We were delighted to recently welcome the one millionth learner to Kaya, the Humanitarian Leadership Academy’s open access digital learning platform.
Over the past decade, learners from 195 countries have registered and logged onto kayaconnect.org, all building the skills to respond when it matters most. In September 2026, we surpassed one million registered learners. This milestone isn’t just about numbers: it tells the story of the commitment and dedication of humanitarians around the world to learn, upskill and serve their communities.
Learners have told us how Kaya helped them move from volunteering into professional roles, learn alongside full-time work, strengthen their organisations and pass their knowledge on to colleagues and young people around them.
10 years of learning and collective action
10 years ago, we set out to make high-quality, contextualised humanitarian learning free and accessible to anyone, anywhere. We launched Kaya in May 2016 at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, the convening that gave rise to the Grand Bargain and a commitment to put local actors at the centre of humanitarian response.
The community grew steadily from there. Kaya reached 100,000 learners in December 2018 and 500,000 by December 2021, when it also passed 500 public courses. When crises struck, we moved quickly together with funders and partners to put practical, contextualised learning in the hands of responders, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine and the Türkiye–Syria earthquakes.
Last year we completed Kaya’s migration to Moodle Workplace, making the platform more robust, sustainable and fit for the future.
Today, learners can choose from around 950 learning resources in 15 languages, all free to access. They cover thematic areas from humanitarian operations and leadership to WASH, protection, and mental health and psychosocial support, supporting capacity strengthening for individuals and organisations alike.
Alongside Kaya, our podcast and webinar series extend the conversation, sharing diverse perspectives and connecting humanitarians around the world.
Learning on Kaya has been a transformative experience for me. When I was working in a refugee camp, Kaya courses such as Education in Emergencies, Child Protection in Emergencies and WASH in Emergencies helped us achieve our goals within budget and in time.
The power of collaboration and partnership
Kaya’s story has always been one of partnership. More than 30 organisations now share their learning on the platform, reflecting the breadth of the community Kaya serves and the trust it has built across the sector.
Many partners who use Kaya to train their own staff have chosen to make those internal courses public, free for anyone to take. It is a real contribution to the sector, building common understanding and shared approaches across the humanitarian community.
As Dr Unni Krishnan, Global Humanitarian Director at Plan International, puts it, Kaya is “one of the best things to ever happen to the humanitarian sector.”
Some have been with us from the very beginning. This year we celebrate a decade of partnership with NRC, IRC and CALP, whose expertise and commitment have shaped Kaya into what it is today. That longevity has been built carefully, through challenges as well as successes, and it is at the heart of this milestone.
Reflecting on this moment, Pawel Mania, Director, Humanitarian Leadership Academy said:
“Kaya has been a driving force behind our mission to accelerate the movement for locally led humanitarian action. Our learners and partners show us its impact every day, from individuals sharing their learning with young people in their communities to organisations training entire teams. None of this would be possible without our funders and partners, and we are deeply grateful for what we have achieved together.”
“As Kaya enters its second decade, the appetite for learning remains strong, but how people learn is evolving. We look forward to working with existing and new partners to explore how Kaya can continue to grow, innovate and respond to the changing needs of humanitarian learners.”
Are you one in a million? Share your Kaya impact story
To mark this milestone, we’d love to hear from our Kaya learner community!
How has learning on Kaya made a difference to you? Perhaps it helped you progress in your career, take on a new role, change how you work, strengthen your organisation, or create greater impact for the communities you work with.
Whether it was one course that made a lasting difference or a longer learning journey on Kaya, we want to hear your story. View our learner stories for inspiration!
You can share your Kaya impact story in one of three ways:
- You can fill in this short form
- Or email info@humanitarian.academy
- Alternatively, post it on social media, tagging the Humanitarian Leadership Academy and using the hashtag #MyKayaImpactStory
If you can, please include a portrait photo of yourself with your story. Please share your story by 13 November 2026.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be shining a spotlight on your stories across our channels, starting with learners across Africa, where many of our first stories have come from.
We welcome stories from every corner of the Kaya community, and we’d especially love to hear from learners whose voices are heard less often, including women, whose experiences and leadership are vital to humanitarian action.
Your stories will inspire others across the sector. We thank you for your commitment to learning and supporting the communities you serve.
My Master’s gave me the theory of supply chain management, but Kaya gave me the humanitarian reality, where logistics is not about profit, but about saving lives. Thank you for keeping Kaya open, free, and impactful.
