Viewing archives for West and Central Africa

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Adapting Education in Emergencies Fundamentals training in Niger

Supported by the HLA team in West and Central Africa, Save the Children Niger and the Education cluster in Niger trained 30 humanitarians in a 5-day Education in Emergencies Fundamentals programme in Niamey, Niger.

Well done to Education Cluster and Save the Children colleagues working in the field in Niamey, Niger

Education in Emergencies Fundamentals is a 50-hour facilitated course provided by the HLA, which aims to equip country office education and EiE staff with the fundamental competencies to be part of initiating, designing and implementing a quality EiE response in their context.

A participant who attended the training said: “It was a very rich session of exchange and sharing of experience in the field of education in emergency situations. The points raised were very clear and varied, enabling us to improve our future interventions. Thank you to the organisers of this training session.”

In Niamey, Honore Kabamba, Technical Adviser for Education and Idrissa Abdou Malam, Education and Protection Program Manager focused the training on Programme Design in EiE, Protection & well-being of children and teachers and for the first time included a module on Safe Schools Declaration.

Given the situation in Niger, no staff member of HLA was able to be present in Niamey, Niger. As a result, this training was facilitated entirely by staff from outside HLA. Technical support was provided prior to the training, to prepare the facilitators, who then managed the training on their own. 

Idrissa who helped to deliver the training said: “This training session achieved its objectives. The enthusiasm shown by the participants demonstrates their commitment to their personal and professional development.

“In addition, the choice to involve staff from various institutions gave them the opportunity to learn from others and equip them with the fundamentals of the ESU [EiE]. This gives them the opportunity to improve the way they respond to educational needs in emergency situations in their different areas of intervention.

In short, this training will once again create a pool of resource people ready to provide support in emergency education responses in Niger in general and in the Diffa and Tillabéri regions in particular.”

Working in groups enhances knowledge. “…the choice to involve staff from various institutions gave them the opportunity to learn from others..”

As new Education in Emergencies projects are emerging in the country, at the same time there is expansion of operations into new areas; this training was needed and useful to strengthen the skills of new staff and partners.  Knowledge tests at the end of the training demonstrated the training’s effectiveness and there are plans for analysis on knowledge application in the near future.

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Humanitarians in Niger and Mauritania experience HOP training

The HLA team in West and Central Africa (WCA) held two key Humanitarian Operations Programme trainings in Maradi, Niger and Bassikounou, Mauritania in June and July.

“These activities provided team members, as well as the programs and support teams, with a valuable opportunity to work together closely, gain a deeper understanding of each other’s roles, and design responses tailored to specific situations” – Dodo Adamou, Humanitarian Coordinator, Save the Children Mauritania

Hassan Amadou Roufai Sani, Senior Humanitarian Program Manager, Save the Children Niger who helped organise the training in Niger said:

 “The training has been for a capital importance for our country office since it has allowed to 29 Emergency Response Team (ERT) members coming from different field offices across the country to improve their knowledge and skills in humanitarian response settings.”  

Led by the HLA team in WCA, Amadou Sidibé, Learning Specialist and Mireia Gil, HLA Lead (acting), the team responded to a request by the Save the Children International country offices to help strengthen the capacity of their field teams.

The objective of the trainings in Niger and Mauritania were the same – to reinforce the capacities of the field teams. Both country offices have experienced the effects of changes in personnel and challenges in the field including more emergencies and the increasing need to respond more efficiently.

Amadou said: “The HOP training courses in Niger and Mauritania were an excellent initiative because they were organised directly in the field with front-line staff. Based on the needs of the country office and the context, these training courses were designed using a hybrid model (online and face-to-face) combined with a training needs assessment.”

“This enabled us to adapt the content and methodology of the training to the participants, considering the participants’ individual level as well as the specific challenges in the countries.”

The typically 5-day training was extended to 6 days to accommodate 2 and a half days of theoretical sessions and 3 and a half days of simulation; all covering topics including Humanitarian Principles, Conflict Sensitivity, Gender, Accountability, Safeguarding, the Humanitarian Project Cycle, Well-being and more.

These core HOP essentials were contextualised, adapted and improved to meet the needs of a total of 48 colleagues in Niger (29) and Mauritania (19).

Topics covered during the training include: Humanitarian Principles, Conflict Sensitivity, Gender, Accountability, Safeguarding, the Humanitarian Project Cycle, Well-being and more.

Dodo Adamou, Humanitarian Coordinator, Save the Children Mauritania participated in the training in Bassikounou; he shared that:

“The training went very well. The trainees, who had varying levels of experience, appreciated the pedagogical approach and the discovery of new themes, such as anticipatory action and conflict sensitivity.

“The beginner profiles were able to gain a better understanding of Save the Children’s procedures. They were also impressed by the simulation, and by the density of the topics covered, in line with the theoretical learning sessions given during the HOP and during the e-learning sessions.”

As a result of the HOP training, there are improved relations across country office humanitarian teams; 4 Emergency Response Teams (ERT) across Niger and 1 ERT in Mauritania have also strengthened their specific operational capacities.

In a few weeks after the training, Hassan reported that “as an outcome of this training, we have seen a great improvement in the planning and delivery of emergency responses led by the trained team members within our various field offices.”

“The training has been for a capital importance for our country office since it has allowed to 29 ERT members coming from different field offices across the country to improve their knowledge and skills in humanitarian response settings” – Hassan, Save the Children Niger

The newly trained teams are now developing a post-training guide to summarise and highlight aspects of the training most relevant for their larger and sub-teams. This will help to increase self-training tools.

Additionally field teams were inspired to create a collaboration space that allows sharing and exchange of best practice in humanitarian and emergency response.

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Special Feature – Learner spotlight: Meet Neba

Neba Ambe Azinui: avid Kaya learner, Commonwealth Scholar and global humanitarian

Humanitarians globally are working to respond to crisis to make this world a better place for all. While these efforts are sometimes met with difficulty, hostility or attack, especially in a conflict situation, many humanitarians remain resolute, their resolve made stronger by the challenges they face.

Sometimes difficulty comes in the form of a gap in knowledge or resources to access life-saving knowledge such as around Personal Safety and Security in conflict settings, Safeguarding, International Law, Conflict Sensitivity, Humanitarian Standards and more.

Kaya, the free digital learning platform provided by the HLA is removing this difficulty globally one humanitarian at a time. Kaya is helping humanitarians feel valued and give value to the humanitarian system starting with their local communities.

This article features our interview with Neba Ambe Azinui, a global humanitarian whose dream is a world where the lives and education of children are no longer interrupted by conflict or disasters.

Neba’s journey begins in Bamenda, located in northwestern Cameroon – an area rich in history and culture – contributing to education, healthcare and community engagement in the region.  

In 2020, due to conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon when students and teachers were targeted, and schools were destroyed across these regions; Neba lost his job after over 7 years as a secondary school teacher. This conflict situation was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Neba began seeking new opportunities including volunteering. This led him to volunteer at a local NGO (GRACARO) in Cameroon promoting access to education for vulnerable children affected by the conflict and the pandemic.

This marked the beginning of a very fulfilling journey for Neba. As someone new to volunteering and the development sector, Neba was highly motivated by the impact of the local NGO in his community. He soon realised there were opportunities to upskill in his knowledge and began searching for ways to achieve this.

“I felt like I had stumbled on a gold mine of knowledge resources on humanitarian and development, as I explored the different courses available on Kaya.” – Neba

Neba’s search led him to Kaya, HLA’s free digital learning platform. He says: “I started looking for specialised courses to improve my skills and capacity to work more effectively and contribute to the work of my team.”

“On the 2nd of April 2021, I completed my first two courses on Kaya: Wellness and Resilience for Frontline Workers and Managers and the IRC Personal Safety and Security Courses which were free, self-paced and very easy to follow. Since then, Kaya has been my one-stop-shop for all knowledge and skill-enhancement courses on humanitarian and development work and so far, I have completed over 28 specialised courses on Kaya with several courses still ongoing.”

Neba’s thirst for knowledge and drive to become a better humanitarian further led him to making positive impact as a Project Coordinator in a local NGO in Cameroon. There, he developed and facilitated education programmes that supported children affected by conflict and persons living with disabilities to have access to education in the conflict-affected Northwest region of Cameroon.

Greater heights in a humanitarian’s learning and development

“Learning is not attained by chance. It must be sought for with ardour and attended with diligence.” — Abigail Adams, former first lady of the United States

By 2023, Neba’s educational and academic journey had taken a significant turn leading him to apply for and get accepted to pursue a Master of Arts in Education, International Development, and Social Justice at St. Mary’s University London.

Neba says: “Courses on Kaya have been crucial in equipping me as a development and humanitarian practitioner. I sometimes tell myself that I have earned a Distance Learning Bachelor’s degree in Humanitarian and Development Studies from Kaya and the HLA.”

 “These courses have been crucial in qualifying me for admission to study for my MA in Education and International Development in the United Kingdom as well as a fully funded Commonwealth Scholarship by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UKFCDO) to pursue the masters.”

Aside from pursuing professional academic knowledge, Neba is meticulously aligned to understanding as many facets of working in development as possible – bringing him full circle to Save the Children and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy.

On a leisurely walk in London, Neba discovered a Save the Children charity shop and wasted no time to enquire about volunteering. Neba signed up to become a charity shop and fundraising volunteer with Save the Children UK – serving two crucial purposes – to give back to an organisation that facilitated his learning and to lean into another learning opportunity.

Have a peek at Neba’s top three courses on Kaya: Education in Emergencies (EiE), MEAL DPro and Project DPro

Looking ahead and beyond

With his career path now more clearly defined, thanks to courses and certifications gained on Kaya, Neba says: “I am well-grounded and more confident in my understanding of humanitarian work given that most of the courses on Kaya are developed and offered by leading humanitarian and development organisations like UNHCR, UNICEF, Save the Children, ICRC, OXFAM, PM4NGOs, CRS, Street Child, Plan International, World Vision, and others. I look forward to new opportunities that will allow me to continue  making relevant and meaningful contributions to improving access to education for children, even in emergencies.”

“My journey on Kaya also continues. As I now advocate and encourage people to take advantage of the learning opportunities and resources freely available on Kaya.”

Learn more about the HLA

The Humanitarian Leadership Academy is a global learning initiative from Save the Children UK. We strengthen people’s skills and capabilities through our digital learning platform – Kaya and global face-to-face opportunities; working with people in the humanitarian sector and beyond to prepare for and respond to crises in their contexts. Learn more about the Humanitarian Leadership Academy – https://www.humanitarianleadershipacademy.org/

Learn more about Kaya

Kaya is a global learning platform hosted by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy where learners will find both online and in-person learning opportunities, which are completely free to access. Reaching over 800,000 humanitarians across the world, a high concentration of learners are from countries facing access issues to training. Kaya has over 500 free courses available in up to 12 languages to help learners improve their understanding of humanitarian responses. Sign up for free kayaconnect.org

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NEW COURSES: Supply Chain Masterclass for Humanitarians

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.

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Education in emergencies & development aid: Working in partnership to deliver localised training

HLA’s team in West and Central Africa with Save the Children Côte d’Ivoire in February, led a successful Education in Emergencies (EiE) Fundamentals training. 34 humanitarians from various parts of Côte d’Ivoire and four country offices in the region took part in the course, which was delivered in French.

Congratulations to all the course participants!

EiE Fundamentals aims to equip country office education and EiE staff with the fundamental competencies to be part of initiating, designing and implementing a quality EiE response in their context.

This training was contextualised to fit the specific needs of the participants – for example, an additional module on the Rapid Integrated Response in Education in Emergency Situations (RIRE) approach was included to the training.

The goal of this approach is localised learning that strengthens capacity to support local responses. Such as in the case of Côte d’Ivoire; the arrival of large numbers of refugees, including school-age children in north of Côte d’Ivoire and Mali and Burkina Faso where there are emergency situations.

 

The training was contextualised to fit the specific need of participants.

Adama Traoré, Save the Children Côte d’Ivoire Area Coordinator joined the course, he said:

“The training on the fundamental principles of education in emergency situations was an opportunity for me to develop actions and improve the way I do things. I realised that all programmes in emergency situations require a rapid multi-sectoral assessment that looks at a number of aspects that will contribute to the well-being of the children. I found the training interesting and relevant, with clearly defined learning objectives and simple interactive methods that met adult education standards. I’m now going to use other aspects covered during the course to improve my interventions in the various projects and programmes”.

Participants in the EiE Fundamentals training also had the unique opportunity to share experiences and exchange good practice while navigating perspectives.  Some of which were on the complexity of implementing education programmes in emergency situations and the importance of children’s participation.

Sylvain Konan, a participant on the course shared:

“Very exciting session with very well-calibrated facilitation. The training on the fundamentals of the EiE gave participants important knowledge on how to design an emergency response, appropriately integrating cross-cutting issues, with the appropriate participation of children. Personally, I came away from this training with the determination to further develop my skills to help provide an appropriate and effective response to the emergency situations we will have to deal with.”

Mariam Kouadio, Manager at the Non-Formal Education Department in Côte d’Ivoire participated in the course, she said:

“This training has been of great benefit to me. It has reinforced my knowledge and skills about the accelerated education programme, especially in emergency situations. The modules are easy to assimilate and flexible. This training will enable the Non-Formal Education Department to take steps to intervene in the event of an emergency situation.”

Cissé Sononsa, Area Manager of Save the Children Côte d’Ivoire also participated in the training, she shared:

“This training has enabled me to measure the importance of conflict sensitivity and mitigation, to take account of cross-cutting approaches to gender, inclusion, mental health and social cohesion, to remember to collect information relating to education and to take account of children’s participation in the design and implementation of education projects in emergency situations. I am committed to ensuring that EiE aspects are taken into account in the design of humanitarian projects in Côte d’Ivoire to better protect children, their best interests and their well-being.

Learn more

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Strengthening capacity across West and Central Africa: Humanitarian Operations Programme Core in Dakar, Senegal

Building on preparedness work from November 2023, Save the Children in Senegal together with three local partners fulfilled their commitment to strengthen staff knowledge and skills to respond to children’s needs more efficiently in times of crisis.

Group photo of participants and trainers after the training.

17 humanitarians attended the five-day training in January 2024 which included interactive face-to-face workshops and a three-day desk-based scenario. The goal being to ensure that Save the Children and its partners carry out humanitarian action, (including anticipatory action) that is based on people’s needs, including developing risk monitoring systems, understanding when to act, and developing action plans.

HLA collaborated with colleagues in Save the Children Senegal to deliver HOP Core in Dakar.

The training delivered in French covered sessions which form the standard Humanitarian Operations Programme (HOP) Core package including: an Introduction to Humanitarian Action, Wellbeing in Emergencies, Conflict Sensitivity, Gender Equality in Emergencies, Rapid Needs Assessments, Proposal Writing and more.

Designed and delivered by HLA’s Learning Specialist, Tom Russell leaned on his experience from delivering similar trainings in Ivory Coast and Thailand last year.

The sessions were contextualised to address the specific identified learning needs of the course participants in Senegal. Collaborating with Save the Children’s Humanitarian Department and the HLA WCA regional team ensures that colleagues in the region now have hands-on experience of delivering the HOP Core training and can support the delivery of future iterations across the region.

Working together during the training.

Participants on the course shared their appreciation for the value gained on the course and the balance of delivery between theory and practice. Speaking on the desk-based scenario, a simulation exercise, one participant said:

“In our day-to-day lives, we don’t necessarily work in groups like in the simulation. The fact that we’re together, in a group, I find enriching, even if it requires a certain amount of adaptation.”

Another participant reflecting on part of the simulation that involved a donor presentation, said: “That was the best part of the simulation. It allowed all the work that had been done to become a reality. And the fact that you were able to present yourself, get feedback from the backers, feel emotions. It was great and should be even more so in real life!”

A three-day desk-based scenario gave room equitable participation in the course.

The variety of activities and methodologies employed to deliver the HOP Core course helped support learning by maintaining learner engagement, attention, and ensuring equitable participation.

Thank you to Save the Children (SCI) Senegal Country Office and the Humanitarian Department, and HLA WCA regional team for organising an impactful workshop.

Learn more

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Kaya – strengthening humanitarians’ skills


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.

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Learning to prepare for a response: Humanitarian Operations Programme Core workshop in Cote D’ Ivoire

The HOP Core workshop begins by analysing the complex nature of humanitarian crises, with participants selecting the crises that occur in the West African region.

Save the Children (SCI) colleagues in Cote D’Ivoire (CIV), came together in Yamassoukro, Ivory Coast this month for a five-day Humanitarian Operations Programme (HOP) Core workshop facilitated by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy.

HOP Core is designed to give participants the opportunity to experience the onset of an emergency, working in teams to prepare a response. This includes understanding the context through conducting a needs assessment before preparing and presenting a project proposal for review. The central modules for the just concluded workshop were:

A desk-based simulation exercise where participants have the opportunity to put learning into practice.

Humanitarian colleagues in Cote D’Ivoire, where the training was delivered in French, also focused on cross-cutting issues such as: Conflict Sensitive Programming, Gender Equality Programming and Accountability to Affected Populations.

Twenty-four (24) humanitarians from varying job functions in SCI Cote D’Ivoire participated in this workshop including the Director of Programme and Operations, Field Managers, Area Managers, Technical Advisors and more. Reflecting on the training, one participant said:

“I appreciated the facilitator’s maitrise (mastery) of the concepts and the training methodology used, which was adapted to the level of participants for effective learning.

Tom Russell who facilitated the workshop in French said, “I am very impressed with the energy and dedication that participants are demonstrating with the task of responding to a humanitarian crisis through the simulation experience – I would love to work on a response in real-life with this team.”

group photo of people with certificates
A team photo after the rewarding workshop and appreciation from colleagues!

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eLearning Africa 2023 – conference reflections

Esther Grieder was recently selected to present at eLearning Africa which took place between 24-26 May in Dakar, Senegal. Here she shares her reflections from the event.

A few weeks ago I returned from eLearning Africa, hosted this year in Senegal, in the Abdou Diouf Conference Centre just outside Dakar.

The conference brings together a huge range of companies, organisations and individuals with an interest in how the power of technology can best be applied to education, training and skills development on the African continent, and elsewhere.

The sessions I attended included everything from artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse, through to the use of radio waves to transfer visual and audio content, through to the very real challenges of implementing any kind of education technology (EdTech) initiative without internet connectivity.

I was also part of a panel which presented on ‘How digital credentials are transforming skills recognition in the workplace’ (read about HPass, our digital credentialling programme for humanitarians).

Esther with fellow presenters Eiman Elmasry (ITCILO), Rita Fennelly-Atkinson and April Williamson (Digital Promise) and Mike Feerick (Alison), and Chair Rolf Reinhardt (ICoBC).


Here are my overarching conference takeaways…

The global pace of technological change versus the speed of progress towards universal internet access

Globally, the pace of technological change is now faster than most of us can keep up with, as blockchain, the metaverse and AI each take their turn as the next big thing and promise to reshape our lives.

However, in Africa where internet penetration is 43 percent (source: Statista, 2021), the priorities in terms of educational technology centre more around internet coverage, and how to ensure that children and young people have the equipment and support to develop digital skills which will facilitate their access to the modern workplace. Getting the basics in place is still very much top of the agenda.

There were some interesting presentations on technological solutions in internet-less settings. These included using digital radio to send audio and visual content (Aldred Dreyer, Digital Radio Mondiale), and the possibility to create a collaborative document on multiple devices without internet using Web 3.0 technologies (Sebastian Zug, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg).

The digital divide

This discrepancy between the pace of technological change, and access to the internet, is creating what’s known as the digital divide.

Across Africa, capital cities typically have great internet coverage whilst in smaller towns and rural areas it’s sporadic. This means that in richer urban areas people are benefitting from each new technological innovation as it arrives and rapidly improving their quality of life, whilst rural areas lag behind.

Likewise, private schools are quick to pick up new technologies made available by start-ups and non-profits, whilst public schools are hugely hindered by red tape and administration.

Digital skills

Given the above, digital skills are clearly a priority and needed at all levels. Governments require digital skills to be able to make policies to facilitate and regulate digital industry, employers require digital skills of their recruits, and teachers require digital skills to be able to impart them to their pupils.

Digital Africa’s Penelope Terranova reported that 230 million jobs requiring digital skills will be required to be filled in Africa by 2030, with only 690,000 professional identified. 60 percent of the continent’s digital talent is concentrated in six countries.

Soft skills

Across the conference ‘soft skills’ (or interpersonal skills, power skills) was one of the strongest themes. The term ‘soft skills’ refers for example to the ability to communicate effectively, build relationships, work in teams and adapt to new situations, which for many employers are the difference between being able or unable to do a job.

Across the board, soft skills were seen as one of the key challenges that must be addressed to prepare young people for work and to enable employees to perform in their roles, with a lot of interest in how tech could be mobilised in support of the task.

Digital Africa had conducted research suggesting that for EdTech start-ups, soft skills were consistently the most sought after skills.

Sovereignty and self-determination

As we all know, the technology that is taking over our lives, for better or worse, is primarily developed by a handful of privileged individuals in Silicon Valley.

At the closing debate entitled ‘The House believes AI will do more harm than good on the African continent’, it was interesting to hear the presentation of Francisca Oladipo of Thomas Adewumi University in Nigeria, who argued that AI is a threat to African culture. She argued that the data used by AI is gathered from the most active users of the internet, i.e. those in the Global North, and therefore its intelligence is a Northern rather than an African one.

In addition as more data is gathered from the African continent and commodified, technology can be seen as yet another extractive industry making use of African resources for Northern profit.

What does all this mean for HLA and the humanitarian sector?

As an organisation focused on the provision of learning and training in the humanitarian sector, it’s clear that we need to continue to embrace the power of new technology to deliver learning. EdTech increases our reach and can provide our learners with simulations of humanitarian situations before they face them in real life.

However, it remains important for us to recognise that internet connectivity is not a given in the areas in which we operate, and that we should continue to provide learning opportunities for humanitarians in the remotest regions.

It’s also clear that we need to be preparing humanitarians for a digital future, providing them with the skills they need to navigate the rapidly changing technological landscape.

We need to support them to be able to use technology to provide better humanitarian response, as well as understand the threats posed by technology itself (cybersecurity threats, new kinds of weapons used in conflict) which humanitarians may face.

Doing so will require the humanitarians of the future to have advanced leadership and transferable skills, to be able to analyse and adapt to an ever-more rapidly changing technological context.

Ferhana Dostmohamed’s session on leadership identified five facets of leadership including ‘Embraces Agility’, a characteristic of increasing importance in a fast-changing technological landscape, and particularly for humanitarians.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an edtech conference for me without a finding related to digital credentials! Joshua Lange of Digital Financial Aid Corporation tells us that we will soon be able to attach Bitcoin to a digital credential, meaning you could potentially reward somebody’s course completion with funds for further study, or reimburse them on completion of a paid-for course. Wow!

Esther with Lucile Batiano from our West and Central Africa (WCA) Regional Centre, based in Dakar.

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HLA’s Esther Grieder to present at eLearning Africa

We are excited to share that Esther Grieder, Global Communities and Partnerships Lead at the HLA, has been selected to present at eLearning Africa taking place 24-26 May in Dakar, Senegal. We caught up with Esther ahead of the conference to find out more.


Congratulations on being selected to speak at eLearning Africa! Tell us a little about your session and what people attending can expect to hear more about.

I’m part of a session on ‘How digital credentials are transforming skills recognition in the workplace’, which should be really interesting!

The digital credentials movement – sometimes called the open badges movement – is all about enabling people to have their skills recognised, whether their skills were gained through formal educational channels, or through life and practical work.

This session is chaired by the ICOBC and will be a chance to hear from us and three other organisations – ITCILO, Digital Promise, and Alison, about how they are approaching this in practice.

I’ll be talking about HPass and humanitarian credentials as an example of a sector-approach to skills recognition.

Could you tell us a little about how HPass digital credentials can support humanitarians?

HPass offers the ability for humanitarians to set up a free profile on which they can gather digital credentials as evidence of their skills, learning and experience, issued by over 30 organisations in the sector.

Organisations such as World Vision, War Child and Save the Children all issue HPass credentials, as do many smaller humanitarian learning providers.

HPass digital credentials are fully verifiable, and contain ‘metadata’, which describes exactly what the individual has done to earn the credential, when it was issued, and which organisation issued it.

A myHPass profile is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to your learning and development to your manager or a potential employer (it’s easily shareable via a link or on social media).

Some people find digital credentials a great motivator to pursue more learning too – you can get recognised for each stage of achievement, and the myHPass ‘explore’ feature enables you to discover a whole range of credentials you can earn!

What would you like learn more about at eLearning Africa?

Firstly, I’m really excited to hear from other participants in my session on how they are using digital credentials, so I can get some tips for us!

I’m also really excited about a workshop I’m attending on Leadership Development for Education Leaders, and looking forward to some heated debates around the learning applications of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and the metaverse.

I used to work for a youth-focused organisation in Uganda, and I’m interested to hear about e-learning initiatives focused preparing young people for our fast-changing 21st Century economies and workplaces. 

What are you looking forward to most about being in Dakar?

I’m really looking forward to meeting representatives of our West and Central Africa Regional Centre in person for the first time. I’m looking forward to trying some Senegalese dishes, and hoping that the sun will be out!

Thank you Esther, we wish you a productive and enjoyable time at eLearning Africa!


About eLearning Africa

eLearning Africa was founded in 2005 and has hosted 19,242 participants from more than 100 countries around the world, with over 75 per cent coming from the African continent. More than 4,000 speakers have addressed the conference about every aspect of digital learning, training and skills development. View the 2023 conference programme.

About HPass

HPass supports the professional development of staff and volunteers in the humanitarian sector through two services: HPass digital badging and the HPass Quality Standards.

With with a fast-growing user base, HPass is becoming the go to platform for organisations looking to develop their learning and development.

HPass is a collaborative initiative founded in 2019 by Bioforce, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Pearson, Humanitarian Leadership Academy, PHAP, Humantarian Logistics Association, and RedRUK.

I’ve earned 116 certifications on Kaya and other learning platforms. Thanks to HPass I have details in a single link/embed code to all my badges, which links to my resume.
Melese Mengistu from Ethiopia, HPass Community Champion

We are currently supporting humanitarian responses in multiple locations - Find out more

Humanitarian Operations training re-imagined in Nigeria

Participants at the Humanitarian Operations training April 2023

The Humanitarian Leadership Academy on the request of Save the Children (SC) Nigeria co-created and co-delivered training to SC staff and partners from April 25 to 27.

“The facilitators took ample time to explain each slide in details, especially for the sessions on Accountability, Rapid Needs Assessment, Diseases Outbreak and Natural disaster, even the groupwork was awesome.”
HOP participant

Humanitarian operations in Nigeria are expanding rapidly with many Save the Children Nigeria staff engaging and working on development programs. The HLA developed and delivered an introduction to Humanitarian Operations (HOP) training to 31 colleagues and partners in SC Nigeria. This will help ensure a smooth and sustainable transition for the country program, and is in line with HLA’s goal of promoting localised leadership.

The training which took place in Maiduguri, Borno state in the northeastern region of Nigeria was a blended learning residential training with some sessions delivered online by SCI regional humanitarian experts.

“The training was an opportunity for Nigeria Emergency Response Team (ERT) to learn and reflect on Humanitarian Operation with topics related to Humanitarian Standards, gender equality, theory of change, centrality of Protection and Refugees Rights. The training was successful thanks to the high-level collaboration between national, regional, and international humanitarian experts”
Amr Kamel, HLA Learning Solutions Specialist who led the training

The training equipped the Nigerian Emergency Response Team (ERT) with a comprehensive introduction to technical areas and support functions within the humanitarian sector, demonstrating how they collaborate to deliver a high-quality response. Additionally, it aimed to cultivate the necessary behaviors, knowledge, and skills required to operate effectively during the initial phase of an emergency response.

We are currently supporting humanitarian responses in multiple locations - Find out more

Protection de l’Enfant en Situation d’Urgence

Appel à candidatures pour le Programme de Développement Professionnel en Protection de l’Enfant en Situation d’Urgence pour la région Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre.

 Save the Children a le plaisir d’annoncer le lancement du 3e cycle du Programme de Développement Professionnel en Protection de l’Enfant en Situation d’Urgence (PDP en PESU) pour la région Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre. Un programme conçu pour améliorer les compétences, les connaissances et les comportements requis du personnel d’intervention de la PESU. Il sera mené de Mai 2023 à Décembre 2023, 100% en français.

Il s’adresse aux professionnels ressortissants et/ou travaillant au Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritanie, Niger et République démocratique du Congo, ayant un minimum de 3 ans d’expérience professionnelle pertinente dans le domaine de la protection de l’enfance ou de la protection de l’enfance dans le cadre de la préparation / réponse aux situations d’urgence. Il concerne uniquement le personnel des organisations non gouvernementales nationales et les acteurs gouvernementaux des pays mentionnés, en priorité les travailleurs de terrain, de première ligne (animateurs, éducateurs, chefs de projet, assistants projet…).

J’ai vraiment le sentiment que le CPiE PDP m’a rendu plus confiant d’un point de vue pratique et théorique sur la protection des enfants dans les situations d’urgence. Il m’a également permis d’accroître mes capacités en matière de réflexion analytique, de conception de projets et de compréhension des composantes du CPiE.”
Dilip Raj Giri, Directeur du programme technique de protection, World Vision International au Népal.

Le personnel des ONG internationales sera éligible à condition que son organisation ne soit pas spécialisée en protection de l’enfance.

Les candidatures féminines, les candidatures du personnel d’organisations jeunesse et les candidatures de toute personne en situation de handicap sont fortement encouragées. Les candidatures seront ouvertes jusqu’au Dimanche 23 Avril 2023 (23:59 heure GMT).

Pour candidater, vous devrez dans un premier temps lire attentivement ce dossier d’Informations. Si ce programme est fait pour vous ;

  1. Veuillez s’il vous plaît remplir ce questionnaire en ligne
  2. Après avoir convenablement renseigné, et envoyé le formulaire d’inscription en ligne, vous devrez également par la suite nous faire parvenir votre CV en format PDF à l’adresse mail suivante : cpiepdp.wca@savethechildren.org.

Un mail vous sera envoyé afin de confirmer que votre candidature (votre formulaire d’inscription + votre CV) aura bien été réceptionnée.

We are currently supporting humanitarian responses in multiple locations - Find out more

Launch of a new podcast for humanitarians

Fresh humanitarian perspectives

 

We’re pleased to share our new podcast bringing you fresh humanitarian perspectives and reflections from our colleagues and network.

In the first episode, Gareth Owen, Humanitarian Director at Save the Children UK, explains the vision behind Engine 2 to build a new model of response to aid in Ukraine and beyond.

In the follow-up bonus episode, Samantha Davis, Deputy Director – Programmes and Learning at the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, shares the work taking place at pace at the HLA to drive and implement this change.

Please listen and let us know what you think – Stay tuned for more content coming soon!

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