Mercy Tech Mission 2012 – Mozambique for April & May

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Rick Cogbill

This year Mercy Tech Mission is once again returning to Mozambique to continue the work they have started there, as well as initiate a brand new endeavor.

Mercy Tech Mission Training

Rick teaching auto mechanics 101

Automotive Training: Rick Cogbill will return to the SAM Ministries mission base (ASAM) for the months of April and May to continue the automotive training program begun in 2011 by the previous team. Contributions to this trip can be made through the Mozambique Vocational Training Initiative.

Mercy Tech Repair Pit

Repair pit for new Maintenance Shop

Proposed Maintenance Shop - Mozambique

Maintenance Shop Project: Work will also continue on the new Maintenance Shop. With the foundations already poured and the repair pit now built, Rick’s goal will be to pour the concrete floor and start building the block walls.

Donations for this major project can be made here.

Mercy Tech Wood Lathe project

John demonstrating some wood turning techniques

*NEW* Wood Lathe Project: Joining Rick for the month of May will be John Topham, a master woodcrafter from Summerland, BC who has arranged for the donation and shipment of a top quality woodturning lathe to the ASAM farm.

During his stay, John will be teaching his students how to safely operate and maintain a wood lathe, so that they can create wooden bowls, toys, and small furniture for local use as well as for sale.

We are thrilled to have John joining us, and the new skills that he will bring to the young men in Mozambique will be life-changing. Thanks also to the Summerland Rotary Club for helping this become a reality.

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Another successful trip to Africa…

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Rick Cogbill

Todd Green teaching 1st year students in Mozambique

The August 2011 trip to the ASAM mission base in Mozambique went very well. In four weeks we were able to start our automotive training program, where Todd Green’s amazing teaching skills made the morning classroom sessions a great success. The afternoon hands-on sessions benefited from Ed Hyslip’s (as well as Todd’s) many years of experience in the automotive trade.

Mozambique Brake & Muffler!

A big note of thanks to Tim Spurlock of CDX Automotive for donating some amazing teaching materials that made our teaching sessions are real success. As well, Toshiba Canada donated a laptop computer that not only worked great for the teaching sessions while we were there, but was left behind so that the students can continue learning on their own.

Motor Manuals library

Also thanks to John Lypen, Editor of Motor Magazine who arranged the donation of a Motor Manuals library that we could leave onsite.

And the funds donated by many, many personal supporters allowed us to purchase some quality hand tools in South Africa and use them in the training course. These tools were also left onsite and will be part of the new maintenance shop, once it is completed.

Roughing out the repair pit

Speaking of the shop, I was able to concentrate my efforts on moving the maintenance shop project forward. The foundations had been dug and poured, but the slab for the main floor was on hold because the infloor repair pit had yet to be built.

Shaping the pit by hand

So after I roughed out the repair pit hole with the backhoe (and dug the drainage ditches and dry well), the workers took over and shaped the pit, installed the drain, poured the floor, and began building up the pit walls. With that project now complete, work can move ahead on the rest of the building.

Peter building the repair pit walls

Now that we are home it’s time to continue raising funds to complete the maintenance shop, as well as recuit more volunteers for our next trip out to Africa. Our goals are to continue the training program with a few experienced mechanics or automotive trainers, and to continue working on the various building projects, including the maintenance shop.

Students from the first ever automotive training class on the ASAM farm

If you would like to be involved in the ongoing work of Mercy Tech Mission, either as a volunteer or a financial supporter, then please contact me at rick@mercytechmission.com. There are many opportunities for individuals as well as businesses and organizations to become involved in taking skills training to Africa. Your help does make a difference!

And now I’d like to share a short video that summarizes our August experience. Enjoy!

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Mercy Tech Team for August 2011

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Rick Cogbill

It seems like we’re barely back home and yet here we are planning our next trip. As previously mentioned, Mercy Tech Mission will be returning to Mozambique to initiate the start-up phase of an Automotive Apprenticeship Program based at the ASAM farm.

The Maintenance Facility construction has begun, although additional funds are still needed to complete the building, as well as fit it with the necessary tools and equipment.

The Mercy Tech team travelling to Mozambique this August is as follows:

Mission Director Rick Cogbill

Automotive Instructor and Journalist Todd Green

Former technician and shop manager Ed Hyslip

Special Note: For those in the Okanagan area, Rick Cogbill and Bob Denesiuk will be speaking at Summerland Baptist church at 7:15pm, Sunday evening May 15th. They will give an update on the work of MTM, and show slides and video of their recent trip to Mozambique. Everyone is welcome.
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For your viewing pleasure…

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Rick Cogbill

We now have some videos up on YouTube that will help illustrate the work of Mercy Tech Mission and its volunteers. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so sit back and enjoy.

Check out the photo gallery of our trips to Africa.

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Back home in Canada

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Rick Cogbill

Rick Cogbill & Bob Denesiuk arriving in Seattle Airport

Mercy Tech Mission has just successfully completed its initial trip to Mozambique, and after more than 30 hours of flying in airplanes both large and small, Rick Cogbill and Bob Denesiuk are now safely back home with their families. Although we count the mission as a success in terms of what we hoped to accomplish in the short time that we had, there is obviously much more that remains to be done at this site. (You can visit our Travel Blog to catch up on the details of our trip)

To that end, Mission Director Rick Cogbill is planning a return trip to the ASAM farm in Mozambique in August of this year. Along with Automotive Trades Instructor Todd Green (and possibly others), Rick will be overseeing the beginning of an official trades training program, geared at providing mechanic’s training for local men in this area. Work is presently underway to develop curriculum that will be relevant and meaningful to the people of Mozambique.

Foundation for Maintenance Shop - ASAM farm, Mozambique

It is also our hope that in the intervening months, work can also continue on the Automotive Maintenance Shop at the ASAM farm. The foundations have been dug, but work can only continue if funds come in for building materials and wages for the local labour. It is estimated that $30,000 is needed to complete the main structure of this 14 x 16 metre building, capable of handling up to six vehicles at one time. (See more details here)

If you would like to contribute to this important project that will enable us to provide much-needed skills training in Mozambique, then please visit our Donations Page. There you will find links to SAM Ministries, who are partnering with Mercy Tech Mission to issue tax deductible receipts for this project.

Funds are also needed for the ongoing travel costs (such as the upcoming August Trip), and donations can be made by following this link to the Mozambique Vocational Trades Training Initiative. 

Mercy Tech Mission welcomes individual support and involvement, as well as that from service clubs and other charitable organizations. It is also our goal to create interest in the trades industries, be it building, automotive, or otherwise to take part in something that can change our world.

Here is a unique opportunity for service companies and corporate sponsors alike to assist in providing skills training for those who don’t have the advantages that we enjoy here in North America. It’s a way to give back for all the help that we’ve received over our lifetimes, training that has enabled us not only to pursue a career that we enjoy, but to support ourselves and our families as well. In many parts of the world, these opportunities just don’t exist.

Please consider how you can make a difference in someone’s life. Mercy Tech Mission – Skills With a Purpose.

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On the ground in Mozambique

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Rick Cogbill

Mission Director Rick Cogbill and volunteer Bob Denesiuk are currently in Mozambique working at the ASAM farm near Chimoio, and will be working there until the end of March. Among other carpentry jobs, Bob is working on constructing the trusses for a training centre that is nearing completion.

Training Centre, ASAM Farm Mozambique

Bob Denesiuk studying truss plans

Rick has been diagnosing some ailing vehicles for the mission, as well as working on setting up an automotive repair training program, something we hope to begin in a follow-up visit in August of 2011. Towards that end, work has already begun on the new Maintenance Shop which Rick has designed for the mission. Some initial funds have come in for this project, so the ground clearing has begun in anticipation of more people and organizations partnering with us, so that this important facility can be completed.

Rick Cogbill standing at the corner peg of the proposed maintenance shop

The proposed budget for this 6-bay shop is only $25,000. If you would like to be a part of this important project that will help bring skills training to the people of Mozambique, then please check out the links to SAM Ministries on our Donations page, and designate your tax-deductible gift as for the Mozambique Maintenance and Training Facility. 

Mercy Tech Mission – Skills with a Purpose

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Mercy Tech Mission – Maiden Voyage

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Rick Cogbill

We received exciting news this morning that SAM Ministries has officially adopted two important initiatives that Mercy Tech Mission will be involved in. Rick Cogbill, Executive Director of Mercy Tech Mission, and Bob Denesiuk, a local building contractor from Summerland are already scheduled to leave on a 5-week trip to Mozambique to work on these initiatives, so the timing couldn’t be better.

The first is called Mozambique Vocational Skills Training Initiative, which will cover traveling expenses for those travelling out with Mercy Tech Mission to enable construction and vocational training at the ASAM farm in Mozambique.

The second is the Mozambique Maintenance and Training Center. The goal of the project is to “assist in the construction of a maintenance workshop which will facilitate the training of our sponsored children in mechanical skills as well as serve the mission in the maintenance of its vehicles.” A visualization of the Maintenance Workshop can be seen in this earlier post.

Those who would like to contibute to these projects can do so by visiting the SAMM Donations page. Cheques can either be mailed to the address below, or you can use the convenient Donations Button on the donation page. Just locate the project that you’d like to contribute to on the drop-down menu provided.

Receipts for tax purposes will be issued either by SAM Ministries or by CanadaHelps, depending on your donation method.

Skills with a Purpose

You can mail your donation to:

SAM Ministries Inc.
3715-85 Street,
Edmonton, AB.
Canada, T6K 3R9

Mark your gift either Mozambique Vocational Skills Training Initiative or Mozambique Maintenance and Training Centre.

Please note that a second trip is already being planned to Mozambique in August, 2011, to continue working on these projects, as well as begin some formal trades training. If your gift is specifically for this second trip, then please mention “August Trip 2011” in the Message/instructions box on the donations page, or on your cheque.

Thank you for considering involvement with the work of Mercy Tech Mission. All of us working together can make a difference on the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.

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Houston, we have lift-off…

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Rick Cogbill

Well, almost. Flights are booked for South Africa, and then on to Mozambique.

We leave February 21st and will be working at the ASAM farm until March 28th.

Travelling with me will be Bob Denesiuk, a local building contractor and carpenter, who will be loaning his considerable expertise to the current building projects already underway at this location, primarily the Training Centre and the Mercy Air house (you can read more about these projects through the blogs of Dwight and Lynn Lagore).

Training Centre Foundation Wall

Mercy Air House Mucombeze

Along with helping with any mechanical repairs (and assisting on the buildings as needed), one of my own goals is to continue with plans for the Mozambique Maintenance and Training Center, mentioned in my last blog. I will also be working on the future skills training program that we would like to see take place at this location, a potentially long-term program that will see local people trained in usable skills and trades.

More about that in the days ahead…

So lots to do in the next few weeks. I’ll keep you posted, and remember that you will be able to follow my travel blog for the trip at http://www.mydustyshoes.blogspot.com/.

Thank you for considering involvement with the work of Mercy Tech Mission. All of us working together can make a difference on the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.

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Mozambique Maintenance Shop Project

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Rick Cogbill

A key project for 2011 is building a maintenance shop for the 2350-acre ASAM farm in Mozambique, owned and operated by SAM Ministries. The vision for this unique building is two-fold: to maintain and repair the equipment and vehicles used at this project (which includes work done by ASAM and also by Mercy Air), and also to be used as a hands-on training facility for teaching members of the local community in a skilled trade, such as mechanics.

The goal is to create an apprenticeship program for future mechanics, where this shop will provide workspace for the practical training sessions, while using the training centre (also located on the ASAM farm) for the classroom sessions. Professional automotive instructors from Canada are currently working on training materials and course structure, and a Mercy Tech Team will be travelling to Mozambique in August, 2011 to begin teaching the initial segments of a course in automotive mechanical repair.

Artist's conception

Pictured here are preliminary drawings of the proposed maintenance shop. Early estimates for building the basic structure with local help and materials are around $30,000 CDN.

UPDATE May 2011: To date, about $3600 has been raised for the project, and construction on the foundations has begun.

Outfitting the shop with equipment will come later once the building is completed. A further $25,000 is estimated to buy quality repair equipment, as well as hand tools for the students and staff.

Donations towards this important building can be made through SAM Ministries via the information on their Donations Webpage.

If using the Donate Now button, please select the Mozambique Maintenance and Training Centre from the drop-down menu provided.

View Floor Plan: 14×16 Shop Floor Plan A

Larger donations can be mailed directly to SAM Ministries at:

SAM Ministries Inc.
3715-85 Street,
Edmonton, AB.
Canada, T6K 3R9

Receipts for tax purposes will be provided from either SAM Ministries or CanadaHelps, depending on your donation method.

Thank you for considering involvement with the work of Mercy Tech Mission. All of us working together can make a difference on the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.

Sideview cutaway

Overhead cutaway view


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What’s ahead for 2011…

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Rick Cogbill

As I mentioned earlier, plans are underway for a couple of trips back to Mozambique in 2011.

Training centre foundation, Mozambique

The first trip will be around the 3rd week of February for about one month, and the focus would be to help with work on the training centre at the ASAM farm in Mucombeze. Pictured here is the latest update on its progress (thanks to Lynn Lagore for the photo):

The second trip, also back to the ASAM farm in Mozambique, will be sometime between July 11th and the end of August, and the focus then will be mechanical maintenance and training. We plan to take along some training materials similar to those used in automotive apprenticeship classes here in Canada, and use them to begin a basic mechanic’s course for the local people.

One of the men joining us on this trip is currently an automotive instructor from Calgary, Alberta.

Providing training in basic mechanics

Training in a trade is a huge need in countries like Mozambique, and our hope is to begin something at the ASAM location that can be used in the years ahead to equip the Mozambican people with the skills that will enable them find work, and in so doing, provide for their families.

If you would like to join us in this Automotive Trades Training Initiative, you can make a donation on our DONATIONS page. Please mark your gift as Mozambique Vocational Skills Training Initiative. The funds will be used to provide training materials and equipment for the students.

Plans are also underway to build a proper workshop where we can store tools, and work on vehicles and equipment, providing a safe environment in which to give the students hands-on training, much like we do in our trade schools here in Canada. Funds for this project can be ear-marked Mozambique Maintenance and Training Center. We are currently completing the drawings for this project, as well as determining the final costs. More information will be posted soon, so please check back often. Again, your donations towards building this important structure are greatly appreciated.

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