
Knowledge transfer