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En Mauritanie, Enabel innove le secteur de la microfinance
Aminata KANE | 11/11/2022
Le programme RIMFIL financé par l'Union européenne et mis en œuvre par Enabel vise la promotion du développement des filières agro-pastorales et durables.C'est dans ce cadre qu'Enabel appuie et renforce les capacités de deux Institutions de Microfinance (IMF) :Djikké (coopérative mauritanienne de microfinance) etla Banque AL- IBDAA.Suite à la signature des partenariats l'ouverture de plusieurs agences dans des villes rurales est en cours (Barkeol, Kankossa,Tintane etc.). La banque IBDAA a ouvert une agence à Kiffa dans l'Assaba. L'innovation concrète d'Enabel est dans le renforcement des capacités d'intervention (techniques et institutionnels) des deux IMF via la promotion de mécanismes et de produits financiers adaptés aux acteurs des filières agricoles et pastorales. Cette adaptation se traduit par la production de fiches de référentiels techniques et économiques, qui apportent des éléments clairs afin d’éclairer les financiers sur l’octroi d’un crédit aux producteurs :• Cout de production• Durée de production• Accès à l’eau• Période• Saison…Transposer via un référentiel de données techniques et économiques, cette sélection simple et efficace permet d’éclairer la décision des financiers sur l’octroi. Par exemple, si un producteur de tomates recherche un financement pour sa récolte, le financier saura grâce aux fiches que la récolte de tomates prend 3 mois, donc le paiement se fera à ce moment. Cette innovation fournie au secteur de la Microfinance en Mauritanie une avancée qui est une première dans ce domaine. Se rajoute à cela la synergie conseil. Les facilitateurs qui ont été formés sur l'approche Champ-école Agropastoral du programme RIMFIL appuient les IMF.Open.Enabel - Belgian Development Agency / En Mauritanie, on renforce les capacités techniques et organisationnelles des organisations communautaires via les "Champs Ecoles Agro Pastoral"Le facilitateur devient le conseiller qui sécurise l'activité et renforce la pertinence de la demande de crédit. Une réelle structuration est mise en place à travers les modalités de caution solidaire. Les producteurs sont liés, si l'un d'entre eux ne peut honorer le paiement du crédit, le groupe paie à sa place. Cette réalisation majeure met en avant la contribution d’Enabel et celle de ses partenaires à l’accès durable des produits et services financiers adaptés aux besoins des populations rurales des régions du sud-est mauritanien (l’Assaba, le Guidimakha et les deux Hodhs).
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Au Mali, Enabel forme les gestionnaires de latrines publiques pour assurer la durabilité de leur fonctionnement
Nènè TRAORE | 09/11/2022
Les gestionnaires des latrines publiques de la commune urbaine de Koulikoro ont bénéficié d'une formation sur les procédures de gestion des latrines publiques. Dans le cadre de l'amélioration de la santé des populations de la ville de Koulikoro en général et de l'hygiène et l'assainissement en particulier le projet d'amélioration de l'accès à l'eau potable et à l'assainissement dans la région de Koulikoro (PEPAK) a construit 128 latrines communautaires dans des espaces publics avec dispositif de lavage des mains et kit d 'hygiène. Certaines de ces latrines sont gérées en régie par une structure publique et d'autres par des délégataires .Afin d'assurer la pérennité du fonctionnement de ces latrines, une formation à l'endroit des gestionnaires a eu lieu. Dans le souci de rendre cette formation plus pratique et plus pertinente par rapport aux besoins réels de gestion, un diagnostic préalable avait été mené auprès de ces latrines. Les modules de formation ont été adaptés aux résultats de ce diagnostic. Au total 32 participants dont : 26 gestionnaires de latrines publiques, 2 membres de la Brigade d'Hygiène et d'Assainissement de la Commune Urbaine de Koulikoro , 02 membres et 02 formateurs ont pris part à cette formation. Cet exercice permettra non seulement de renforcer les compétences de ces gestionnaires de latrines publiques sur les procédures de gestion administrative, comptable et financière mais aussi d'améliorer le savoir-faire et le savoir-être des gestionnaires de latrines publiques sur l'accueil « client » , le respect du genre, l'hygiène, l'entretien des infrastructures et l'amélioration de l'environnement des latrines.
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Nigerian blogger Sunday Jerome Salami wins #D4Dblogging competition on disinformation
Ahtziri Alejandra GONZALEZ GARCIA | 09/11/2022
Sunday Jerome Salami, Nigerian blogger and researcher, is the winner of the first prize in the #D4Dblogging competition, which was organised by the AU-EU Digital for Development (D4D) Hub project.The purpose of the activity was to foster debate and to gather original views on how Africa and Europe can jointly tackle online disinformation through human rights-based actions.A total of 89 entries from 27 countries were received through an open call for submissions. 60 per cent of participants were under 30 years old.Salami is a Master’s student at the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. He is currently on an exchange semester at the Central European University in Vienna.The 26-year-old student runs a personal blog where he regularly writes at the intersection of his passion areas, including poverty alleviation, good governance, quality education, and sustainable development. His writings have also been published in Nigerian outlets The Metric and The Mail and Guardian.His winning blog “How can Africa and Europe work together to tackle disinformation and protect human rights in the digital age?” makes a comparison of both African and European approaches to tackling this issue, finding potential convergence points that protect digital rights. For example, he proposes including online media literacy in the school curricula and empowering grassroots organisations.The second place goes to South Sudanese journalist Garang Abraham MalakThe second finalist of the competition was South Sudanese multimedia journalist, blogger, media trainer, and fact-checker Garang Abraham Malak.Malak, whose writings have appeared on South Sudanese and international outlets such as Eye Radio, Nation Media Group, and the BBC, is a regular blogger about politics, human rights and governance, justice, conflict, security, and the environment.His blog “To win the war on disinformation, Africa and Europe need long-term strategic partnerships” builds on his own experience tackling disinformation as a researcher and media professional. The 28-year-old blogger is the co-author of a best practice manual called “Hate Speech and Misinformation Guide for the Media” which provides South Sudanese media with practical guidance on how to deal with hate speech, misinformation, and online incitement to violence.He provides many concrete recommendations on how to advance Africa-Europe cooperation in this field. For instance, he proposes creating a joint awareness-raising campaign with committed influencers, building the capacity of alternative media and fact-checking organisations, and creating bridges between civil society organisations on both continents.Kenyan lawyer Lilian Olivia Orero wins third placeFinally, 27-year-old international human rights lawyer and researcher Lilian Olivia Orero was recognised in the third place. Native from Kenya, Orero has a strong interest in data governance, gender equality, and digital rights – issues about which she regularly writes.Her entry “Balancing the protection of fundamental rights in the fight against disinformation” brings a human rights perspective on how legislation to tackle disinformation could curtail people’s freedom of speech, open internet, and digital rights. According to Orero, the key to striking the right balance is to promote collaborations between civil society organisations and the media.Fostering an open debate on disinformation“Digitalisation offers enormous opportunities to promote sustainable development in our societies, but it also poses new challenges such as the spread of online disinformation, which threatens our democracies and puts people at risk,” said Carla Montesi, Director for Green Deal and Digital Agenda at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), during the announcement of the competition results.“This is why through the AU-EU D4D Hub, we are supporting a much-needed conversation with our African partners on how we can work together to tackle this issue, while at the same time avoiding measures that violate human rights – such as Internet shutdowns, online censorship, or increased surveillance. We were delighted to receive so many concrete ideas through this blogging competition, and we look forward to continuing the debate,” she added.The three blogs will be published by the AU-EU D4D Hub in the lead-up to the Town Hall session “Jointly tackling disinformation and promoting human rights”, which will be held on 2 December at the Internet Governance Forum 2022 (hybrid event).
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RCA: Promotion de l'agriculture durable au travers du Festival "Alimenterre"
Grâce MALI FAIDA | 08/11/2022
La deuxième édition du Festival AlimenTerre s’est tenue à l’Ecole Nationale de l’Elevage de Bouar du 27 au 29 Octobre 2022 sous le thème « L’Agriculture, un outil inclusif pour le développement Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral et la sécurité alimentaire pour tous ». Pour l'occasion, l’Ecole Nationale de l’Elevage de Bouar a ouvert ses portes en tant qu’espace d’échanges entre tous les acteurs du monde rural (ministères, partenaires techniques et financiers, producteurs, consommateurs, etc.). Mais aussi, pour promouvoir une bonne compréhension des enjeux agricoles et alimentaires qui touchent la préfecture et plus largement la République Centre Africaine.Ce festival se veut un encouragement à la co-construction de systèmes alimentaires durables et solidaires et une sensibilisation au droit de chacun à bénéficier d’une alimentation de qualité.Pour ce faire deux films ont été mis en avant : Ceux qui sèment, projeté au quartier Haoussa de Bouar le 27 octobre 2022 à 17h30 (à l’occasion de la séance d’ouverture ouverte au public). Et Le 29 octobre 2022 à l’Ecole Nationale d’Elevage de Bouar (ENEB) à 15h00 (à l’occasion de la soirée institutionnelle). Amuka l’éveil des paysans Congolais, projeté le 28 octobre 2022 à partir de 17h30 au Centre-Ville de Bouar (séance publique). Depuis 14 ans, le Festival Alimenterre Belgique sensibilise les citoyen·ne·s aux enjeux de l’agriculture paysanne et leur fait connaître les pistes d’actions vers des systèmes agricoles et alimentaires plus justes et plus durables.Des projections, des rencontres-débats, des ateliers et de nombreuses animations sont organisés avec la présence de spécialistes du monde agricole, de réalisateur·rice·s, de leader·euse·s paysannes du Sud et de porteur·euse·s d’initiatives concrètes et locales.Pour rappel, le Programme d’Appui au Développement Rural (DEVRURII) a été lancé le 28 Avril 2021, et couvre six (6) grandes préfectures du pays à savoir (Bangui, Kemo, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Nana-Mambere). Il vise essentiellement la relance de la dynamique socio-économique des zones d’intervention à travers l’augmentation des activités de production et de transformation agricoles locales contribuant ainsi à l’accroissement de l’offre de produits alimentaires de qualité disponibles sur le marché centrafricain tout en améliorant la situation économique des producteurs.Cette activité qui s’inscrit dans le cadre du Programme DEVRURII financé par le Fonds Bêkou de l’Union Européenne, a pour objectif de promouvoir l’Agriculture familiale dans le pays avec pour thème : « L’Agriculture, un outil inclusif pour le développement Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral et la sécurité alimentaire pour tous ».
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Mali : la gestion de la station de traitement de boues de vidange transférée à une structure nationale
Nènè TRAORE | 07/11/2022
Le mardi 1er novembre 2022 a eu lieu la signature de la convention de gestion entre la mairie de la commune urbaine et l’Agence nationale de gestion des stations d’épuration du Mali (ANGSEM).Cette convention permettra le transfert de la gestion de la station de traitement de boues de vidange (STBV) de Koulikoro à l’ANGESEM. La commune urbaine de Koulikoro a bénéficié de la construction de la première station de traitement de boues de vidange (STBV) du Mali. D’un cout de plus de 1 milliard de francs CFA , cette infrastructure améliorera le cadre de vie des populations de la ville en matière d’assainissement. La construction de l’infrastructure s’inscrit dans la composante Assainissement du projet d’accès à l’eau potable et assainissement de la région de Koulikoro (PEPAK). Une initiative qui accompagne la commune urbaine de Koulikoro dans la mise en œuvre de sa stratégie d’assainissement. L’opérationnalisation et la gestion de cette STBV nécessite une dynamique technique et une expérience bien appropriée. C’est dans ce contexte que la mairie de la commune urbaine de Koulikoro par délibération a décidé de déléguer la gestion de la STBV à l’Agence Nationale des Gestion des Stations d’Epuration du Mali (ANGESEM). Cette délégation de gestion a été matérialisée le mardi 1er novembre 2022 par la signature de la convention entre la mairie de la commune urbaine de Koulikoro et l’ANGESEM. La cérémonie était présidée par le 1er adjoint au préfet du cercle de Koulikoro en présence du maire de la commune urbaine de Koulikoro, de la directrice générale de l’ANGESEM en présence du représentant résident d’Enabel au Mali, l’intervention manager du PEPAK, et le personnel d’intervention du projet. Cette cérémonie a également enregistré la présence des acteurs intervenants dans le domaine de l’assainissement de la ville notamment les représentants de la société civile, les chefs de quartiers, les membres des comités de développement des quartiers (CDQ), les Groupements d’Intérêts Economiques (GIEE) entre autres… C’est sous l’arbitrage du représentant du préfet que les 2 autorités notamment le maire et la directrice générale de l’ANGESEM ont posé leurs signatures sur les documents témoignant l’officialisation de cette délégation de gestion. Après paraphe, les 2 parties sont engagées désormais à respecter les clauses du contrat. La convention définit les engagements de part et d’autre dans l’objectif d’une meilleure gestion de la STBV dans un cadre professionnel. Dans ses tâches, l’ANGESEM sera tenu de l’élaboration, la planification et la programmation d’une stratégie de gestion, mais aussi du suivi évaluation, selon sa directrice générale. Un point assez important reste l’entretien et les pièces de rechange de la station a ajouté la directrice. La gestion est déléguée à l’ANGESEM, mais force est de signaler que les partenaires directs de la mairie que sont les particuliers notamment les GIE et la population auront leurs rôles à jouer dans la gestion, leurs implications seront déterminantes. Par ailleurs, la brigade d’assainissement mis en place à travers ce projet aura un rôle important à jouer dans cette chaine. En effet, elle doit orienter et accompagner la population vers la bonne gestion de cette station. La remise définitive de la STBV est prévue pour le mois de décembre 2022 à la commune urbaine. Ce qui ne signifie pas cependant la fin de l’intervention de Enabel auprès de la mairie dans la gestion de la station. L’ANGESEM bénéficiera à cet effet, de l’appui du projet dans le cadre de la formation et du financement de la gestion afin que l’agence puisse mettre en place un cadre bien approprié de gestion. La construction de cette station contribuera d’une part à réduire les dépotages anarchiques qui constituent un véritable danger pour la population de la ville de Koulikoro, ainsi que leurs environnements. La station va produire du fertilisant organique répondant aux normes sanitaires disponibles pour la population de plus 60 000 habitants.
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Au Burkina Faso, Enabel contribue au renforcement des capacités des magistrats des audiences en matière pénale
Kimsegninga SAVADOGO | 07/11/2022
Enabel, à travers le Projet d’Appui au Renforcement de la Justice pour lutter contre l’Impunité (PARJI) financé par l’Union européenne, a organisé deux sessions de formation à destination des magistrats des chambres correctionnelles et criminelles des Cours d’Appel et des Tribunaux de Grande Instance du Burkina Faso, principalement ceux du ressort de la Cour d’Appel de Ouagadougou, en collaboration avec le Conseil Supérieur de la Magistrature, l’un de ses principaux partenaires. Ces formations se sont tenues respectivement du 11 au 14 octobre 2022 à Koudougou et du 18 au 21 octobre 2022 à Ouagadougou. En appuyant la tenue de ces sessions de formation, Enabel contribue au renforcement des capacités des magistrats quant à la tenue des audiences en matière correctionnelle et criminelle, à l’amélioration du respect des normes et procédures et in fine, à la qualité des débats et des jugements en matière pénale. Durant les quatre jours de formation pour chacun des deux groupes de participants, des rappels importants ont été faits sur les principes directeurs du procès pénal, les différentes étapes dans la conduite d’une audience correctionnelle ou criminelle, les modalités de préparation procédurale des audiences, de police des débats, d’auditions des parties et des témoins, de délibération et de prononcé de la décision. Ces sessions ont également permis aux participants d’échanger quant à leurs expériences et expertises et quant aux difficultés auxquelles ils sont fréquemment confrontés, afin d’identifier des solutions et d’harmoniser leurs pratiques. Finalement, au travers d’exercices pratiques, tels que des simulations d’audience et d’incidents d’audience, les quelques 50 participants ont eu l’occasion de mettre en œuvre les différents acquis.
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Rwanda: Thinning action for a sustainable forest management
Denise NSANGA | 04/11/2022
Enabel in collaboration with Rwanda Forestry Authority and BioMasster (company experienced in pellet production) conducted a 2-day master training on forest plantations thinning. Held on 03-04 November 2022 in Rwamagana district, Eastern Province, the training brought together Forest technicians Technicians from Gakenke, Gicumbi, Rulindo and Rwamagana districts, Forest Specialists from Enabel’s TREPA project, Rwanda Forestry Authority and Private Forest Management Units (PFMU) cooperative leaders to reshape their skills in forest management with focus on thinning practice. Forest thinning was understood as a forest management practice that consists of removing some tree stems (poor and defective ones) to leave strong and healthy tree stems to grow well and get optimum yield, practice which is now recommended to be applied in PFMU plantation to better manage and optimise the growth and production of the forests. The practical part of the training was conducted in a 48ha private owned forests lastly restored by the former Belgian funded project FMBE (Forest management and woody biomass energy support 2017-2021) using Private Forest Management Units approach. During the training, 27 participants learnt HOW and WHEN thinning in forest plantation should be well performed. They will in turn train their colleague forest technicians and PFMU cooperative members and apply acquired knowledge towards proper management of forest resources and increased impact on environment protection and on community livelihoods.
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NTCs celebrate Milestones in the Transformation of Teacher Education in Uganda
Peace NERIMA | 03/11/2022
Every year on 5th October, Teacher Day is celebrated globally to recognize and appreciate teachers, teacher trainers and stakeholders in the teaching profession. This year, the same was done on 12th October at NTC Muni to mark the anniversary of the 1966 ILO UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers and to celebrate the NTCs’ contribution towards education transformation in Uganda. Under the theme “The transformation of education begins with teachers”, the NTCs showcased and shared various innovations that have tremendously transformed teacher education in Uganda. Specifically, digital innovations that ease the teaching and learning process, college management and improve service delivery were exhibited at the event. These include the Academic Management System, Koha, QuickBooks, Time on Task, Moodle and NTC Kabale’s digital hub. Other innovations showcased included college Income Generating Activities (IGAs), Climate Responsive Infrastructure, Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers and the Results- Based Management (RBM) process.Speaking at the event, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Uganda said that Belgium has partnered with the Ugandan Government for several years to further develop the education system. He added, “We gave special attention to the five national teachers’ colleges, because they are the cornerstone of the secondary schools all over the country.”The Ambassador then highlighted the importance of teachers in inspiring, guiding educating and mentoring nations. He encouraged education stakeholders to create conditions that allow teachers to perform to their full potential. “The teacher is at the forefront of education delivery. Improving the quality of teachers and their training always directly translates into better education outcomes. But they can’t do that alone. They need support. Support by Belgium, by the EU, by the education partners. And most of all: support from the government,” he said.For more information about the education innovations in the NTCs, please visit https://bit.ly/3FoVfv6
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Enabel Breaks Ground for Construction works in NTC Mubende and Kabale - Uganda
Peace NERIMA | 03/11/2022
Enabel, through the Teacher Training Education (TTE) Project, seeks to improve the environment in which students learn and staff work by constructing environmentally friendly and gender-responsive infrastructure to meet today’s current needs.With funding from the Belgian government, the project has established 19 facilities and enhanced 26 facilities across all the National Teachers’ Colleges (NTCs). Facilities built and enhanced include Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres, sanitary blocks, student and staff accommodation, resource centres, ICT labs, and classroom blocks totalling 12,000,000 EUR. Similarly, Enabel and the Education Ministry have embarked on a new construction phase worth 2,393,596.10 EUR (UGX 9,095,665,180) for NTCs Mubende and Kabale, set to run for eight months. These works were recently launched on 8th September in addition to the already established spaces in the NTCs. Establishing these facilities is part of the TTE project’s key focus areas to ensure that college facilities are safe and healthy functional spaces that enhance the teaching and learning process. The architectural designs and infrastructural consider several important factors that focus on innovation, sustainability, energy efficiency and the natural environment. These will give room and resources to both teachers and students to explore different learning techniques and encourage creativity. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony at NTC Kabale H.E Veestraeten Rudi, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, disclosed that all construction under the project will be driven by the principles of climate-responsive design. “In the three other colleges, we have already finished construction and renovation. It is time to lift Kabale and Mubende up to the same standard. In line with our previous infrastructure projects, we want to limit the impact on the environment. No trees will be cut to burn trees for our projects,” he said.The ongoing works include establishing and rehabilitating classrooms, laboratories, sanitary blocks, staff offices and student accommodation. Other works will focus on revamping the water supply systems to ensure availability and ease access to water for college students and staff. More contributions will focus on creating safe learning environments based on the different needs of the College staff and students. These include outdoor study sheds, social spaces, and cooking sheds for students, site lighting, chain link fencing, a gate for each college, a great network of electrical and mechanical works, state-of-the-art landscaping, walkways and paved areas to promote easy access to facilities.
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Elevating Gender and ICT in Teaching and Learning in Uganda
Peace NERIMA | 03/11/2022
The 2019 National Teachers’ Policy (NTP) emphasises the government’s position on ensuring gender equality within schools and the incorporation of ICT in teaching and learning since the reform of the lower secondary school curriculum. This is in line with the government white paper 1992, which recognises the importance attached to the quality of teachers and notes the key leadership roles and services which teachers play in implementing education policies and programs. Some of these include skillfully imparting knowledge to learners to help them develop both the ability and desire to learn and encourage the development of their personality by guiding them to form positive and acceptable social values.At Enabel, our initiatives under the Teacher Training Education Project are strongly aligned with Uganda’s Strategic Framework for Education. We focus on gender and digitalisation as some of the critical contributors to creating a conducive and sustainable teaching and learning environment to achieve Uganda’s international commitments embodied in the UN-SDGs, specifically, SDG4. In June 2022, we supported the Ministry of Education and Sports to monitor and assess teacher performance in the five National Teacher’s Colleges (NTCs), focusing on the application of learner-centred teaching methods. The activity was done to evaluate the practices of lesson delivery in the NTCs and map out the gaps and key areas that require attention and support. The monitoring activity was equally aimed at ensuring that the teacher training institutions promote a gender-responsive and friendly learning environment for their students at the colleges. Kaitasi Salome, a National Education Expert from Kyambogo University who participated in the monitoring exercise at NTC Mubende and Kaliro, stated that one of the prerequisites for achieving quality education as a tool for human capital development is the availability of competent and effective 21st-century teachers. “We are here to observe how the teacher trainers are sustaining Active Teaching and Learning, the incorporation of Gender Responsive Pedagogy (GRP) and the use of ICT in the classroom,” she said. She added that in the past, Gender Responsive Pedagogy was not taken seriously but was pleased to find that most of the lessons she observed were engaging and non-biased. “We have made considerable progress on how we teach at the colleges. In almost all the lessons I monitored, lecturers are well versed with using ICT to teach and provide equal opportunities to male and female students to participate in the classroom”. Max Okiror, the Assistant Commissioner, TETD department of the Education Ministry, said that teacher education is undergoing a reform to ensure that the teachers produced from the NTCs are competent. He added that investing in teachers will ensure that learners acquire the needed skills, knowledge and values that contribute to national development. “Evidence from the best education systems around the world reveals that the quality of teachers is the most important factor in determining how well students learn. We thank Enabel for supporting the department in carrying out this exercise. It will enable the Ministry to support the teacher trainers in the areas they are lacking and help us achieve quality teacher education”, he added.Considering the new context, Enabel supports the Ministry of Education in improving the teacher training institutions’ digital readiness for a hybrid education system while ensuring a gender-responsive and friendly teaching and learning environment.
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'Technophobia' in Ugandan Education Sector Overcome Thanks to Corona Lockdown
Dorothy KYAMAZIMA | 03/11/2022
During the corona pandemic, schools in Uganda were closed for almost two years. A small - Belgian - innovation to be able to continue to communicate eventually led to a digital revolution in Ugandan teacher training. Before the outbreak of Covid-19, an education official in the district bordering Uganda's capital Kampala banned teachers from bringing computers, mobile phones and tablets into classrooms. The official, Frederick Kiyingi, at the time believed that telephones and ICT devices were distracting students and jeopardizing their concentration. The whole world around me TeacherWilliam Musaazi sees it differently. 'With this smartphone, I can get around the world at the touch of a button. And that saves me a lot of effort. At the same time, it makes my lessons interesting. It's like a captivating movie, but with multimedia," said Musaazi. 'The days of teaching from the abstract are over. We need to bring the real world to the students, preferably at no extra cost," he adds. The Ugandan Ministry of Education has made efforts to equip schools with desktop computers, but Musaazi realizes that there is no national strategy for getting ICT infrastructure into schools. He says he keeps the devices out of the classroom for fear of going against existing guidelines. In addition, he notices that many of his colleagues often only used mobile phones and tablets for calling and texting. Distance Learning Strategy In March 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni announced a measure that brought learning to a halt. Schools and universities were closed for almost two years, with 15 million students without education. The Ugandan Ministry of Education proposed to give lessons via radio and television, but that has not worked. The Belgian development agency Enabel, together with the ministry, developed a strategy for distance learning. The result was ' TTE Sandbox ', a digital portal that enabled at least teacher training to continue. Workshops taught at the five National Teachers' Colleges (NTCs), where teachers are trained, the use of technology in the classroom – rather than just the traditional methods. The students learned how to use digital tools – such as screencasting, podcasting, video conferencing, e-books or padlets – to teach. The strategy was also rolled out to prevent the Ugandan education sector from becoming extinct and disadvantaged after the prolonged period of closure. Technophobia Technophobia Ironically, Enabel had already proposed the use of technology to the NTCs in 2019, but experienced teachers were reluctant, recalls Virginie Hallet, manager at Enabel in Uganda. “They said they were born before the age of computers, and they didn't know anything about it. So why would they use it in class?', said Hallet. Andrew Tabura, a government official responsible for secondary teacher education, explains that although the colleges were equipped with ICT tools, the teachers had a "technophobia." But the necessary training has thawed everything out. 'When the covid closure was a fact, they realized that these tools could still be used to reach the students,' says Tabura. Defibrillator for Education Hallet explains that TTE Sandbox was initially a set of communication technologies to facilitate distance learning at the NTCs. However, it gradually became an effective tool, to the extent that it helped to speed up the resumption of educational activities. According to Virginie Hallet, 62 per cent of students who were at home in different parts of Uganda were able to attend classes. 'It meant that the training could continue. I think we had similar student participation in Belgium in June 2020', says Hallet. The Sandbox, she said, made the minds mature for using technology in the classroom. At the NTC in Kabale, 400 kilometers south of Kampala, teachers are still using the TTE Sandbox and other online tools to teach aspiring teachers almost a year after the colleges reopened. One cold morning, professor Molly Nakimera is teaching her. The auditorium is equipped with an overhead projector and a set of speakers. A number of cables connecting to a laptop computer are visible. Nakimera projects a role-playing video about education management. Then the class is invited to comment and contribute to the created scenarios. Nakimera says it would normally take more than three weeks to complete this course. But with the help of videos and podcasts, she achieves a better result and is less time-consuming. 'I teach a very large class. I used to have to yell a lot as a teacher. I regularly couldn't even finish the syllabus," she says. She says that her ICT knowledge used to be limited to typing Word documents. She knew nothing about podcasting and making educational videos. For her, the smartphone was meant for making calls and checking emails. Now she realizes that it is a small computer in her bag, and also a teaching and learning tool. 'These are new things that make me feel more stimulated, that make my work easier. I feel it makes me more professional," said Nakimera. Zoom and Google Classroom Mujungu Herbert, a physics and math teacher at NTC Kabale, says that before the pandemic, teachers mostly used chalk, their voice, and occasionally lab or environmental materials in their classes. 'With the ICT equipment I notice that the students are more active during the lessons. Education is more student-oriented than teacher-oriented', explains Mujungu. When asked why he hadn't embraced the technology earlier, he replied that he and his colleagues saw no reason to. The existing pedagogy did not say a word about it either. 'I only came to a computer when I was preparing for an exam. Before the pandemic, I had never heard of Zoom. But while we were in lockdown, we realized that we could only access our students with the help of ICT tools," says Mujungu. “We've started using Zoom for virtual meetings, there are some applications that I've started using to record my own screen. Then I got to know tools like Google Classroom to teach an online class,” he adds. Google Classroom allowed students to virtually participate in lessons, create tests and tasks, and follow them in an interactive way. He does add that students who do not have access to the internet miss classes. Even those who do not have a smartphone or tablet have more difficulty accessing online resources. This article was originally written by Michael Wambi from Inter Press Service (IPS), a news agency providing news from the Global South present in more than 400 locations.
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Consultez la 11ème newsletter trimestrielle de l’intervention e-TAMKEEN au Maroc!
Bénédicte BAZYN | 03/11/2022
Ne manquez pas la 11ème newsletter trimestrielle de l’intervention eTAMKEEN, un projet de renforcement des compétences des fonctionnaires au niveau central et local en matière de digitalisation.Cette édition revient sur les dernières grandes activités du projet, comme son voyage d'études organisé en Belgique, ses diverses activités de formations aux niveaux central et territorial et sa participation aux Assises de l'Ausim.Consultez la newsletter via ce lien : https://bit.ly/3DAQCeYInscrivez-vous à nos prochaines Newsletter par ici : http://eepurl.com/gYow-5
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RDC: Des jeunes entrepreneurs en parcours d'incubation présentent leur projet à de potentiels investisseurs
Grâce MALI FAIDA | 02/11/2022
Le samedi 22 octobre 2022, la 2ème édition « Demoday » de KinEmploi et du Centre de Ressources Mosala a une fois de plus permis à des entrepreneurs.es Kinois.es de présenter leur projet. Au cours de cette journée, 15 projets sélectionnés par un jury d’experts ont été présentés : de la transformation agro-alimentaire, en passant par les énergies renouvelables, la création et infographie, couture et mode, … L’événement vise à créer des synergies entre les acteurs clés du développement urbain kinois et les entrepreneur/euse.s accompagné.es en incubation
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Bénin: Assistance aux victimes et un service d’appui psycho-social mis en place dans les postes de police de la Police républicaine
Reece-hermine ADANWENON | 31/10/2022
Les citoyens bénéficieront dorénavant d’un accueil et d’une assistance adaptées aux victimes.Grâce à l’accompagnement du Projet d’Appui à l’Opérationnalisation de la Police républicaine « Volet Gestion de crise » (PAOP-CRI), financé par l’Union Européenne et mis en œuvre par Enabel au Bénin, plus de 600 policiers des commissariats d'arrondissement répartis sur l'ensemble du territoire ont été renforcés sur l’assistance aux victimes et initiés au dispositif psycho-social. Ce dispositif consiste, pour les fonctionnaires de Police, à proposer une aide aux victimes, proches ou témoins d'actes de violence et/ou d'événements traumatisants. Il est marqué par un accueil chaleureux, une écoute, un soutien psychologique au moment des faits et juste après ceux-ci ; un accompagnement lors des démarches administratives ; une orientation vers des services spécialisés correspondant aux besoins de la victime ; la préparation et l'accompagnement lors de l'audition si nécessaire. Encore un bel exemple du peer-to-peer police belge et béninoise !
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Jordan: “After following the programme of scholarship, I am a step closer to where I want to be” says Abdelraheem Halawah
Ibrahim NASHWATI | 31/10/2022
Amman - Abdelraheem Halawah, a 19-years-old Jordanian, has a lot to teach us about persistence. In spite his setback in the “Tawjihi” secondary examinations, Abdelraheem never stopped pursing his educational journey. Having passion towards culinary arts, Abdelraheem believes that TVET is the right path for him. “I started looking for scholarships over the internet until I came across opportunities advertised by Enabel’s national partner – Education for Employment (EFE)” Abdelraheem said, and added; “I applied through a Facebook link with hopes I would get accepted”. This scholarship was offered as part of the Qudra 2 programme – Resilience for refugees, IDPs, returnees and host communities in response to the protracted Syrian and Iraqi crises, co-funded from the European Union Regional Trust Fund "Madad", the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, implemented by Enabel under its on-going project “Skills Development for Employment of Syrian Refugees and Vulnerable Jordanian Youth” in cooperation with EFE. “When I learned that I had been accepted into the programme in September 2021, I was overwhelmed with happiness. It was at that moment I realised that I had a chance to prove and improve myself with my cooking powers. I knew things were going to change for me”, shared Abdelraheem. Wanting to grow in the cooking industry to become a prestigious pastry chef to make his dream come true and further support his family to make ends meet, Abdelraheem was eager to pass his theoretical and practical courses in the sweets making discipline. As he left a positive imprint during his semi-skilled courses and Work-based Learning phase, he was offered back in January 2022 a full-time job as pastry dessert assistant at one of Jordan’s 5-star hotels - where he was completing his practical training aka - Work-based Learning. “I saw potential in Abdelraheem and offered him a full-time job at our hotel’s sweets kitchen. Today, he’s an official employee with the possibility to grow and thrive in the sector. Le Royal Hotels and Resorts provides Work-based Learning opportunities to youth and fresh graduates because we believe that youth must up-scale their competencies and experiences through real working environment to further acquire the skills they need for today’s labour market”. - Faris Ghouka, HR Manager at Le Royal Hotels & Resorts In early 2019, Abdelraheem would always tag along with his father to support him run his business as wedding videographer and photographer. “The way I see it, work is an important factor to productivity and becoming an active member of society. Whenever I had free time, I would accompany my father by being his second hand in parties and weddings, I learned a lot from him and there’s a lot to learn from him in the future”, said Abdelraheem. Enabel supports youth to receive quality training programmes as a way of finding employment. This project is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular, the Sustainable Development Goal 4, which directly aims to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promoting lifelong learning. “The objective of the intervention is to enhance employment outcomes, in particular for Syrian and vulnerable Jordanian youth and women. Today, in collaboration with the VET sector stakeholders, Enabel has developed the Jordan Work-based Learning Model aiming to further refine the trainees’ skills, and make the most of their involvement in their vocational training programmes through engaging them in real-work environments in collaboration with the private sector enterprises”. - Zaid Al – Qaisi, Enabel Acting Project Manager Reflecting on what it means not to pass the his secondary examinations, Abdelraheem has a message for those searching for direction: “be persistent toward what you think about every single day. The way I see it, dreams are doable, through manifestation and daydreaming, which will help you get there soundly”, said Abdelraheem, “after this scholarship, I am a step closer to where I want to be and this is just the start, however, without Qudra 2 – Enabel scholarship, I have no idea how things might have turned out. Fingers crossed the best yet to come", he concluded.
