Claus GIZ
Introduction
I joined expat.com on 28 January 2018.
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Claus GIZposted on the thread New members of the Vietnam forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018
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Claus GIZposted on the thread Who can repair a screen of a 10' tablet in HCMC?
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Claus GIZcreated the thread Who can repair a screen of a 10' tablet in HCMC? forum on the Ho Chi Minh City forum
Expat experience
I work again as an Development Adviser for the German Government Technical Cooperation. My assignment is at the Vocational College of Mechanic and Irrigation (VCMI) in the Dong Nai Province. The aim is to advance and upgrade VCMI to a Center of Excellence (CoE) in Green Energy. I live in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and travel every day, by taking two bus lines, the distance to the 43 km far College. I like the friendly and always smiling people of Vietnam.
The public bus transport in HCMC and its cheap costs. The night activity of the people and the food. The less violent crime compare to South Africa (but had a burglary after moving in a own house, and my wife's cellphone got stolen in a shop).
The immobility by own safe transport (Car). The crowded and chaotic traffic. The air-pollution. The beautiful Vietnamese women wearing this "useless" surgical or tailored masks. (what would they think visiting Germany and most of us wearing a brown big paper bag over our heads with two wholes for the eyes in it ??). The extreme humidity and the short daylight. Most of Vietnamese do not speak English, even at my workplace.
As a Project Manager I have set-up in 2010 the projected and developed private technical Training Center (Master Academy SA - MAASA). In 2011 I was running the first course in the position as Training Manager of MAASA. The fast growing and successful Center has doubled his intake about 100% every Year and advanced with two other campuses for Electric Power Line construction and Renewable Energy Systems & Technology. My position has changed twice due to new staff intake in order to take over some duties from mine. I handed over the duty as Workshop Manager to concentrate more project, develop and set up other campuses within MAASA and other affiliated Organisations. Besides my administrative duties I have developed the Basic Hand skills, Welding, Fitting, Electronic, PLC, Work-placement Program, Renewable Energy (SOLARTEUR) programs. I left in 2015 as Senior Manager for Research and institutional Development MAASA.
The Challenge to develop, project, built & set-up, lead and grow in a motivated and dedicated team a Vocational Training Institution. East London was in that period of my stay a more safer place than in Gauteng. I liked the several beaches and my little Farm paradise 20 km out of town. I liked the weekends with my Family and my four dogs and the life-stile on the farm. My Holidays with my Family to Port Elizabeth, Karoo,
The driving of mini buses and scrappy private taxis on the N2 Highway on my daily journeys to and from East London. The shift of Crime from Gauteng and other Provinces to East London. The bad maintenance of the already worse street infrastructure.
After my contract with DED (German Development Service) has finally expired and no further possibility of a release from my duty as a Government Servant, I went back to my former post at the Vocational Training Center 2 of the District Gifhorn. I was teaching practical subjects in electrical and mechanical engineering. As a consulting work, I have developed and projected in my spare time a complete Technical training Center for a private investor in South Africa. During 2009 and 2010 I visited my remaining family in SA and held meetings with my customer.
Back at my former school and colleagues. Bonding again with my two son's from my first marriage. Visiting my relatives in south of Germany (Pforzheim). The long missing specific German food (Spaetzle, Curry Wurst, Doener kebab, and the long daylight in summer up to 10pm, the christmas markets and Glueh-Wein in December, Snow and seeing old friends.
Missed my wife and family in South Africa. The changes in the Vocational Training System towards more paperwork, the abundance of the "Vocational Basic Year" and reformed administration. I was not anymore used to teach constantly according to a schedule.
Working for DED (German Development Service) as a Technical Adviser at INDLELA (former Central Trade Test Center COTT) in the position as an Technical Project Adviser. It was a Project under leadership and financial support by GTZ (German Technical Cooperation) for development of a Master Artisan Qualification for South Africa equal to the German "Meister" qualification (2003-2005). From 2005-2009 working as Technical Adviser (DED) at IKHALA technical College in Queenstown. Managing a "Learnership" qualification and developing and set up several workshops for electrical- and automotive Engineering, welding technology and carpentry.
First two years in Gauteng province: nothing! The community of a small town in Eastern Cape with less crime and more German co-worker. Improved social life with-in the Queenstown Community. Met my 3rd wife there and got to a married to a Xhosa woman in 2007. The good infrastructure.
The racism in GENERAL. Black against White (the biggest racism rate due to the proportion of races and promotion by the new Leadership after Mandela left office), White old Boure racism against black people, South African black people against other foreign black people (Xenophobia) and the vailance of South Africans. The valiant crime rate in all sectors of life. Murder and rape as a culture, road rage and the downfall of South Africa due to a sanctioned corruption system and lifestyle of the top political leadership. The not existing public transport system and underdevelopment of Internet accessibility.
Working for DED (German Development Service) as a Technical Adviser at Technical Teachers College in the position as an Executive Officer for income generation projects.
Best Time of my life. Very friendly people, no problem with hate or racism against me. Very good working and housing conditions. Made a lot of friends, partying, playing drums in the Mannenberg Jazz Club and other venues.
The Regime under Robert Mugabe and his terror against the beautiful, educated and nice people of Zimbabwe. The hardship for every one due to the downfall of the economic system with food and fuel shortages. It was like in the 1930's under the Hitler Nazi Regime.
Working for GTZ (German Development Agency) as a Project Manager overseeing six funded projects to support skills development of young male refugees from Eritrea and Sudanese youth.
The hospitality and the friendly. I met my second wife in Kassala.
The shariah law, the circumcising and mutilating of women. The Government Control of this totalitarian system. I had to smuggle out my Sudanese girlfriend and later wife out of Sudan.
Giving free technical Expertise in workshop/laboratory development as a part of a School Partnership between Berufbildende Schulen 2 des Landkreises Gifhorn (BBS 2) (Vocational Training Center 2 Gifhorn District, Germany) and Jang Jung technical Senior High scholl Tainan/TAIWAN).
The friendly hospitality, timekeeping, cleanliness, diligent people and the food.
At 1991 hardly one spoke English and me and my colleague got several times lost in town.
Three years working as a Technical Adviser for German Development Agency GTZ in Skills development Industrial Engineering and Electronics.
I gave me a wider view about life and purpose of living.
The Traffic, air pollution, the dirtiness outside of houses, the poverty and exploitation of people. I have lost two close children of a colleagues/Friends couple and another good friend in two separate road accidents.
I was born in Pforzheim (Baden-Wuertemberg) at the northern entrance of the Black Forrest. I lived during my child hood as well in Stuttgart. In 1968 we moved to Peine (Lower Saxony) were I started with 14 1/2 an Apprenticeship as an Industrial Electrician. I joined in 1972 the German Navy Forces and was assigned to Fregatte 209 "Karlsruhe". Later I studied two years Electrical Engineering at the Government Technician School Braunschweig and worked as an first job as an maintenance Manager in a Brick Factory. In 1980 I got married and had two boys, Benjamin (1980) and Daniel (1982). Between the birth of the two boys I worked as a trainer in a Nonprofit organisation for mentally and multiple challenged people in Celle (Lower Saxony) (Workshops of Lebenshilfe Celle). In 1980 I studied again 2 years Teachers Training for practical subjects and joint in 1982 the Vocational Training Center 2 of the District Municipality of Gifhorn.
