This fall, Niagara College’s Global Education Projects (GEP) team traveled to four countries in Africa and the Caribbean to develop project activities and new partnerships focused on sustainability and gender equality.
The January 29 edition of Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) International Partnerships highlighted many of NC’s activities in those locations, including the newly secured project under CICan’s Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Program (KBEST).
Here are highlights of the recent trips made by the NC team:
Kenya
During a recent visit to Kenya in November, GEP’s Project Manager Sasha Gora met NC’s partner on the KBEST, The Kisumu National Polytechnic. The project will be developed in collaboration with the Marine Institute and Seneca Polytechnic. KBEST aims to support skills development in key economic sectors, to position the country as a competitive presence in the global blue economy, connecting Canadian colleges and institutes with technical and vocational training (TVET) institutions. The program focuses on training for women, youth, and vulnerable populations.
Also in Kenya, as part of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET-14) project, Sasha Gora and School of Academic and Liberal Studies Professors Jamie Oresar, Adele Caruso and Krasna Baotic worked alongside the Sheridan College team from November 9 – 21.
The group conducted workshops for the Gender Mainstreaming Committee (GMC) Regional Event within participating institutions. The sessions in Meru, Vihiga, Kisii, and Mombasa were designed to address central themes, emphasizing two key areas: policy implementation and the development of comprehensive Gender Action Plans.
The GMC Regional Event is part of Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works-Kenya: Youth Employability through TVET Program in partnership with CICan. Young Africa Works is the Mastercard Foundation’s strategy to enable 30 million young people across Africa, particularly women, to access dignified and fulfilling work.
During the event, hosted in Kisii and Mombasa, 82 representatives from participating Kenyan TVET partner institutions engaged in the sessions hosted by NC.
The NC team also promoted a Feminine Product Drive, collecting enough products to replenish the supply at the Kisii National Polytechnic, where their student council runs the initiative. Monetary donations were used to buy 21 boxes of supplies in Mombasa, distributed among seven participating institutions. The struggle to afford menstrual products is a crisis that affects many Kenyan women and girls, particularly those living in low-income settings.
Tanzania
A Partnership Collaboration Workshop was led by NC in Dodoma, Tanzania, as part of the Employment Skills Program (ESP-05).
A three-day Partnership Collaboration Workshop occurred in Dodoma, Tanzania, from November 15 – 17. The event, led by NC alongside Seneca Polytechnic, was part of the Employment Skills Program (ESP-05).
GEP’s Project Manager Esteban Navarro and Mary Bantug from Seneca Polytechnic led the event, where NC’s School of Business & Management Studies Professor Dawit Eshetu delivered a session on capacity assessment tools for Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). In addition, Derek Howse, a member of the Seneca Polytechnic team, emphasized linking Labor Market Information (LMI) with curriculum development for Folk Development Colleges (FDCs). Presentations by the CBOs Justice in the Society for Transformative Change (JUST) and Young Strong Mothers Foundation (YSMF) also showcased impactful community-based work in Tanzania.
Through ESP-05, NC works with Bigwa and Munguri FDCs, JUST and YSMF to provide alternative pathways to education, employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship to students and marginalized groups, especially women.
ESP is funded by the Government of Canada and implemented by CICan in collaboration with Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
Attendees included members from FDCs, CBOs, and Community Development Officers (CDOs) from Kondoa and Morogoro. Mwajuma Suleiman, Partnership Support Coordinator of the ESP-05 program, reflected on the significance of the workshop.
“I discovered that in the realm of labour market analysis and capacity assessment, we find not only the keys to initiating transformative programs within institutions but also the profound insights essential for entrepreneurs”, said Suleiman. “Just as an institution requires a clear understanding of its capacity, businesses must grasp market trends and assess their capacity. In the pursuit of empowerment, it is the fusion of labor market analysis and institutional capacity assessment that ignites the path to success.”
Jamaica and Guyana
In Guyana and Jamaica, the NC team conducted sessions on modules of the short courses developed through the Skills to Access the Green Economy (SAGE 07) program.
SAGE-07
In Guyana and Jamaica, GEP’s Project Manager Esteban Navarro and the School of Hospitality and Tourism Professors Agnes Nowaczek and Jennifer Hall visited NC’s partner institutions Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and Excelsior Community College as part of the Skills to Access the Green Economy (SAGE-07) program – Ecotourism Thematic Partnership.
Additionally, the NC faculty team alongside Professor Claudia Blythe, from ECC, delivered a special Ecotourism class for more than 15 students at ECC.
In both locations, the team conducted train-the-trainer sessions on modules of the two short courses developed through SAGE: “Principles for Ecotourism Guides” and “Green Events”. The trips occurred from October 14 to 28.
SAGE-05
In Jamaica, the NC team developed activities as part of the Skills to Access the Green Economy (SAGE) project from October 15 to 21.
Through SAGE-05, NC is working with Moneague College (MC) and Ebony Park Academy (EPA) to develop competency-based programs in agro-food processing and build institutional capacity in areas such as gender equality, research-based projects, and environmental sustainability.
The NC team included GEP’s Project Manager Sasha Gora, School of Liberal Studies Professor Jamie Oresar, NC’s Manager of Sustainability Taryn Wilkinson, and an external consultant with expertise in research projects, Lloyd Wicks.
SAGE is funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by CICan.
