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Finishing the rehabilitation of historic buildings in Bani Naim, ‘Asira Ash Shamaliya, Bani Zeid Al Gharbiya and Abud
Laura SCHILLEMANS | 29/08/2017
The Regeneration of Historic Centers in Local Government Units (RHC) project finished the rehabilitation of Khalid Ijdee’ historic building in Bani Naim. The building will be used as a multi-purpose center for the Bani Naim municipality and it will contain branches of governmental and public sector offices. The RHC project also rehabilitated historical buildings in ‘Asira Ash Shamaliya and Bani Zeid Al Gharbiya. In Abud, near Ramallah, the project focused on the main court of the historic center and the Al Burbara church road. Furthermore, the project is working on rehabilitating another historic building in Deir Istiya and it aspires to finish the rehabilitation of 7 more historic centers in the coming year. The aim of the RHC project is to bring life back to historic centers by focusing on their social, cultural and economic development.
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School opening of the DUMA Secondary School for girls in Adh-Dhahiriya, South Hebron
Laura SCHILLEMANS | 29/08/2017
On the 23rd of August 2017, Eric De Muynck, Head of Cooperation of the Belgian Consulate, joined the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Sabri Saidam, in the celebrations of the school opening of DUMA Secondary School for girls in Adh-Dhahiriya, South Hebron. The DUMA school was built under the bilateral Schools Construction program of the Belgian Development Agency (BTC). It provides an answer to the issues of over-crowdedness in nearby secondary schools, unsuitable and old classrooms, lack of specialized schools and long travel distances to school. The DUMA school consists of 16 classrooms that can host 600 girls, specialized rooms for science and ICT, a multi-purpose hall, teacher rooms, outdoor facilities, and a library with a terrace for reading. The school also adheres to environmental standards by optimizing natural light, natural cross-ventilation, water reuse, and thermal insulation. Later this year solar panels will be installed as well. In his speech, Eric De Muynck stressed the strong collaboration between Belgium and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, focused on the joint efforts to provide safe access to schools and protection of children, especially in vulnerable areas such as Area C, and the vital role of girl’s education for the future of the Palestinian Territory. The opening of the DUMA school featured in a day of celebrations to initiate the first day of school across the Palestinian Territory. In the events, Belgium was joined by Ireland, Norway and Germany as partners in the Joint Financing Arrangement (JFA) in support of the education sector.
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Research paper on the effects of land use changes in the Kilombero Valley
Jennifer SWERTVAEGHER | 28/08/2017
KILORWEMP established a collaboration with two Wetland Science projects based at the University of Bonn. The science projects are funded respectively by the German Ministry of Education and Research, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the EU Horizon 2020 program. This collaboration and pooling of efforts enabled KILORWEMP to improve the cost effectiveness of the assessment of landscape change in the project target area. The teaming up with well-established expertise in the field of Wetland Science also enabled the production of a solid scientific assessment of key change processes taking place in the Kilombero Valley.Recently, a paper in the scientific journal ‘Sustainability’ was published, reflecting some of this collaborative work. Results of the scientific research show that the changes of land use in the Kilombero Valley – being a floodplain that is increasingly being utilized for agriculture – has “significantly altered the floodplain and already shows an impact on the ecosystem by degrading the existing wildlife corridors”. KILORWEMP is undertaking efforts to raise awareness on the effects of these land use changes, and policy makers are urged to make informed decisions on how to sustainably manage agricultural activities and environmental protection in the area. The full paper can be found through this link: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/9/1513.
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Chaque voix est unique!
Stephanie EECKMAN | 24/08/2017
Les vacances n'empêchent pas notre projet Sarraounia de continuer son travail d’amélioration de la rétention des filles dans l’enseignement secondaire. La preuve avec un théâtre participatif dans les collèges de Birni N’Falla, Tombo Kasso, Malam Koara, Kossèye, Yéni et le complexe d’enseignement secondaire de Kiota! Découvrez comment le théâtre participatif implique chaque membre de la communauté pour améliorer l'environnement scolaire.
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Réduire les inégalités en matière de santé
Stephanie EECKMAN | 23/08/2017
Il est 9 heures du matin et le soleil est déjà haut dans le ciel de Boulkagou, un village à environ 120 kilomètres de Niamey. Dans le Centre de Santé Intégré, un groupe de femmes attend avec beaucoup d'impatience l’arrivée de la sage-femme. Il est vrai que les choses ont bien changé à Boulkagou. Avant l’intervention de la CTB, ces femmes devaient se rendre à Gothèye pour se faire soigner, faire appel à des agents de santé mobiles circulant à moto dans cette région désertique ou acheter des médicaments vendus dans les rues. L'ouverture du Centre de Santé Intégré, en mauvais état depuis des années, leur permet enfin d'avoir accès à des soins de santé de qualité. Les locaux ont été entièrement réfectionnés et les conditions de travail se sont nettement améliorées. Mieux encore, la case de santé de ce village a, en plus des travaux de réhabilitation, été équipé en matériel et a bénéficié d'une moto. « Avant, nous n'avions ni table de consultation, ni lit d'accouchement, ni matériel de consultation prénatale et nourrisson. Et voilà que maintenant, la CTB vient de mettre à notre disposition tout ce matériel », témoigne Issaka Tahirou, infirmier de Centre de Santé Intégré. En plus du matériel, la petite pharmacie du centre de santé a été garnie en produits pharmaceutiques essentiels. Avec ces nouvelles conditions de travail, la fréquentation de la case de santé a augmenté. « Ce dernier trimestre, nous avons enregistré pas moins de 4.004 consultations», affirme Issaka. « des chiffres pareils témoignent de la pertinence d’une telle initiative ». En effet, des centres de santé équipés dans une zone comme celle de Boulkagou, c'est plus qu'une nécessité. Dans l'organisation pyramidale du système de santé au Niger, les Centres de Santé Intégrés constituent la structure de base offerte aux communautés villageoises pour leur procurer les premiers soins médicaux. Ils jouent le rôle de dispensaire et assure, avec un équipement minimum, les soins de santé primaires: consultation curative, vaccination et le planning familial, la consultation prénatale et l’accouchement. Les 15 structures réhabilitées, soutenues et approvisionnées par la CTB à travers le Projet d’Appui au Renforcement du Système de Santé du Niger (PARSS) améliorent donc considérablement l’accès à des soins de qualité pour plus de 90.000 habitants des régions de Maradi, Zinder et Tillabéri, en particulier en termes de protection maternelle et infantile. Contribuer à réduire la mortalité maternelle et néonatale « Accoucher au Niger apporte souvent une grande souffrance. J'ai rencontré d'énormes difficultés par le passé et j’ai déjà perdu 8 enfants. Lorsque j’ai accouché de mes derniers jumeaux, je me suis rendu ici et sans l’intervention du docteur je n’aurais peut-être pas survécu. Sans ce centre de santé, j'aurais dû me rendre à 45km d’ici pour recevoir les soins dont j’avais besoin. Même en louant la charrette de mon voisin, un tel voyage serait très difficile. Au moins maintenant, nous avons tout sur place et les soins sont de bonne qualité. » (Mariama, 35) « La région est classée comme une région pauvre », explique Issaka « Et la pauvreté est très associée à la santé maternelle. Beaucoup de mères ont des problèmes de reproduction. Nous voyons de nombreuses urgences obstétricales parce que les femmes vivent si loin, et, en cas d'urgence, les entraîner ici devient un défi » . « Au Niger, comme beaucoup de pays africains, la femme est responsable de sa famille. C'est elle qui s'occupe des enfants, nourrit la famille et veille à ce que la famille soit saine », nous confirme Dr Soumana Adamou Hamma, responsable national du projet PARSS. « La plupart de nigériens vivent dans des zones rurales et là, nous ne disposons pas d'installations de santé adéquates, de sorte que les femmes doivent parcourir de très longues distances pour rechercher des services de santé. Et c'est encore pire quand elles sont enceintes. Trop souvent, elles accouchent à la maison, peut-être avec une sage-femme traditionnelle, peut-être avec une belle-mère ou avec une voisine. Donc, quand il y a des complications, elles ne savent pas quoi faire et la femme est en risque de mourir », explique-t-il. «Nous mettons l'accent sur la fréquentation et surtout les soins aux femmes enceintes et aux enfants de moins de cinq ans ». À l'heure actuelle, la principale cause de mortalité maternelle au Niger est l'hémorragie. «Nous détenons le taux de fécondité le plus élevé au monde avec 7 enfants en moyenne par femme. Il est clair que cela entraine souvent des complications à l'accouchement. Les femmes saignent à mort pendant ou après l'accouchement parce qu'elles ne peuvent pas atteindre les établissements de santé. Pourtant, accoucher dans un centre médical est fondamental pour la santé de la mère et du nouveau-né. », nous dit Dr Hama, « C’est bien pour cela que nous sommes en partenariat avec le gouvernement nigérien, pour nous assurer que les services peuvent atteindre les mères et les enfants là où ils se trouvent ». Chiffres clés : - Le taux de mortalité maternelle au Niger se situe quant à lui à 553 décès pour 100.000 naissances vivantes , tandis que le taux de mortalité infanto-juvénile s'élève aujourd’hui à 26.8 pour 1.000 naissances vivantes. - Seulement 39.7% des accouchements sont assistés par du personnel formé. Le Projet d'Appui au Renforcement du Système de Santé (PARSS) appuie les système de santé nigérien à travers des investissements en infrastructures et équipements. Il s’agit notamment de la construction de 4 hôpitaux de district, la transformation de 15 cases de santé en centres de santé intégrés et un appui à l’organisation des consultations foraines et mobiles pour atteindre les populations résident dans des zones reculées .
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Un nouveau destin à travers la vannerie
Stephanie EECKMAN | 23/08/2017
La force et la résilience des femmes nigériennes est sans limite. A l’aube de la journée de la femme nigérienne, nous sommes fières de vous présenter Sahia, entrepreneuse, elle démontre son courage au quotidien. Ensemble, poursuivons notre combat pour garantir aux femmes la place qu’elles méritent dans notre société.
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La terre aux femmes qui la travaillent
Stephanie EECKMAN | 23/08/2017
Les femmes des villages reculés sont très rarement sous les feux des projecteurs, mais aujourd’hui, ce sont elles qui sont à l’honneur. Nous avons profité du 8 mars pour mettre en lumière une lutte importante qui reste à mener. Laquelle? Découvrez la réponse dans notre vidéo!
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La restitution publique, une confiance partagée
Stephanie EECKMAN | 23/08/2017
« Les séances de restitution publique nous permet de comprendre dans quels domaines, la commune a investi l’argent de nos impôts. Ce sont ce genre d’initiatives qui permettent de créer un climat de confiance entre la mairie et les administrés. » témoigne Abdoul Salam Garba, chef de village de Tounga Chao, un village au sud-est du Niger. Le Programme d’Appui à la Mise en place des Entités Décentralisées dans la région de Dosso, phase 2 (PAMEDII) accompagne 12 communes dans la région de Dosso dans l’amélioration de la gouvernance communale, notamment en matière de planification et de suivi du développement communal, de mobilisation et de gestion transparente des ressources locales et de promotion d’un dialogue et d’une concertation entre les acteurs communaux afin d’être véritablement au service de la population, améliorant les vies des plus pauvres et des plus vulnérables.
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HCMUT-TBI has a new image
Huong TRANTHANH | 23/08/2017
In the framework of operational sustainability, the BTC funded Science & Technology Start-up Incubator Project BIPP supported the Ho Chi Minh University of Technology - Technology Business Incubation Centre to further excel within Vietnams’ technology startup ecosystem. The university incubator recently partnership with a private sector company “UP” to upgrade the incubator with high-end co-working space facilities. The joint partnership mission between the University Incubator and UP is to support high quality incubation and co-working facilities for science & technology startups. UP has sound experiences throughout Vietnam in arranging state of the art co-working space facilities. The development business plan of the incubator isto provide an ideal destination in HCM for start-ups, VCs, lecturers, students as well as people interested in startups with a wide range of networking activities, workshops, trainings, etc. Through the recently completed upgrading and renovation, the incubator strongly supports technology-based start-up businesses and groups, as well as provide potential incubation tenants with a professional working environment to hedge their science & technology ideas for prototyping as well as testing market commercialization. The BIPP project financially assisted the refurbishment of the incubator with partial equipment and furniture
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Visit to the Business and Technology Incubator (BTI) at the Deanship of Community Service and Continuing Education at the Islamic University of Gaza
Laura SCHILLEMANS | 18/08/2017
The Business and Technology Incubator (BTI) at the Deanship of Community Service and Continuing Education at the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) received a delegation from the Belgian Development Agency (BTC) as part of the Business Start-Ups & Incubators Support Project (BSIS),which is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Belgian Development Agency. The BTI delegation consisted of Dr. Adel Awadallah, President of the Islamic University, Dr. Nazmi Al Masri, Vice President of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Saeed Al Ghura, Dean of Community and Continuing Service, Dr. Waseem Al Habil, Deputy Dean, Engineer Basil Qandeel, the representative of the BSIS project in Gaza, and the incubator's staff. The BTC delegation consisted of Mr. Dirk Deprez, Representative of the Belgian Development Agency in the Palestinian Territory, Mr. Raed Rajab, Technical Expert of the Agency, and Ms. Haneen Abu Nahla from the BTC office in Gaza. Dr. Awadallah welcomed the visiting delegation and expressed the Islamic University's pride in the visit and the distinguished strategic partnership between the IUG and the Belgian Development Agency. He expressed his hope to continue cooperation in matters that support youth, graduates and the entrepreneurial environment. Specifically, prioritizing and paying special attention to entrepreneurship and the support of entrepreneurial projects that will support and empower young people of both gender and provide sustainable employment opportunities for graduates and Palestinian youth in different sectors; thus, contributing to the local economy. Professor Awadallah stressed in his speech the strong relationship between the Palestinian private sector and the IUG which is considered an integral part of the national economy. During the visit, new facilities for the BTI were inaugurated that are funded by the BSIS project: a common/discussion room, training rooms, and a meeting room. The delegation then listened to a detailed explanation of the progress of the BSIS project, the most important activities carried out, the challenges encountered and how they were overcome. The delegation attended the meeting with the Islamic Relief to discuss the progress of funding that targets the start-ups included in the BSIS project. This was done in the presence of the B&S representative from Belgium, a key partner in the implementation of the project, and Mr. Raed Rajab. Mr. Deprez also praised the progress of the BSIS project in accordance with the specific plans and timeline, as well as the outstanding performance of the BTI which reflects high professionalism and he expressed his hope in achieving all the objectives of the BSIS project to develop the capacity of business incubators. The delegation of the Belgian Development Agency spent three days on incubator field visits inclusive of meets with ten operating start-ups along with other meetings centered around business related institutions. The project itself extends for a period of two years aiming to support the leading entrepreneurs of start-ups in areas such as technical, logistical, and business operations from the six business incubators in different governorates.
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Work-Based Learning (WBL) strategy meeting in Gaza
Laura SCHILLEMANS | 18/08/2017
A third meeting with key stakeholders took place in Gaza to finalize the main pillars of the WBL strategy.BTC is working, through the Enhancing Capacities for institution building (ECIB) project, on a national WBL strategy that will be finalized by the end of this year. The work is implemented by OPTIMUM consultancy firm which is working closely with 2 thematic working groups in West Bank and Gaza Strip.TVET institutions and representatives from the TVET departments at the MoE, the MoL and the LET council in Gaza were present to work together with the private sector on this first step to nationalize WBL and to integrate it within the TVET system.
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Towards inclusive participation and gender equality in Local Economic Development
Simon DESCHUTTER | 17/08/2017
The Rwandan Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA) isan important partner of the Rwanda Decentralisation Support Programme (RDSP). The organisation aims to assist local governmententities in achieving their mission, complying with principles of good governance and decentralization.Local Economic Development (LED) is at the heart of RALGA’s mandate. LED Policy Analyst Vincent Rutaremara explains: “The absolute objective of LED is to improve the standards of living for all. At RALGA, we want to develop income generating activities and create employment. The ultimate goal is that the situation of each member of the local community improves.”Inclusive LED ProcessesRALGA - with the support of RDSP - is promoting inclusive participation and gender equality in LED processes. “In order to be effective, LED must be inclusive. It is a multi-sector process which involves many actors: government representatives at district level, private sector, civil society organizations, community members, women, youth, disabled people, etc. All those actors have views and opinions that need to be taken into account to foster economic development at local level” states Vincent Rutaremara.RALGA recently conducted a study to determine whether the environment in the 8 pilot districts of the RDSP programme is favourable to the participation of various stakeholders in LED-related decisions. The study has helped RALGA to better understand which factors are enabling or hindering the optimal participation of stakeholders.Mr. Rutaremara summarises some of the conclusions: “The Rwandan state has an important role to play by putting in place the institutional framework, the system enabling different stakeholders to participate to the planning and decision-making processes at local level. But each actor also needs to understand his role and have the capacities to contribute and engage in a constructive way. This will guarantee ownership of the decisions by the community and increase the chances of success of a policy during the implementation phase.”Policy dialogue & RALGA's commitments Capacity building, LED awareness activities and dissemination of information are essential if we want to involve people at local level. After the study, RALGA conducted a broad-based policy dialogue in order to confront the stakeholders with some of the findings. “It is important that local actors understand what we are looking for and commit themselves to inclusive LED processes. They need to be able to reach out to the group of people they represent and engage them in one way or another.”RALGA wants to reactivate and give a more important role to the Joint Action Development Forums. This mechanism gathers all the LED actors at district level. “We need to make sure that the forums are more inclusive and active.” In addition, RALGA is committed to develop the capacities of key stakeholders essentially representative from the private sector, from women’s group and the youth.“At the end, we want to have a consolidated view that can accommodate each and every category of people in the districts. But some representatives lack the necessary knowledge and the will to implement inclusive LED processes. This needs to change. We will also make sure that gender mainstreaming is systematically integrated into LED. Eventually, we also commit ourselves to disseminate LED policies in Kinyarwanda in order to make sure people are aware of what they can achieve and develop at local level” concludes Vincent Rutaremara.
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Instant skills training to maintain water and Sanitation installation in refugee settlement
Josephine OMUNYIDDE | 17/08/2017
As Uganda maintains open borders to South Sudanese refugees, unprecedented mass influx continues to place enormous strain on the country’s public services and local infrastructure. Six (6) months after the South Sudan civil war broke out in July 2016, more than quarter of a million refugees had filled a formerly forested area, making Bidi-Bidi the world’s 2nd largest refugee settlement in the world. This kind of migration requires enormous logistical operation towards the basic services such as access to safe, reliable and affordable drinking water. Water trucking which is one support system in meeting this need remains expensive thus creation of other sustainable means. Hand water pumps commonly known as bore holes, are a source of clean water that is put in place to serve a growing number of the refugees and host community with daily water supply. Yet with low maintenance and repairs, the rate at which the water is pumped keeps diminishing and causing the pumps to break down. “Two months ago, the bore hole of our village broke down and it took more than one day to repair it. By the time water was delivered by trucks, sanitation of the village was becoming unbearable. I remember watching the men repairing the borehole hoping to learn from them so that I can help the next time, but it was difficult. Now I have the skills to repair the bore hole, I will rescue the community”, says Fraser Lomeling from Bidi-Bidi.The Refugee Welfare Council (RWC) leader of village 6 in zone 2 noticed Fraser’s enthusiasm and recommended him for the “hand pump mechanics” pilot instant skills training organised by BTC. Fraser says in excitement “This is the best training. With the skills I have gained, I will maintain the bore hole in my village and there will be immediate response in case of breakdown” With the instant skills training voucher scheme, BTC aims to improve quality of labour force and support the self-reliance of refugees and host communities by providing them with the skills to foresee in the delivery of basic services. Paulo and Fraser are among the 15 youth that underwent the pilot instant skills training in hand pump mechanics at Lokopio Vocational Institute in Bidi-Bidi refugee settlement. The 10-day training organised by the Belgian Development Agency (BTC) will empower these youths to maintain and repair the hand water pumps in their respective zones of residence. This 4-year Support to Skilling Uganda (SSU) project funded by European Union Trust Fund focuses on increasing access to quality labour market relevant skills and entrepreneurship as part of the Support Program for Refugees and host communities in the Northern Uganda (SPRS-NU). Like several youths in the camps, Fraser is a head of a household comprised of 5 younger brothers. While Paulo is married with one child but takes care of an extended family; responsibilities such as these without sustainable income leave livelihoods on the brink. With the on-going civil war in South Sudan and an average arrival of 2,000 refugees daily, the number of unemployed youth such as Fraser and Paulo is evidently increasing.As a high school drop-out Fraser, plans to use the hand pump mechanic skills gained to earn income to take care of his siblings and also upgrade his studies in mechanics when he returns to South Sudan. Paulo finished his A-level in 2013 and plans to enroll for a diploma in engineering.Given the severity of the South Sudan humanitarian crisis, the EUTF’s SPRS-NU interventions such as instant, qualitative, tailor made and innovative skills development responding to identified skills gap, will improve livelihoods through income generation of over 4,000 youth, women and girls within the refugee and host community.
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Digitalisation for education (D4E) - Piloting of a VR Skills Channel
William YEKA | 16/08/2017
11 August 2017Background Many employers in Uganda have raised concerns about the quality of graduates from technical and vocational institutes saying that they lack the necessary skills and attributes expected in a work environment.In response, the government of Uganda developed a ten-year Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) strategic plan, dubbed 'Skilling Uganda' (SU). It aims to install a comprehensive system of skills development for employment, enhanced productivity and growth. The main objective of the strategy is to create employable skills and competencies relevant in the labour market.The Belgian Development Agency is one of the partners supporting the implementation of this strategy through a project called 'Support to Skilling Uganda' (SSU).Work-based learning Key on the Skilling Uganda agenda is closing the gap between the world of training and the world of work. The project hopes to achieve this through innovative initiatives such as work-based learning. Its aim is to expose trainees to the realities of the private sector in order to learn and develop workplace competencies. Through this work-based learning approach, Skilling Uganda aims to successfully adapt training to labour market needs. In remote areas, such as the agro-pastoral region of Karamoja in North-Eastern Uganda or the refugee settlements in Northern Uganda, the limited number of companies is a stumbling block to the practice of work-based learning. To address this challenge, BTC Uganda has embraced the use of virtual reality (VR) at grassroots level. VR to the rescue To expose students in remote areas to the reality of the world of work, BTC Uganda is developing a VR skills channel. It produces short term ‘how to’ clips to provide viewers with a virtual immersion into real work settings.In June 2017, VR technology was piloted as an ICT support to a training for hand pump mechanics at the refugee settlements in Northern Uganda. The ambition is to scale up the production of such 'how to' VR clips in the coming months to enhance skills development in a wider set of trades.How it works The idea behind the roll-out of this VR pilot is to keep it simple. In practice, only four digital tools are used to carry out the virtual reality experience; a 360° camera, a smart phone, a VR app and VR glasses. The entire VR pilot described here, costs less than 1000€. Developing a 360° 'How to' clipUP-STREAMSeek company: Liaise with Uganda's exceptional private sector actors to access their facilities such as a workshop, a garage, etc. Record 'how to' video clips using a 360° camera: Focus on specific trades and concentrate on a particular activity with well-defined learning outcomes.MID-STREAMInject spatial media metadata: Add metadata to a video file to achieve a 360° effect.Upload on YouTube 360° channel: YouTube automatically uploads film as a 360° video because of the injected metadata.DOWN-STREAMDownload videos on micro SD card ensuring offline access to VR clips.Watch in class: Trainees can watch the videos in class as teaching aids through the use of simple VR glasses or a Google cardboard. Why? Immersion into a trade. The VR technology creates an immersion effect that helps viewer’s feel as if they are physically present at the sites where the action in the video took place. This gives the users an insight into what happens in a ‘first class’ workshop; projecting the viewer straight into the kitchen of a five-star hotel or the garage of a recognized brand.Teaser and fun to watch. It attracts youth, grabs their attention and gives them a playful way out of their daily environment such as refugee settlement. Where? To ensure a sustainable access to the ‘how to’ clips, an openly accessible, reliable and free of cost VR repository is required, ideally based on an open source platform. For this pilot, the YouTube 360° channel was chosen. By simply uploading the ‘how to’ clips on YouTube 360 and by labelling them with specific hashtags such as #VRskillsChannel #SkillingUganda and e.g. #WaterPumpMechanics #MotorVehicleMechanics, a Skilling Uganda environment is created. Who? BTC Uganda works closely with industry players of the Ugandan private sector to make this a reality. These local actors are recognized as champions of industry in Uganda. Bottom-up production of videos enables public-private partnerships between training providers and companies and allows for recognition of local champions (product placement).The skills development trainees or anyone interested in a certain skillset can access the VR 'how to' clips of their choice anywhere at any time by simply filtering on the hashtags, hereby entering a Ugandan virtual learning environment.For off-the-grid classroom use in remote areas such as refugee settlements, the clips are preselected and preloaded on a number of devices.So far, the following productions are available. Pump Assembly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGW0RzOzCfM&t=83s #WaterPumpMechanics #VRskillsChannel #SkillingUgandaProcess of liquid soap making https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkp1p8B_eKM #LiquidSoapMaking #VRskillsChannel #SkillingUgandaMotor Vehicle Repair https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngQDT0A_ClQ #MotorVehicleMechanics #VRskillsChannel #SkillingUganda What? The pilot plans to build a repository of VR work-based learning through a set of 'how to' clips. This shall be done in a number of trades in Uganda, including but not limited to;Green skills: Fuel/energy efficient stoves, briquette making, electronics repair, forestation /tree nursery bed managementAgriculture: Organic pesticide and fertilizer production, fruit vegetables production and processing, post-harvest handling/ value addition in agriculture, basics of animal health management, bee keeping and value addition to honey bee products, fish processing, and handlingConstruction: Masonry/brick laying, tile and glass fitting, plumbing, painting and decoration/interior designing, landscaping and gardening.Handcraft: Ceramic production, weaving and mat making, leather work and shoe making, tailoring and garment cutting, manufacturing, tin smiting, black smithing, entrepreneurship skills training. Hair dressing/ barber, car washing, car battery charging and repair, soap making, baking, photography and audio production.
