A new suite of supply chain courses is now available for humanitarians to access for free on Kaya.

Save the Children International has partnered with HELP Logistics and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy with support from Amazon to create six versatile courses within this digital masterclass, that cover key supply chain fundamentals.

Megan Bassford, Global Head of Supply Chain Planning and Capability at Save the Children International said: “We’re excited to have partnered with HELP Logistics and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy with support from Amazon to launch these high-quality courses.  The supply chain masterclass will strengthen knowledge in supply chain management across our sector. The courses are designed to cater to various levels of experience from new entrants to leaders in the area of supply chain management within the humanitarian sector, as well as to mid and senior level humanitarians in different functions including Programmes, Finance and Award Management.”

James Maltby, Head of Digital Learning at the Humanitarian Leadership Academy said: “The supply chain masterclass is an excellent addition to the plethora of resources available to our learners on Kaya. The courses are easy to access and navigate. We’re excited that over 718,000 learners on Kaya now have this additional resource to learn with and share on their networks. We hope that more humanitarians will take advantage of this training series.”

This is an interactive, self-taught, free training series of best practices and innovative concepts in supply chain for the humanitarian and development sectors.

The courses have been developed based on content from Save the Children’s over 100 years of delivering goods and services in crisis situations with HELP Logistics, a major player whose mission is to be a catalyst for transferring supply chain and logistics knowledge to improve the lives, and economic potential of vulnerable people and communities.

Participants in these courses can expect to gain or build knowledge through the following topics:                                                                        

1. Unlocking the supply chain: a guide for non-supply chain staff

2. A step-by-step journey into supply chain planning

3. Embedding sustainability into end-to-end supply chains

4. Warehouse management in action

5. Mastering asset management

6. The essentials of Good Distribution Practice

CLICK on the links above to view the courses.

The courses are free and available on Kaya. The supply chain masterclass courses are also available on DisasterReady and HELP Logistics learning platform.

From the end of 2023 until the first quarter of 2024, the Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA) team in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) strengthened the capacity of 59 humanitarians from local organisations across Peru and Guatemala.

Humanitarian Operations Programme (HOP) a flagship training programme and one from the HLA’s preparedness portfolio, covers the essential elements of setting up and running a humanitarian response. HOP is designed to provide humanitarians with a platform for a successful career, allowing humanitarians to gain theoretical knowledge and practice the skills needed to respond to unique emergencies in the region. These skills and knowledge can then be shared with others.

In December 2023, the first HOP Fundamentals held in Lima, Peru was the starting point. The team built on the success of last year to reach more local organisations in and around Peru and Guatemala, the two pilot countries for this project.

Mercedes Garcia, Regional Humanitarian Capacity Building Advisor at Save the Children and HLA LAC Lead said, “It is important for us to be proactive and meet the interests and training needs of local partner organisations in our region who are the first responders to current crisis and any that may arise in the future.”

In Guatemala, twenty participants from local organisations including indigenous NGOs, local governments from different regions of the country and from Save the Children International offices received a five-day HOP Core training. HOP Core aims to strengthen knowledge, skills and behaviours to respond effectively and prepare to respond to emergencies.

Francisco Aceituno, Risk Director of the Municipality of Sacalupas, Guatemala participated in the training, he said:

“In the Humanitarian Operations Programme I learned about the types of disasters, how to assess needs and formulate project proposals. In addition, with the simulation I strengthened my knowledge about the financial component within a proposal and how this is linked to interventions. I will put it into practice in my municipality, considering the preparation to respond in the face of all risks and hazards that affect this area, such as floods caused by overflowing rivers that generate physical and material losses”.

Strengthening capacity of El Niño responders

HOP graduates advance to become trainers after a train the trainer (TtT) session as was the case in the city of Chiclayo, department of Lambayeque, Peru. Out of 9 people who completed the TtT training, five newly certified trainers delivered a HOP Core training to 20 participants more.

Fiorella Chanta, a volunteer manager at the local organization Nic Maish in Lambayeque, is one of the newly certified HOP trainers and was a facilitator in the training. She shared her experience:

“I have learned so much from this training, especially because of the topics that have been addressed, which I feel have strengthened my knowledge. To me, it was truly wonderful to witness the teamwork and cohesion among those of us who facilitated a HOP Core training right afterward completing the TtT, because together we learned that we could overcome barriers and guarantee quality training for new HOP Core participants.

I am committed to replicate this program to train specialists whose job is to prevent and prepare for emergency situations; specially because in the city of Chiclayo in Lambayeque state, we do not have a preventive and preparatory approach, and plus there are hardly any training of this type available. That is why, to me is really important to start replicating this knowledge with the members of my organisation, so that we all may be part of a multiplier effect for a better prepared region in the face of crises and emergencies.”

The new trainers were coached and supported by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy team in Latin America and Caribbean to ensure the quality and methodology of the learning process.

Representatives of notable local organisations such as the Food Bank of Peru and Descocentro, as well as government actors from the National Institute of Civil Defense and national staff of Save the Children, from Lima, Piura, Huancavelica, La Libertad and Lambayeque participated in the training. The training was led and delivered by the new facilitators from three local organisations: Nic Maish, CEDEPAS and from Save the Children Peru.

The training participants were able to reinforce their knowledge on risk prevention, preparedness and mitigation through theoretical and practical sessions; they will continue to support the ongoing El Niño response in this territory.

Silvia Uriol, National Communications Coordinator for Save the Children Peru and one of the participants in this training by newly trained facilitators shared:

“My experience as a participant of the HOP Core has been absolutely rewarding. As a group, we had quite intense days of learning, where we also had the chance to absorb the experiences of all participants from different backgrounds: from government institution staff to local NGOs, and even colleagues from different specialty areas within Save the Children.

I am leaving this space; firstly, enthusiastic about applying everything that I have learned here and transfer my knowledge into the emergency projects where I participate in favour of children within SC; and second of all, I am leaving with the commitment to share everything I have just learned to strengthen the brilliant team under my lead in Lima.”

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Led by the HLA’s West and Central Africa team, twenty-four humanitarians from the Education Cluster working group including local organisations (18), government organisations and international non-governmental organisations from a range of districts across Nigeria attended a five-day Education in Emergencies training in Abuja, in mid-February 2024.

The Education in Emergencies Fundamentals course is a blended learning course designed to provide professionals with the essential skills needed to initiate, design, and implement an emergency education response in their specific context. In some instances, these professionals have limited access to training and professional development opportunities.

Prior to the five-day face-to-face training, participants on this course completed Foundations of EiE, the first module of EiE which is available on Kaya. The in-person training was then adapted to meet the specific needs in the Nigerian context. For example, a module on the Safe Schools Declaration was included, due to a high number of attacks on schools and children.

This additional module was developed in partnership with the Regional EiE Professional Development Programme (PDP) Manager in West and Central Africa, Global Coalition for Protecting Education from Attack (GCPEA) and an EiE expert from Save the Children International.

Samira Galadima, Program Manager of Adda Girl Education Foundation (NNGO) and a course participant said:

“Throughout this comprehensive program, we delved deep into the core principles and practices of EiE, gaining invaluable insights into how education can be sustained and prioritised even in the midst of crises. From understanding the fundamentals to navigating cross-cutting issues, child participation, and safeguarding protocols, every aspect was meticulously explored. Thank you for the opportunity to deepen my understanding and contribute to building more resilient and inclusive education system in Nigeria and beyond!”

Strengthened capacity

Two recent graduates of the EiE Certificate in Advanced Studies (CAS), an EiE specialist and two HLA colleagues delivered this course with the support of Save the Children Nigeria’s Education Technical Assistants and Cluster co-coordinators.

This was an excellent opportunity for the recent CAS graduated as it provided a platform to further develop their facilitation skills whilst capitalising on their contextual EiE expertise. It also provided a more sustainable approach to follow up, arrange further trainings and possibly create a community of practice for EiE within the region.

Mahjuba Nuruddin Maisikeli, an Education Assistant from American University of Nigeria who participated in the course said:

“In this training, I’ve gained valuable insights into various aspects of emergency response in education, including safe school declarations, gender inclusion, and conflict sensitivity. As a field staff member, these learnings are crucial for my organization’s programs, particularly in supporting adult girls transitioning from secondary school to higher education and starting small businesses. Implementing these learnings will not only benefit my organisation but also foster stronger relationships between universities, government systems, and local communities.”

Reflecting on the training, Mathilde Lemaire, EiE PDP Manager for WCA who also co-created the module on Safe Schools Declaration shared:

“What an enriching experience! The participants questioned the fundamental concepts, contextualised the activities and engaged in the discussions. This sharing of experience gave me a better understanding of Nigeria’s situation. It wasn’t just a training experience; it was also a chance to meet people and share ideas. A new community of EiE professionals was formed this week.”

The training concluded on an energised note as there was active participation and high levels of interest in topics such as evaluation, analysis, and design of education programmes in emergencies, as well as children’s participation and well-being.

Godwin Kure Lucky, EiE Desk Officer at the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Human Capital Development said:

“The EiE Fundamentals training has greatly improved my understanding of partners coordination. I am eager to expand my knowledge and encourage greater involvement of MoE staff on the HLA platform. Thank you so much for your service.”

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November 2023 marked a significant month as the Humanitarian Leadership Academy launched in the Latin America and Caribbean region. With the strong support of Save the Children International and humanitarians across the region, locally led learning in humanitarian topics is set to drive forward – a strengthened civil society, technical expertise, and localised leadership at varying levels.

The Humanitarian Leadership Academy – La Academia de Liderazgo Humanitario – was presented to staff of Save the Children International as a partner and major provider of face-to-face and online humanitarian training offered in Spanish language, targeted to address real gaps in the region.

Mercedes Garcia, HLA Lead for Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) shares:

“In the last year we have been working to jump-start the work of HLA in the region. Latin America has seen a spike in number and complexity of its crisis; based on this also there is an increased need from humanitarian actors, especially local ones, for learning and capabilities solutions to help them adapt to this new context.

HLA provides us new alternatives on innovative vision and programs, as well as the opportunity to take advantage of global trends and learning.”

There is no doubt that HLA has been well received as a collaborative platform which will foster and strengthen knowledge of humanitarians across the region – focusing on three core pillars: civil society, the individual and organisations.

Localised learning for humanitarians – LAC’s first Humanitarian Operations Programme (HOP)

HLA’s energetic team in the region delivered the first-ever HOP in Spanish – as part of Peru’s response strategy to tackle the effects of El Niño with a localisation focus.

This training, HLA’s first in the region, was delivered to 19 people in Lima, Peru on the last week of November 2023. Participants were local partners, elected officials and Save the Children staff from 3 different offices across Peru, including staff from the Guatemala Office; where the second Spanish iteration (holding in February is being prepared.

Reflecting on this first training, Ana Lucia LAC HLA Learning Specialist and a trainer on the course noted:

“It has been wonderful to see the excitement from all participants, especially when they realise that HOP can strengthen their capabilities; even when the group itself is diverse, their background experience and the institutions they work for are different; they all end up finding commonalities and become aware of the relevance of their individual role once a crisis strikes.”

For the coming months, the HLA team in the region, expects to continue replicating HOP in project offices within the two pilot countries: Peru and Guatemala, to bring more capacity building opportunities to local communities.

HLA has been well received as a collaborative platform which will foster and strengthen knowledge of humanitarians across the region – focusing on three core pillars: civil society, the individual and organisations.”

Ernesto Murillo, Northeast Macro-Region Manager, Lima, Peru participated in the HOP training. He said:
“This program is an important way to learn and then apply all these processes in my territory in the event of an emergency. Although as a group we were responding to a simulated emergency, I have no doubt that with the tools we now know, we will be able to better develop our functions as leaders in the face of a real crisis.

The experience has undoubtedly been exciting because each of the steps we have taken throughout this workshop have been, first to refresh and understand some topics that perhaps we were not very clear about; and second, in the simulation section, we were faced with a great challenge to develop a proposal in the context of an emergency. It was also very valuable to meet people who work in the regions, especially in the northern region of Peru; and to have the opportunity to work together with our own colleagues from the different programmatic areas and thus learn together about Humanitarian Operations. I hope to have the opportunity to `replicate it with our colleagues to be better prepared in the event of an emergency, and thus ensure that we know everything from how to request funds to developing actions in the field.”

While 2023 marked the launch of HLA LAC Regional Center, this new year will see an expansion of our message and services to reach more partners and staff within Latin America.

Since May 2016, Kaya – the free digital learning platform operated by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy has upskilled thousands of humanitarians globally to directly respond to crises in their localities. Kaya is providing high quality, expert led and industry recognised learning at times and places where access can be challenging.

A Kaya learner from Syria said: “As someone who faced challenges due to the Syrian crisis, such as limited access and remote management, I found Kaya’s designed courses to be invaluable in enhancing my skills and knowledge.

The platform not only helped me keep learning but also enabled me to share this knowledge with colleagues, team members, and partner staff, ultimately making a positive impact on those affected by the crisis, especially since many courses are available in different languages including Arabic.”

With over 700,000 learners from 190 countries registered on the platform; there are now over 500 learning resources available on Kaya in 12 languages at varying levels of expertise. Resources for people who have never been involved in humanitarian action to resources for people who have worked in the sector for many years.

A Kaya learner from Cote D’Ivoire said: “The learning has changed my outlook, it’s opened my eyes to some of the challenges faced by our colleagues on the ground.”

Kaya content is contextually relevant and is often updated by experts across the globe with new information as new processes are introduced to humanitarian action.

How can I access Kaya and what will I find?

Kaya is free and accessible on a phone, tablet or laptop. You will need access to the internet to sign up and find content. However, your coursework can be done offline, and progress uploaded when you have access to internet again.

Resources range from games, quizzes, and assessments to online self-directed courses and pathways, webinars, videos, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), and blended courses. Kaya users can also find registration for face-to-face workshops and events and so much more available and accessible at the learner’s time/flexibility.

A Kaya learner from South Africa said: “I believe that Kaya fosters creativity and critical thinking and for me that is an essential skill that every humanitarian needs.”

Kaya is not only helping humanitarians grow, but also supporting international, national and local non-governmental organisations (who we partner with) to share their knowledge on an accessible platform.

Another Kaya learner from Ukraine said: I’ve used the Kaya platform during my work with International Rescue Committee till October 2022. And nowadays I was really surprised to see this hub available in Ukrainian. I don’t remember any other humanitarian platform with trainings available in our language.”

Kaya resources are accessible; the platform includes a screen reader helper, a dyslexia friendly view and much more. As a learner on Kaya, you can earn certificates and showcase the certificates you receive from completing courses. Some courses award HPass digital badges, which you can add to your LinkedIn profile. These certificates and badges validate gained knowledge and encourage and motivate humanitarians to accelerate their learning and professional development.

I was really surprised to see this hub available in Ukrainian. I don’t remember any other humanitarian platform with trainings available in our language.”

What should I do now?

If you’re looking to learn something new as a humanitarian – from project management to proposal writing, understanding big concepts like cash and voucher assistance or the Grand Bargain. If you’re looking to join valuable networks such as the Women in Leadership network hosted on Kaya – sign up now.

If you’re already a Kaya learner, tell a friend about Kaya. Share one of the #KayaAppreciation posts on our social media channels or create your own.

The Humanitarian Leadership Academy remains poised to support professional growth and Kaya learners’ impact and invaluable contributions to individual communities.