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600 officials trained on the automated Project Cycle Management System for public investment
Huong TRANTHANH | 10/07/2017
The Vietnamese Government is rapidly modernizing its administration. Since 1977, a paper-based system was used to plan, implement and monitor all public investment nationwide. This has become a very inefficient and time-consuming method prone to errors. CDPR has supported this effort by organizing trainings to introduce the database and the automated Project Cycle Management System (PCM) for public Investment to decentralized Local governments. The new system has all features of modern management software: electronic signature for decision-making, new adapted formats for reporting and updating planning. By July 2017, 600 officials of 38 local governments throughout the country have been trained so far. It is expected that the use of the IT system will improve efficiency of administration, smoother implementation of projects, tighter cost control and better development results. Capacity Development for Planning Reform (CDPR) is the last remaining project of the Belgian government in support to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI). Its main objective is to strengthen the Vietnamese government capacity at central and at local level to improve efficiency of planning and public investment as to foster strong and equitable social progress and economic development. Enhanced use of IT tools in combination with the introduction of a new Public Investment Law will certainly have a palpable impact on social and economic progress. CDPR is in its final phase and is expected to end by end 2018.
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Students of Ha Tinh University participated in the forum “Climate Change and responsibilities of the youth”
Huong TRANTHANH | 10/07/2017
After one month call, the photo contest “Climate change and responsibility of the youth” received more than 100 photos from students of Ha Tinh University. 10 best ones were chosen for awards. The award ceremony was held on 8th June 2017 in Ha Tinh city, as part of the Forum “Climate Change and responsibilities of the youth!” The event was co-organized by the Project Coordination Unit of SRDP – IWMC Ha Tinh in cooperation with Ha Tinh University, as part of the project's awareness raising and community development activities. More than 300 students of Ha Tinh University participated in this forum and shared their thoughts with experts in Climate changes (CC) on various topics including the reasons for CC, what the students can do to contribute to the city's resilient efforts towards CC. The project also works with selected departments of the university, so that students of the final year can get support to implement their final projects with regard to CC issues.
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Students in Ha Tinh city joined drawing contest: “Ha Tinh –My city”
Huong TRANTHANH | 10/07/2017
On 21 May 2017, The Project Coordination Unit of SRDP-IWMC Ha Tinh collaborated with the Bureau of Education &Training (BOET) and The Youth Union of Ha Tinh city organized a drawing contest named “Ha Tinh – My city”. The contest attracted more than 500 students from primary and secondary schools in Ha Tinh city, covering multiple topics such as “Green homes, green schools”, “Water saving”, “Ha Tinh city in the future”, and "Climate change effects resilience" Completed paintings were exhibited at Ly Tu Trong park right in the city center, attracting thousands of parents, students and local residents. The event hope to raise the awareness among the children on Climate changes and how to contribute to a modern and green city.
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My HIV status does not impact my future
Josephine OMUNYIDDE | 04/07/2017
“My name is Avayo Denis. I am 19 years old and I am HIV positive. I have been living positively since 2012 and am now on ARV treatment. My family and I came from South Sudan in 2016 as a result of the crisis.” Denis’s classmates at the catering class in the Skills Training Center of Welthunger Hilfe in Rhino Camp in Northern Ugandan district of Arua refer to him as “Manager Denis” because he aspires to become a manager of a hotel one day. One striking thing about Denis is that he does not try to hide his HIV status and has written on the right side of his pocket shirt – “HIV++++”. He says: “Life for me has just started. My health status does not impact my future, because these catering skills I am learning will make me self-reliant in society while fighting stigma among youth living with HIV/AIDS”. In recognition of the vulnerable persons such as Denis, the Support Programme for Refugee Settlements and Host Communities in Northern Uganda (SPRS-NU) funded by European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) addresses cross cutting issues in its programmes supporting the refugee and host communities in Northern Uganda. As such, BTC Uganda is operating a Skills Development Fund that is specifically targeting vulnerable youth to acquire skills relevant for the labour market and is working with training centers in the settlements to mainstream gender and HIV awareness in the curricula.
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‘Unfortunately a lot of diseases are still poverty related’
Thea MATHUES | 29/06/2017
Doctor Daniel Okello has worked for Angal Hospital, in the Northern region of Uganda, for over 6 years. The hospital is situated in a poor and rural area and faces, like many health facilities in the region, a lack of means and under-staffing. Still doctor Okello carries on: "In this hospital we look out for each other, the job satisfaction makes it worth to push through the hard times." I’ve been with this hospital for 6 years now. I came here fresh from school because, they urgently needed medical officers. In the beginning I had a hard time adjusting. The place is remote compared to Gulu, the city I’m from, but as soon as you adjust your mind-set, you can handle it. Most people in this area are living in poverty. Therefore a lot of diseases are poverty related and could be easily avoided, if not for the lack of recourses people face. You see this for example in perforations of intestines due to bad food patterns when people eat roots or bad herbs. A lot could be prevented given the correct health education. This could truly make a difference. I try to take the time to teach my patients, teach mothers about basic healthcare for their children. But this takes a lot of time and as a doctor you are often the only one in a ward. Taking 20 to 30 minutes per patient to talk things through isn’t always possible and takes a lot of effort. Student lifeIn 2009 I finished my training through an internship in Gulu hospital and went straight to Angal. When you are a medical student it is all about the books and the exams. Doing my internship in a town setting also made it easy. It got me thinking: ‘this doctor thing is rather easy’. But there is much more you need to take into account. I realized the climate, the culture of the people, the working conditions can vary a lot. Overall I think it is important to understand as a trainee that what you learn in class is less than 20% of what you do on the ground.As a kid I admired doctors. I wanted to become like them, even though I didn’t really understand what they were doing. So when I got older I informed myself on the profession and decided I wanted to go ahead with my childhood dream. I have never regretted it. Result-based financingI like the quality aspect that comes with introducing result-based financing. Before we didn’t always take blood pressure of every patient, we didn’t do a full lab test. Instead we mainly treated patients based on a doctors clinical assessment. Now we fully investigate. This has made a big difference. We now know in advance if people are fit for operation. We spend more time with each patient and have more drugs than before to treat people. We are happy with the support from BTC but I think we could still benefit from more regular visits of the project team. Result-Based Financing is not an easy system to implement. It really takes a complete mentality shift. Therefore it is good to have close contact with each other. ChallengesOne big challenge remains the lack of qualified staff. We are understaffed and under paid. With more patients coming in due to lower fees, it creates more fatigue with staff. We are in need of specialized medical doctors and not just generalists. If possible I would love to go back in for training. Some of our wards are too small. We currently have about 70 beds in the children’s ward, but during busy times almost 200 children stay there. They sleep on the floor to save space. In future, this needs to change.Working togetherWhat I like about Angal hospital is that regarding of the circumstances we really work together as a team. We look out for each other. Besides this, the job satisfaction makes it worth to push through the hard times. As a final remark I want to say that our lab has recently really improved, which has made our work easier and made us deliver higher quality care.
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Focus Group in Porto Henrique
Stephan CLAES | 28/06/2017
To improve and promote access to modern and renewable energy in Mozambique, BTC cooperates closely with the Mozambican national energy institution (Fundo de Energia - FUNAE) since 2010. In this light, the RERD project (Renewable Energy for Rural Development) was created, focusing on access to energy in rural areas. For this project, a team of international experts conducted a market study to find renewable energy solutions for off-grid communities in rural Mozambique. The study also looked into the potential role FUNAE could play in promoting private sector engagement in the renewable energy market. According to the study, one option lies in creating favourable conditions to privatize renewable energy solutions in off-grid communities, including the sale and maintenance of small solar systems for households and small businesses. The use of these solar systems typically leads to electricity solutions that are safer, lower cost, and cleaner than the alternatives currently used by the rural communities. In this light, BTC, FUNAE, and its team of consultants conducted a feasibility study in the village of Porto Henrique to assess how much money local residents spend each month on electricity, and what they use it for. Results from the initial questionnaire, which was conducted in February 2017, led to the organisation of a focus group to find out more about the local population’s habits and expectations in terms of electricity use. On 23 March 2017, the focus group assembled a small number of people from different families representing the overall population of the village. The discussions held revealed that most of them currently rely on battery powered torches or gasoline lamps to light up their house at night, and that they charge their phones in the local shop for a small fee with electricity generated by a generator. Light and the charging of cell phones were the primary uses of electricity, and residents of the village spend around 350 Meticais per month on the electricity for these uses. This information was very useful, and helped finalize the market study for potential private investors in the recent weeks. Additionally, in order to find out whether or not local residents would be interested in purchasing a home solar system (to be paid off with a monthly payment plan for 3 years), BTC and its team of consultants demonstrated an easy to install and user friendly home solar system of 50 watts. This device would enable the local population to illuminate their house with three bright LED lights, charge phones, and listen to the radio or watch TV. For those that want a more powerful installation, for example to also run a fridge or freezer, larger solar installations that produce more electricity are available. The solar devices are provided by the Solarworks company, one of the private actor implementers of the pilot projects. The first impression BTC and the consultants received from the focus group was positive: they were very interested in the different solutions offered, and indicated the willingness to invest in home solar systems. Therefore, BTC and its partners look forward to further implement the pilot projects to provide local populations in rural Mozambique with green energy solutions.
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Rebuilding lives for South Sudanese refugees in Northern Uganda: EUTF SPRS-NU Video
Josephine OMUNYIDDE | 28/06/2017
10 months after fresh violence erupted in South Sudan, a famine produced by the vicious combination of fighting and drought is now driving the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis. Uganda currently hosts more than 900,000 South Sudanese refugees. Among them are some 600,000 new arrivals who have poured into Uganda since July 2016. And thousands continue to arrive daily. With present rates, that figure will surpass a million before mid - 2017.86 % are women and children. Uganda has one of the most progressive and exemplary refugee policies in the world. Upon receiving refugee status, the policy provides that refugees are provided with small areas of land in villages integrated within the local host community; a pioneering approach that enhances social cohesion and allows both refugees and host communities to live together peacefully. However, even the most welcoming policy has its limits. The unprecedented mass influx is increasingly placing enormous strain on public services, local infrastructure and environment. Land allocations are limited. Humanitarian response faces chronic and severe under-funding. Lack of livelihood activities and education, sustainable water supply and environmental degradation are among the biggest development challenges. Under the EU Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF), The Support Programme for Host Communities in the Northern Uganda (SPRS-NU) has been established in 2016. The overall objective of the action is to reduce the risk of violent conflict between host communities and refugees in the refugee-hosting districts of Northern Uganda, namely Adjumani, Arua, Kiryandongo and Yumbe. This project, implemented by Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC), Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and NGO Consortium (led by the Danish Refugee Council), addresses the developmental needs of South Sudanese refugees and host communities in Northern Uganda. This is done through support to improving their living conditions by enhancing food security, inter community dialogue and conflict prevention, and provision of basic services such as education, water and sanitation. This video shows both the situation in the Northern Uganda and how the €20 million SPRS programme in Northern Uganda, channeled through the EU Trust Fund for Africa, helps South Sudanese refugees and host communities.
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WORK BASED LEARNING
William YEKA | 28/06/2017
Uganda's renown private sector players discuss their readiness to support work based learning. Work based learning is an educational strategy that provides trainees with real-life work experiences where they can apply academic and technical skills and develop employability skills.
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Only girl, graduated on top of her skills training class
Josephine OMUNYIDDE | 28/06/2017
22-year old Viko Gloria graduated on top of her class in January 2017 from the Skills Training Centre of Welthunger Hilfe. She is now a co-instructor for the Carpentry and Joinery class at the center in Rhino Settlement in Arua District, Northern Uganda. “My performance was good and that is why I was retained to teach. I am already earning a salary and I also plan to make furniture such as beds and roofing material for sale to earn extra income during my free time” says Gloria. With this additional savings income, Gloria will be able to take care of her parents and educate her younger siblings. Gloria was among the youth attaining livelihood and labor market relevant quality skills to create jobs and improve their standards of living. Gloria was the only girl in her class. Moreover, the class that she teaches currently has no female student neither, nevertheless with her recent promotion she plays a role model among fellow young girls. She is one of the few nationals from the host community at the center. The Ugandan Government programme ‘REHOPE‘ focuses on integrating both refugees and host communities in its programme ensuring co-existence. BTC-Uganda promotes skills development as part of the Support Programme for Refugees Settlements and Host Communities in Northern Uganda (SPRS-NU) funded by European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF). It is supporting improved training programmes such the one Gloria graduated from. By working with national Ministry of Education and Sports BTC Uganda aims to ensure quality, standardization and certification of skills training for refugees and host communities.
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Les forgerons de Gemena, de nouveau des hommes debout !
Julie CLAASSENS | 28/06/2017
Les artisans forgerons jouent un rôle très important dans l’économie locale de Gemena. Ils adaptent des vélos pour le transport de lourdes charges, ils produisent de petits outillages domestiques et ruraux, ils construisent de réchauds améliorés qui limitent la consommation de bois, ainsi de suite. Malheureusement ces forgerons sont très démunis et ne possèdent pas, pour la plupart, d’outils performants et d’équipements de sécurité. Ils travaillent généralement assis et avec des méthodes peu ergonomiques et très fatigantes. En plus, il n’y a pas d’école de forge à Gemena. Pour faire face à ces problèmes et afin d’appuyer le secteur privé, la CTB soutient les forgerons à travers un subside, qui permet leur accompagnement quotidien et un appui à leur structuration. C’est dans ce cadre qu’un forgeron bruxellois de la société Feu et Fer, spécialisé dans l’organisation de stages et de formations de forge, est venu à Gemena début juin pour donner une première formation de dix jours. Cette formation avait pour objectif de former les forgerons qui deviendraient ensuite formateurs et elle comprenait dans son programme des aspects techniques mais aussi pédagogiques. Les échanges se faisaient entre professionnels sur base de leurs savoirs réciproques. D’abord, une grande attention a été accordée aux questions ergonomiques -c’est-à-dire faire des gestes respectueux du corps- et aux questions de sécurité. Il s’agissait d’enseigner des pratiques correctes, dont un point très important était de passer d’une stature de travail assise à debout en plaçant les enclumes sur un billot de bois et en utilisant un foyer de forge à même hauteur que l’enclume.En plus de l’utilisation des enclumes le maître forgeron a montré d’autres outils, comme les pinces. D’ailleurs, la formation a permis de montrer aux forgerons qu’ils pouvaient fabriquer eux-mêmes la plupart des outils dont ils avaient besoin. Par exemple, les forgerons ont fabriqué une plane afin de pouvoir finaliser la fabrication de manches pour leurs marteaux. Cet outil, la plane, était inconnu à Gemena. Enfin, ils ont également appris à travailler le fer en le portant à la bonne température. La formation a sans doute servi de révélateur de toutes leurs possibilités. A la fin des dix jours, le forgeron Alfred témoignait : « Moi, je n’ai pas la chance d’avoir une vraie enclume. J’utilise un vieux bloc moteur. Mais maintenant, je vais placer mon bloc moteur en hauteur, sur un billot de bois. Je ne veux plus travailler assis ».La cerise sur le gâteau était l’importation à Gemena d’une dizaine d’enclumes et d’autres outillages, ainsi que d’équipements de sécurité. Il s’agit maintenant de réfléchir avec l’association des forgerons aux manières d’utiliser tout d’une manière durable.
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Work in progress: A new building for the Hebron Industrial Secondary School
Laura SCHILLEMANS | 28/06/2017
A few snapshots from our visit to the new facilities of the Hebron Industrial Secondary School. The new building will be ready in October and it will host seven TVET specializations, of which the first three are new for the school: Central heating / plumbing / AC (installation)Metal workshopAC (repair) + refrigerationComputer workshopElectronic workshopElevator technologyBuilding management systemWe already look forward to the inauguration!
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BIPP PASS MIDTERM REVIEW
Huong TRANTHANH | 28/06/2017
On June 23rd, 2017 the BIPP MTR was completed with the restitution workshop where the MTR consultant presented their findings and recommendations. The workshop was attended by senior representatives of MoST, BTC Resident Representative as well as some key project stakeholders. The Development Cooperation Counselor of the Belgian Embassy presented as well. The MTR consultant delivered a concise presentation on BIPP overall implementation performance since project inception. In conclusion, despite BIPP’s difficult start-up phase, the project is on course to meet most of its objectives. BIPP is highly aligned to national strategies and policies of the Government of Vietnam and MoST for private sector development. More concretely, the project has made important achievements in determining best practices and lessons learnt to support incubator policy development, piloting of a grant seed fund and two TBIs with 38 tenants. The main challenges rest with management for results. There is insufficient evidence at this stage to conclude that the observed dynamic of the intervention and the piloting of Innofund and one TBI are sustainable. However, discussions with the stakeholders suggest that they can be successfully addressed. In addition, the MTR consultant highlighted few important recommendations for BIPP to consider centering on: Activation of the inter-ministerial and inter-agency cooperation to strengthen the network and communication of the valuable policy support tools developed by BIPP to a much wider public and private sector audience; Complementing the existing M&E system by additional impact assessments and surveys of final beneficiaries. This should help to assess more precisely impact, cost effectiveness and lessons learned from the project; Increase of the likelihood of sustainability of the supported Technology Business Incubators and development of a realistic survival strategy for them; BIPP will closely look into the MTR recommendations and will instigate appropriate implementation actions respectively.
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The role of the private sector in skills development
Hanna DEKERK | 28/06/2017
How can an increased involvement of the private sector improve business, technical and vocational education and training (BTVET) in Uganda? Some key private sector actors share their views.
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“In Uganda refugees get a chance to rebuild their lives” Minister Alexander De Croo visits the Bidi Bidi refugee settlement
Hanna DEKERK | 28/06/2017
On Thursday 22/06 Belgian Minister for Development Alexander De Croo visited the Bidi Bidi refugee settlement in Northern Uganda. Since the South-Sudanese conflict erupted in July 2016, Uganda has taken in 900.000 of its refugees. Bidi Bidi now hosts 270.000 people fleeing violence and hunger in South-Sudan, making it the 2nd largest settlement in the world after Syria. The Ugandan refugee policy is a particularly compassionate one, granting migrants land to build a home and the right to travel and work. Minister De Croo was impressed by the countries’ efforts, stating that “In Uganda refugees get a chance to rebuild their lives”. The nexus between development and humanitarian responseBTC is one of the three partners implementing a 4-year Support Programme for Refugee Settlements in Northern Uganda , a 20 million Euro programme funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF). Throughout Uganda, BTC and the MOES are jointly implementing the Support to Skilling Uganda (SSU) project, which aims at making technical and vocational training more relevant for the local economic setting and more accessible. Within the EUTF funded programme in Northern Uganda, this means adapting skills development & entrepreneurship training to the needs of the refugee settlements and host communities. Finding its space in the nexus between development and the humanitarian response, SSU seeks to improve the quality and standardization of trainings by adapting the national Skilling Uganda approach to the specific skills needs of the refugee & host communities. Through the Skills Development Fund, SSU stimulates bottom-up joint ventures that provide vocational training and entrepreneurship support by partnering up with training providers, NGOs and the local private sector. During his visit, Minister De Croo visited pilot short-term trainings in soap making and hand water pump maintenance, supporting 30 women and girls selected in partnership with CEFORD, a community based organization, and 15 youth from the refugee and host communities. “"This is the way to go” For the most vulnerable, trainings are allocated via a voucher scheme of ‘instant trainings’ that supports livelihood and income generating activities for youth, women and girls of the refugees and host communities. The voucher scheme breaks down skills provision into its smallest possible form, hereby addressing humanitarian concerns through a development approach. Minister De Croo officially stated that “During my visit to the north of Uganda, I visited Belgian funded skilling projects strengthening the resilience of both South Sudanese refugees and host communities. Given the numerous protracted conflicts in the world, I am convinced this is the way to go.”
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"Our doors are open" Minister Alexander De Croo visits the Roofings factory in Kampala
Hanna DEKERK | 26/06/2017
On Wednesday 21/06 the Support to Skilling Uganda project, together with the Belgian Embassy, organized a visit of Belgian Minister for Development Alexander De Croo to the Roofings factory in Kampala. Roofings Group employs over 2000 staff in Uganda, making it one of the country’s biggest enterprises. The company produces steel and plastic building products for both the local Ugandan market and the markets of the East African Community and COMESA. This is done through the principle of “local content”, where skills are needed for the localized production of goods for the East African market.“Our doors are open” BTC supports the Skilling Uganda Strategy proposes private sector involvement in skills development as the game changer in the Business, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) system. The goal is to spearhead modern, innovative, demand driven skills development approaches that meet the needs of the Ugandan labour market. This can only be achieved by bridging the gap between the world of school and the world of work and creating public private partnerships in skills development.The visit to Roofings showcases how such a partnership on skills development can be approached together with the private sector. International experience shows that effective and relevant skills development systems are built on strong alliances with employers and the business sector. Such alliances involve joint efforts in policy development, planning, monitoring and quality assurance. However, equally important are partnerships in training delivery and training finance. As Mister Lalani, chairman and founder of Roofings, stated “Our doors are open to become more involved in skills development”. A Win-Win situation After a guided tour of the factory, Minister De Croo and the Roofings team discussed the Win-Win situation where the private sector engages in skills development for BTVET students and graduates through hands-on training and qualitative apprenticeships and internships, while at the same time easing the intake of well-trained future personnel and improving the quality of the company’s labor force. They agreed that work-based learning is indispensable to bridge the gap between the world of work and the world of training. Thierry Foubert added that through piloting a skills development fund together with the Private Sector Foundation of Uganda, BTC stimulates bottom-up public private partnership for innovating training modalities such as lifelong learning. The debate was rounded-up with the role of the private sector in setting up training and certification standards for BTVET. Practical tests can allow employees who acquired their skills on-the-job to obtain a valid certification, also for the informal economy. Minister De Croo added that “with the right certificate, that person can take a next step in his or her career.”
