A group of former refugees now have some valuable skills to keep their vehicles on the road thanks to Bowater Honda.
A group of 14 men from Burma and Nepal attended a free car maintenance course to learn basic mechanical skills such as checking oil, water and changing tyres. The course, organised by the Nelson Multi Cultural Council and run by Bowater Honda, was aimed at providing the men with the skills to keep their vehicle safe and on the road for longer, says service technician Martin Stevenson, who spent the afternoon teaching the group.
“By the end of the day, after some hands-on practical training, they will walk away with some basic skills so that should they break down, they’ll know what to look for.”
A show of hands showed that only one of the group had ever changed a tyre before, something that organiser Dev Mehta says is no surprise seeing as most of them had never owned a car before. “For these guys, where they come from having a car is like a 5 star luxury while here it is a basic necessity.”
He says the Bowater Motor Group was the only company asked that was willing to offer the course and that was something he was extremely grateful for.
“It makes such a difference to them, having that basic knowledge to be able to help themselves.”
